Sambalpur: A 12-year-old elephant’s carcass was spotted in a paddy field at Jadu Loisinga area under Sadar range in Sambalpur district Tuesday.
Forest department officials said the elephant had come in contact with live wire Monday night and died.
“It has been a common practice for some hunters to lay electric wires to prevent their crops from being destroyed by pachyderms and other wild animals. And this caused the death of the tusker,” said Sambalpur District Forest Officer (DFO) Sanjeev Kumar.
“That elephants dying after coming in contact with live wires is a serious issue. The Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) has been asked to do an investigation and submit report within 3 days. Exemplary punishment will be handed down to the culprits found,” said the DFO.
The officials recovered the carcass for autopsy. They said the tusker had died two days ago.
According to local residents, a herd of elephants had strayed into the Sadar forest range last week. The dead animal was one among them.
PNN