Elephant electrocuted to death in U S Nagar farm (Udham Singh Nagar district, India) 

Author(s)

Aakash Ahuja, The Times of India

Date Published

 

RUDRAPUR: A 13-year-old male elephant was found dead in the jungles of Tanda range under central forest division in Udham Singh Nagar district on Saturday. Forest officials said that the pachyderm is believed to have been electrocuted by an electric wire in Pantnagar’s Sainik farms.

According to forest officials, a farmer had installed electric fencing around his farm to keep off wild elephants. The male elephant came in contact with that fence, following which it died. The farmer has been arrested and will be produced before court.

“Forest department staff have already requested farmers not to connect live wire to their fence, but some farmers are not paying heed. We registered a case under Wildlife Protection Act against farmer Harbhajan Singh, a resident of Jainagar 5 and detained him,” forests conservator PF Dhakate said, adding that the carcass seems to be two days old as it had started rotting.

Forest department veterinary doctor conducted post-mortem. Later, the carcass of the elephant was buried in the agricultural land. Experts said that wild elephants have been moving out of the jungles with people encroaching upon animal corridors, leading to clashes between elephants and villagers.