Female elephant electrocuted in Orissa

Berhampur, Dec 15: A female pachyderm was electrocuted near Balakrushnapur under Dakshinpur panchayat in Ganjam district of Orissa, about 13 km from here, forest officials said here today.

They said that the incident occurred early yesterday when a herd of nine pachyderms strayed into the paddy fields near the village and the female pachyderm uprooted an electric pole with her trunk.

She died on the spot after the live wires rolled on her body.

Forest officials, on being informed about the incident, rushed to the spot with a veterinary surgeon, conducted the post mortem and buried the carcass in the paddy fields.

The remaining eight pachyderms fled to the Kerandimala Hills, about 3 km away from the spot after the female elephant was electrocuted. They watched the burial keenly from atop the hills and were behaving unnaturally since the death of the female pachyderm, the officials added.

UNI