3 Elephants, Including 2 Calves, Electrocuted In West Bengal's Salboni

On September 27, the bodies of three elephants were found in a paddy field at Salboni, located in West Midnapore district of West Bengal. The deceased included a mother elephant and her two calves. The initial investigation pointed towards the cause of death being electrocution, with the animals reportedly coming into contact with a high-tension electricity wire.

The bodies were initially discovered by local villagers, who promptly informed the local forest department office. According to sources, a herd of elephants had been traversing the village. A local electric pump, responsible for irrigating farmland, had a live wire crossing the land. The elephants are believed to have died after making contact with the wire, resulting in electrocution.

Upon receiving the report, forest department officials arrived at the scene to commence an investigation. They stated that the exact cause of the deaths would be determined after an autopsy. However, an insider from the state forest department mentioned that such electrocution deaths are not uncommon in the Jangalmahal region, a significant elephant zone in the state.

In the past, multiple instances have occurred where elephants succumbed to electrocution in these forest areas. Farmers in the region are known to encircle their farmlands with electric wires to safeguard their crops, which sometimes leads to elephant deaths. A middle-aged tusker died in Falakata block of Alipurduar district last month after getting electrocuted while coming into contact with an illegally energized fence.

The state forest department has previously attempted to prevent villagers from erecting illegally energized fences around their farmland, as this practice often results in elephant fatalities, particularly during herd migrations between forests. While penalization was previously imposed on offenders, these activities have continued unabated.