PALAKKAD: An elephant calf that entered a private estate at Valiyakkad in Malampuzha forest area of Palakkad district was electrocuted as it accidentally came in contact with an electric wire in the wee hours of Tuesday.
According to local residents, a herd of elephants entered the private estate located on the fringe of the Walayar forest on Monday night. The farm is located near the catchment area of Malampuzha dam. The herd demolished the pump house in the farmland and the elephant calf chewed the electric wire which led to its electrocution.
Residents of the area were woken up by the rumblings of elephants on Tuesday morning. As they reached the spot, they found the elephants pushing and kicking the calf to wake up. As people started screaming, the herd returned to the forest. However, the mother elephant refused to leave the carcass. After an hour, the mother elephant also left the spot.
"It is a male calf aged around two-and-a-half years. The area is located close to the forest border and the herd had entered the farmland in search of food," said Walayar range officer Ashiq Ali.
Encroachments on forest land were rampant on the forest fringes which were once part of an elephant corridor, said Elephant Lovers Forum district president Haridas Machingal. "There are many estates in the area. Elephant herds enter the estates and feast on the crops often. The electric fencing installed by local farmers to trap wild pigs is a threat to elephants," he said.
The forest department and KSEB should conduct a joint inspection in the area to check whether the electric fencing is installed according to the guidelines, he said.