Wild elephant electrocuted near Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh after it bites live cables

It was part of a herd that crossed into Bangarupalem mandal from the forests of the Gudiyattam range of Tamil Nadu

A 35-year-old female elephant from the forests of the Gudiyattam range of Tamil Nadu was electrocuted when it reportedly bit the live power cables at a borewell in the agriculture fields, at Kodalamadugu village of Bangarupalem mandal, 40 km from here, in the early hours of Friday.

According to information, a herd of elephants crossed into Bangarupalem mandal on Thursday night, prowling in the fields till the early hours of Friday. Close to dawn, a female elephant strayed away from the herd and entered a paddy field, where it chewed the live cables at the ground level. With the cables struck in the animal’s mouth, it died instantaneously. The other members of the herd had left the spot by dawn, thus preventing the possibility of them getting electrocuted.

Forest Range Officer (Palamaner) Nayeem Ali said that the impact of the electric shock was fatal as the live cables were struck inside the elephant’s mouth. The official said that in recent weeks, there was a hectic activity of wild elephants from the Tamil Nadu forests in Chittoor West and Palamaner ranges.

On information, a team of veterinarians from SV Veterinary University in Tirupati reached the spot and conducted the autopsy. Its carcass was buried in the field with the help of an earthmover. The forest staff and the villagers performed special pujas on the carcass as part of the final rites.

This is the second incident of electrocution of wild elephants in December this year, while an elephant was rescued in the same division last month when it fell into a ground-level agriculture well.