Another elephant falls prey to low-hanging electricity wire (Dehradun, India)

DEHRADUN/BIJNOR: An elephant died after coming in contact with a “low-hanging” high-tension wire on late Thursday night just about 300-metre away from Kalagarh area of Corbett Tiger Reserve in Bijnor, a tragedy which senior forest officials alleged took place due to Uttar Pradesh power department’s “negligence”. The area comes under Bijnor forest division of UP.

Amit Verma, divisional forest official (DFO) of Kalagarh range, told TOI: “The officials of Kalagarh have raised the issue of low-hanging wires with the UP power department several times in the past. But nothing was done by them in this regard.”

“The tusker was among the crop-raiding animals. They often go to sugarcane fields near villages. There is no low-hanging electricity wire inside the Corbett Park, but this problem persists on the peripheral areas,” Verma said.

Chief wildlife warden DVS Khati said that the DFO Bijnor will be asked to take “legal action” as it was Corbett’s tusker “which became victim of negligence”.

The information surfaced on Friday morning when the residents of Bheekawala village saw the carcass of the elephant in the field and contacted the forest officials.

The carcass has been sent for post-mortem examination. Bheekawala village is located on the border of Corbett Park’s Kalagarh range.

Meanwhile, Bijnor divisional forest officer (DFO) M Semmaran told TOI: “Prima facie, the elephant died of electrocution. The line was hanging low. Loose and over-hanging power line are posing threat to the wild animals.”
In September this year, an elephant and her calf were electrocuted due to “low-hanging” electricity wires inside Rajani Tiger Reserve.

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