The tusker got electrocuted when it pushed down a coconut tree over the three-phase power line of the KSEB. The incident took place at a private land located 200 metres away from the forest boundary.
The carcass of the elephant was found by local residents at 6.30am. The forest officials headed by WWS warden P Dhanesh Kumar along with KSEB officials reached the spot. It was confirmed in the autopsy conducted by assistant professor at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Dr Arun Zachariah that the death was due to electrocution.
This is the second case of elephants getting electrocuted in forest fringes in Wayanad during the last one week. A 20-year-old elephant had died after it came into contact with an electric line at Appappara near Thirunelli in North Wayanad Forest division on August 18.