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Saturday, Dec 15, 2007
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Pachyderm electrocuted

Staff Reporter

Jumbo fall: People having a look at the carcass of the elephant on Friday.

BERHAMPUR: A female member of a herd of wild elephants that was roaming in the jungles near the city was electrocuted on Thursday night near the Gangar Ghai reservoir.

The carcass of the pachyderm was seen by villagers on the banks of the reservoir at a distance of some 10 km from the city on Friday morning. Forest officials seized the carcass, conducted post-mortem and buried it inside the jungle.

Villagers of Balkrushnapur, Rajgopalpur and Budhalandi said that the elephant might have been electrocuted at around 8.30 p.m. on Thursday as they heard a loud trumpet at that time.

Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) S.N. Mohapatra that the animal strayed from its herd that had come to the reservoir or the paddy fields near it.

It tried to uproot an electric pole and the live wires fell on it, leading to its tragic end.

This herd of wild elephants strayed from the Lakhari Elephant Sanctuary in Gajapati district about three years ago. Better living conditions following the activities of rural Vana Surakshya Samities (VSS) and easy availability of water prompted these elephants to stay back in the forests near the city. The herd comprised some nine elephants, Mr. Mohapatra said.

During the harvest season of paddy, the herd came close to human habitats. Thos the animals damaged paddy fields, they did not harm humans in the area.

The other animals in the herd seem to be quite worried over the accidental death of its member.

They could be seen keenly observing the body from atop a nearby hill.

Three elephants of Lakhari sanctuary died in a similar way on January 28, 2005, near Chadragiri in Gajapati district.

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