3 Elephants killed within a fortnight

ANGUL:  Death of three elephants - two females and a tusker - within a fortnight in Angul district has raised concern among wildlife lovers. A female elephant and tusker were electrocuted at different places while another female elephant was found dead under mysterious circumstances, according to the Forest department.On August 10, a female elephant came in contact with a live wire at Tilatalia village under Mandargiri reserve forest of Angul division. On August 17, another female elephant was found dead near Majhipara village under Tikarpara forest range of Satkosia Wildlife Division. The cause of death has not been ascertained and postmortem report is awaited, forest officials said.

On Monday morning, there was one more casualty when a 15-year-old tusker was electrocuted in an orchard near Pokhtunga village under Bantala range of Angul forest division. Angul DFO V Karthik said a week back, a herd of elephants had entered the orchard of one Amulya Pradhan and he may have laid live wire to keep the animals away. Pradhan was arrested and forwarded to court on Tuesday. In connection with the Tilataila electrocution, five persons have been arrested, the DFO said.

The official stated that lack of awareness has led people to resort to illegal methods like laying live wires to keep elephants from their farmlands or human settlements. Some also do put up the wires to catch boars. The Forest department has initiated various measures to deal with the menace. “The department has opened a toll free number for people to report elephant-related cases and cabling of live wires is being undertaken in the forest division”, Karthik said.