Illegal electric fence in farmland kills wild elephant in Chittoor district

TIRUPATI: A wild elephant was killed as it came in contact with a live electric fence put up illegally around a farm close to the forest area at Nagireddypalli in V Kota mandal, Chittoor district, on Wednesday.

Chittoor west region DFO Chaitanya Reddy told Deccan Chronicle that the lone male elephant, aged around 30, was moving around the farm at night. The fence had been installed illegally to prevent trespassing of wild boars into farmland.

Locals noticed the carcass of the elephant in the morning and informed the forest department. The DFO and his staff reached the spot, made enquiries, held a post-mortem and disposed of the carcass in the forest.

Veterinary doctors from the SV Zoological Park (Tirupati) here conducted an autopsy on the spot, after which the Seva Panchanama was done and burial of the carcass done in the woods.

Locals said the wild elephant menace is severe in the area. A herd of wild elephants was moving around in the region over the past few days. Forest officials noticed the wire fence around the field was connected to the main supply. They said this posed a danger to people too. “We booked a case against the farm’s owner, who is currently at large,” the DFO said.