Elephant electrocuted in TN forest fringe village

A ten-year-old male elephant was electrocuted to death when it came into contact with an illegal electric fence erected around a farm at a village in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in the district in Tamil Nadu, forest officials said on Sunday.

The elephant was found dead on farmland at Arulwady village near Thalawady on Saturday and following information a Forest team led by Ranger Muthu visited the spot.

The forest department veterinary doctor examined the elephant and declared that it died of electrocution.

Officials said they were searching for 70-year old farmer Kalliah who had allegedly connected high-tension electricity to the fence around his farm to keep wild animals at bay.

Last month, a male elephant died of electrocution in neighbouring Coimbatore district after it came into contact with an illegal electric fence at a banana farm.

Several such incidents have been reported in the forest fringe areas in the region over the years.

Though energising fences with low voltage for preventing wild animals from entering farms is permitted, often the farmers resort to connecting high tension power, which result in fatalities.

Officials have warned against such illegal acts and in some cases in the past farm owners had been arrested.