HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 4: In a heart-wrenching incident, three elephants lost their lives due to electrocution in Rani Bagan, Kamrup district on Friday. According to a forest official, the unfortunate event occurred after a herd of pachyderms ventured into the area in search of food and accidentally came into contact with live wires.
The tragedy unfolded around 2:30 am when the elephants, foraging for food, passed through a betel nut farm. During their journey, one of the elephants might have brushed against a tree, causing it to fall on an electricity pole and dislodging the live wires. Tragically, the three elephants came into contact with the exposed wires and were electrocuted to death.
Local villagers reported hearing a loud noise during the night, believing that the elephants had arrived in the area in search of food. However, the grim discovery of the carcasses in the morning shocked and saddened the community, prompting them to inform forest officials.
Arrangements are underway for post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause of death. The initial assessment suggests that the incident was a tragic case of electrocution, with no apparent foul play involved. However, authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances that led to this unfortunate event.
The incident highlights the pressing need for increased measures to protect wildlife and prevent such mishaps in the future. The forest department and concerned authorities are likely to take proactive steps to address the issue of exposed live wires near elephant habitats to avert such heartbreaking incidents. (With inputs from PTI)
