A 25-year-old tusker was killed after it came into contact with an illegally electrified fence around a private agricultural land near the reserve forest at Moolakadambur village here on Thursday. This was reportedly the forth jumbo death reported in the district over the past three weeks.
Forest officials have arrested the land owner for setting up the electrical fence illegally. The arrested was identified as P Thangavel, 25, of Moolakadambur village. “He installed the electrical fence without obtaining permission from the forest as well as the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB),” officials said. He told us that the fence was set up to protect his farm produce from wild animals, they further said.
The agriculture land was located near the Kadambur section of TN Palayam forest range. On Thursday morning, villagers found the carcass of the tusker near Thangavel’s farm and immediately alerted the forest department officials. They then reached the spot and initiated an inquiry. The forest officials said the tusker was entangled in the fence. “It received burn injuries on its neck, truck and front legs,” they said.
The forest officials arrested Thangavel based on his confessional statement under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. They later produced him before the Andhiyur sub-court, which remanded him in judicial custody at Erode prison.
The veterinary doctors, meanwhile, performed autopsy and sent the animal’s vital organs for laboratory analysis. The tusks were also removed and taken to the TN Palayam range office.