Jamshedpur (PTI): A female elephant and her one-year-old calf were electrocuted near Dimna lake near here on Monday, a senior Forest officer said.

The incident occurred when the calf, which was walking ahead of its mother, came in contact with a low hanging live wire near Dimna lake.

The mother elephant rushed to rescue her child but she too came in contact, the Divisional Forest Officer (Dalma wild life sanctuary), Sidharth Tripathy said adding that both the elephants were killed on the spot.

However, three others elephants coming from behind were saved and attempt were on to drive them into the Dalma hills, he said. 00 Tripathy0said it was the first such incident in Dalma wildlife sanctuary.

He said the long electric wires drawn illegally by villagers from electric polls for lighting of their houses have been hanging at a little height of about seven feet.

No sooner the elephants came in contact with the live wire it was snapped, otherwise the three elephants, which were saved, would have been killed, he said.

Assuring of stringent action against persons responsible for such incidents, he said a team of officials headed by0him conducted survey today and found live wires hanging at several villages.

He said a directivehave0been0issued to the concerned department to remove the wires immediately or face the action. PTI BS DD rg DC