ANGUL: A 20-year-old tusker died reportedly due to electrocution near Madhapur village under Angul forest range on Monday night. Villagers spotted the elephant’s carcass on Tuesday morning and informed forest personnel who rushed to the spot. Since electricity cable was found nearby, it is suspected that the tusker might have died after coming in contact with a live wire. Later, a postmortem on the carcass was conducted by veterinary doctors.
Angul ACF Ranjan Behera said two tusks of the elephant were intact. “There is evidence of electrification in the area which leads us to believe that the tusker may have died due to electrocution,” he added. No arrest has been made in this connection so far. Sources said several elephant deaths due to electrocution have been reported in Angul forest division in recent years. In Madhapur, there is a rampant use of electric wire by villagers to ward off elephants.