Dhenkanal: A female elephant and her six-month-old calf died after allegedly getting electrocuted in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district Saturday, a forest officer said.
The carcasses were found near an agricultural field in Godaribili village in Kadalipala beat of Kamakhyanagar west range, Dhenkanal DFO Lalit Kumar Patra said.
One person has been detained over the deaths and is being questioned, he added.
Prima facie, it appears the elephants came in contact with an illegally erected electrified agricultural fence, he said.
The exact cause of the deaths can be ascertained only after autopsy, he said.
The DFO said one person has been detained for questioning and further necessary legal action will be taken.
The Forest Department is conducting a detailed investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the incident and identify all those responsible, he said.
The department said the use of illegal live electrical connections and other hazardous electrical devices for crop protection poses a serious threat to wildlife as well as human life.
PTI