Dhenkanal: Forest officials Friday arrested a poacher in connection with the death of a male elephant due to electrocution after coming in contact with a live electric wire near a forest in Dhenkanal district, officials said.
The jumbo, aged around 35 years, was found dead Wednesday near Dudurkote forest under the jurisdiction of Hindol forest range in the district, the Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Jitendranath Das, said.
The poacher has been identified as Bapi Behera (28) of Dudurkote village.
The elephant’s carcass was spotted by local residents and they informed forest officials, Das said adding the elephant came in contact with a live electric wire laid by Bapi to kill wild boars.
Behera also confessed of spreading electric wire to hunt wild boars and argued that he had no intention to kill the pachyderm.
Earlier in October 2018, seven wild elephants died of electrocution after coming in contact with a sagging power line near Kamalanga village in the same district.
PNN