Tusker electrocuted at Bitharkadu forest

COIMBATORE: A 15-year-old male elephant died after it came in contact with a live overhead power cable at Bitharkadu near Gudalur in Nilgiris district on Thursday morning.  

According to sources, the animal pushed two palm trees near the 11 KV electric power line and the trees fell over the line. The baseline is lowered when the elephant pressed the tree.  Later, when the elephant’s trunk touched the low baseline, it was electrocuted.

According to D Venkatesh, Field Director of MTR “An electric shock injury mark (black mark) is on the animal’s trunk. So it is purely accidental electrocution.”

Meanwhile, a two-week-old elephant calf was reunited with its mother at Glen Rock Coffee estate in Gudalur forest division on Wednesday evening.  The estate workers on Wednesday found a baby elephant lying near a waterfall on the side of the road leading to Glenrock.

On information, forest department staff reached the spot and provided water to the animal. Another team of forest officials set out to find out the mother elephant. After two hours of search, the mother elephant was traced and the staff facilitated the rejoining of the calf and its mother.  

In another incident, two tiger cubs were found inside tea bushes in Pandalur and forest department staff is guarding the spot to prevent the people from approaching the animals. Commenting on the incident, MTR MTR Field Director D Venkatesh said, “We suspect the mother leopard would have gone for hunting leaving the two cubs inside the tea bushes. The big cat will return and take away her babies.”