ANGUL: A few days after an elephant was found dead in a jungle under Mahabirod forest range, another 10-year-old female elephant died reportedly due to electrocution in a jungle under Hindol forest range on Friday night.Forest department officials detected the carcass of the elephant lying near an 11 KV live wire. Local poachers are suspected to have spread live wire on the ground and the elephant is believed to have come in contact with it and died. Assistant conservator of forests, Dhenkanal, Subrata Patra said, a female elephant was separated from its herd two days ago and wandering in Baghdharia jungle since the last two days. It is suspected that the same one got electrocuted, he added.
“This morning we got information from our squad that an elephant has died due to electrocution in the forest. We went to the spot immediately and found an elephant and a wild pig lying dead close to the 11 KV wire. We seized the body and conducted postmortem of the elephant with the help of local veterinary doctors. Investigations are on to find out the culprits who had laid the 11 KV line at the spot leading to electrocution,” said the ACF.
Patra said he suspects it to be the handiwork of locals from Nuabag and Phulapada villages. A case has been registered in Hindol forest range, he informed.The recurrent deaths of elephants due to electrocution in both Angul and Dhenkanal have caused concern among the wildlife activists and enthusiasts who have been demanding stringent action against the culprits.