5-year old male elephant electrocuted in Tamil Nadu

A five-year old elephant was found dead on a solar fence of a farm in a village the Nilgiris district on Thursday, Forest department sources said.

On receipt of information, Forest department and Electricity Board officials rushed to the farm in Murungan Padi, owned by one Varghese, some 80 km from here and found the carcass of the male elephant entangled in the fence.

The officials noticed that the fence was connected with solar power and further investigations were on.

Incidentally, August 12 is observed as International Elephant Day.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem report on the carcass of the one-month old elephant calf which was recovered from Theppakkadu Range in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the district on Wednesday, had injuries on right hind leg and fracture on leg bone reportedly sustained in an attack by a carnivore a week ago.

Injuries were also found on abdomen and umblical cord areas, Forest department sources said.

The movement of the calf was restricted due to the fracture and it did not have proper food, as stomach and intestine were empty, resulting in the death, the report said.