A female Asian elephant died on Sunday morning while receiving on-site treatment in Teknaf after rain-softened soil collapsed, causing her to tumble about 300 feet from a hill, forest officials said.

The animal, aged around 40 to 45 years, had been under veterinary care since Saturday afternoon, when residents of Naitangpara heard a loud crash and the elephant’s cries and found her lying injured at the scene.

The soil on the slope had collapsed during prolonged heavy rainfall while the elephant was feeding on leaves and creepers at the top of the hill, according to the forest department. The elephant struck several trees as it tumbled down the slope.

The fall broke both her hind legs and lacerated her abdomen. She was unable to stand.

Forest department staff reached the site and began treatment with assistance from veterinary surgeons from the Teknaf upazila livestock hospital and the Dulahazara Safari Park. The elephant died at around 9:45 am on Sunday despite those efforts, said Teknaf Range Officer Abdur Rashid.

“Every possible form of treatment was attempted, but the elephant died this morning,” Rashid said. A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause of death, he added.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Anik Chowdhury confirmed the death and said veterinary surgeons were preparing for the autopsy.

The elephant measured about 30 feet in length and stood approximately 10 feet tall. It belonged to a group of at least 23 Asian elephants that roam the Teknaf hills. Forest officials said continuous heavy rain had made slopes across the hill forest area slippery, raising the risk of further accidents involving wild animals.

Local resident Mohammad Idris said that after hearing the elephant’s screams on Saturday afternoon, people rushed to the spot and found the animal lying injured, bleeding from the abdomen and repeatedly crying out in distress.

“It seemed both her hind legs were broken. Forest officials came and arranged treatment, but in the end they couldn’t save her,” he said.