Tusker Killed in Electric Shock, Two Arrested

Keonjhar: Carcass of a 40 years old tusker was found in a cultivated field in Saleikena forest under Telkoi forest range in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Friday, Forest officials said. Forest officials confirmed the death was caused due to electrocution. On being informed by the villagers, forest officials went to the spot on Friday morning. Post mortem of the carcass was conducted by the veterinary surgeons in presence of local people representatives. On the other hand, forest officials arrested two tribal persons and detained two others of one family on whose land the elephant was found dead. “They were erected live wire in the crop field to protect from wild animals. After the incident they shifted the wire to hide the evidence”, alleged forest official. But local Sarpanch of Saleikena Pangela Munda defended the arrest and said “the forest department arrested the two innocent by inquiring into the incident. Their fault is that the elephant died in their crop field. She appealed to the department to conduct proper inquiry before arrest and forward them to court.” “Both tusks of the elephant were recovered and two persons on whose land electrocution happened were arrested. Joint Task Force (JTF) team has inspected the carcass and confirmed the same” said Dhanraj H.D., Divisional Forest Officer, Keonjhar. According to the forest official sources the electrocution took place between 11 pm to 2 am on Thursday late night. The arrested are identified as Raju Munda and Khajur Munda, called them by the forest official as land encroachers on whose cultivated land the electrocution took place. Sources said that a herd of about a dozen elephants have been moving in that area since the last few days. Forest department’s elephant squad has been monitoring their movement. On Friday early morning one of the villagers saw the dead elephant lying in the cultivated field and informed the villagers. Later the villagers rushed to the spot and informed the forest department. On the other hand strong resentment is brewing after the arrest of two persons and detention of another two of one family, the land owners. Including this three elephants have died unnaturally in Keonjhar forest division in the last twenty days, which has raised question marks by the animal lovers for the safety of the wild pachyderm. In March 2023, another elephant was electrocuted in Keonjhar division.

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