Baripada: A tusker was found dead in a farmland in Karamghutu area under Dukura forest section of Baripada Forest Division in Mayurbhanj district, with officials suspecting that it may have been electrocuted by an illegally laid electric wire.
Forest department officials reached the spot and launched an investigation. The wire was allegedly laid across the farmland to protect crops from elephants that had been entering the fields and damaging crops. However, it remains unclear who installed the wire. Baripada DFO Gobinda Chandra Biswal said, “A post-mortem will be conducted on the carcass Tuesday, and necessary samples would be sent for scientific analysis. The exact cause of death would be established after the reports come.”
Similar elephant deaths have previously been reported from Baisinga, Rasgovindpur and Bangiriposi areas of the district. The latest incident has renewed concerns over wildlife protection and the use of illegal electric connections in agricultural fields. Wildlife activists have expressed concern over the recurring deaths, saying such practices could worsen human-elephant conflict. Bhanumitra Acharya, a former honorary wildlife warden, said the Forest department had failed to put adequate measures in place to prevent crop damage by elephants.
Instead, the department largely limited its response to paying compensation, he alleged. A joint effort by the Forest Department and the Electricity Department was needed to prevent elephant deaths and address the problem of crop damage, he said.