Tusker touches electrified fence, dies

Mysuru: An around 10-year-old tusker was electrocuted after it touched an electrified fence around a farm in Kadur taluk in Chikkamagaluru district.
Forest officials said the tusker had wandered out of the woods in search of food and had tried to enter the field belonging to farmer Huliappa in the early hours of Friday.
Huliappa has cultivated jowar in his farm and had installed an electric fence around it to prevent wild boars and other wild animals from destroying the crops.
As per rules, farmers can take permission from the forest department to install solar powered fences to their agriculture land. As solar electric systems will have DC current, there will be less power flow and not continuous, animals which touch the wire will only get a light electric shock.
But officials said some farmers connect the fence to high voltage electric power lines on electric poles to prevent wild animals from entering their farms.
After receiving the information about the tusker, foresters rushed to the spot along with wildlife veterinarians and conducted the autopsy. Based on the forester’s complaint, Kadur police have registered a case against Huliappa under Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972. Police have also sought the opinion of electricity officials about the incident.