Three elephants die after touching live wire in Bengal’s Salboni

At least three elephants, including a mother and her two calves, are found dead in a paddy field in Salboni, West Midnapore, on Sunday morning, in a suspected case of electrocution.

The deaths have raised fresh concerns over the danger posed to elephants by illegally energised fences and live wires around agricultural fields in West Bengal’s Jangalmahal region, a major elephant habitat.

According to preliminary findings, the elephants may have come into contact with a high-tension electricity wire while moving through the farmland. Local villagers first spotted the carcasses and alerted the forest department.

Local sources say a herd of elephants was passing through the area when the three animals reportedly touched a live wire connected to an electric pump used for irrigation. Forest officials reached the spot and began an investigation. The exact cause of death will be established after post-mortem examinations.

Forest department officials say elephant deaths caused by electrocution have occurred in Jangalmahal in the past, with farmers often using live electric wires around fields to protect crops from animals.

The latest deaths come a month after a tusker was electrocuted in Falakata, Alipurduar district, after coming into contact with an illegally energised fence around farmland.

A forest department insider says the department has repeatedly warned villagers against such fencing and has taken action against offenders in the past. However, the practice continues, posing a serious threat to elephants, particularly when herds move between forest areas.

The deaths of the mother and two calves underscore the risks faced by elephant herds as they move through agricultural landscapes adjoining their forest habitats.

With IANS inputs