COIMBATORE/CHENNAI: In a tragic incident, two female elephants and a makhna were electrocuted to death while trying to cross an illegal power fence at a farm at Kendenahalli village near Kaaligounder ottai at Marandahalli in Dharmapuri district around 10.30 pm on Monday. Two one-year-old calves that were part of the herd escaped as Tangedco officials disconnected the power supply after being alerted by forest staffers involved in monitoring animal movement.
Forest staff, however, managed to reach the spot only after hearing the loud and painful sound of the dying elephants. A heartrending video of the two calves repeatedly trying to approach the carcass of their dead mother to wake her up throughout the night has enraged animal lovers. The accused farmer has been arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
This is the first time in recent memory that three elephants have been killed due to electrocution in a single incident in Tamil Nadu. The Madras HC has sought a report from the state on SOPs for handling the calves within four weeks. The herd had entered the farm owned by K Murugesan in search of water and fodder, sources said.
A team led by Palacode forest range officer Natraj arrested the 50-year-old farmer who has cultivated maize, ragi and coconut on his 20-acre land. Murugesan has set up the illegal fence to protect his crops from wild boars, sources said.
File report, SOP for handling calves in four weeks: HC to forest department
Conservator of forest for Salem Circle A Periyasamy who is also holding additional charge of Dharmapuri circle told TNIE that ragi and maize crops are only a few months old. The farmer had given a power connection to his fence by illegally tapping power from an overhead line.
“The elephants were killed within a few seconds. Since the wire used by the farmer was thick, the line did not trip. If it had tripped, we could have saved one or two elephants,” the official said. Steps have been taken to fit the two calves with another herd. If the new herd refuses to accept them, the calves we will be sent to Theppakkadu camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) for the forest department’s care, sources said.
After the tragic incident, the state government on Tuesday told the Madras High Court that steps have been initiated in accordance with standard operating procedure (SOP) to handle the orphaned calves. Making a submission before the first bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy on behalf of the forest department, additional advocate general (AA G) J Ravindran said a team led by forest veterinarian Prakash has been taking care of the two calves.
An expert team from Palakkad has also been called in, he said. The bench directed the forest department to file a report on the action proposed and on SOP for handling the calves within four weeks. The bench also directed the registry to tag the matter with other cases related to elephant deaths being dealt by a special division bench. The incident was mentioned before the bench by PIL activist Muralidharan and advocate SP Chokkalingam.
They said that it is too difficult for the calves to survive without the lactating mothers and they must be made to join a new herd. Chokkalingam recalled the human rearing of two calves, Ammukutty and Ragu, and a film based on their stories-- “The Elephant Whisperers” which was nominated for an Oscar Award. The AAG, assisted by special govt pleader T Seenivasan, told the court that recommendations would be made to the district collector to invoke Goondas Act against the farmer.
He said joint patrolling has been carried out by forest and Tangedco staff after the incident and nine cases were booked against offenders for erecting illegal fences. Special night patrolling teams have been constituted to track elephants coming out of the woods and drive them back to the forest, Ravindran said.