Four asian pachyderms elephants electrocuted in Meghalaya

Shillong, Nov 21 (UNI) Four Asiatic wild elephants were killed in Meghalaya after they came in contact with high-tension electric wires, a wildlife official said today.

The incident occurred on November 19 night, when a herd of pachyderms from Borivili Wildlife sanctuary and Garbhanga reserve forest of Assam strayed into Paham Umdoh in Ri-Bhoi district, forest wildlife state conservator B K Lyngwa told UNI here.

''The four were electrocuted after they came in contact high-tension electric wires, which was hardly five feet from the ground,'' Mr Lyngwa said.

The herd included three females and one male calf, the Wildlife official said.

Last year, one wild bull elephant was electrocuted by a low sagging high tension wires erected by the State Electricity Board at Umladoh area.

With the electrocution of four more elephants, the death toll of elephants has risen to 10 since the past one month.

Last month alone, six elephants were electrocuted after they stumbled on an electric pole at Chondon Nokat village in Garo Hills, bordering Meghalaya- Assam.

Earlier, the state government had planned for re-routing or diversions of electric pole for free movement of wild elephants in Garo Hills.

The Garo Hills have often been in news for human-elephant conflict.

The state government decided last year to create elephant reserves in the Khasi Hills and a new management habitat protection plan was chalked out for the Garo Hills.

The Garo Hills form one of the main elephant sanctuaries of the state and have a total population of nearly 1,828 pachyderms as per the 2002 elephant census.

UNI