Just two days after two elephants died of electrocution in Keonjhar district, one more elephant has also become victim to live wires allegedly laid by poachers at the Satkosia wildlife sanctuary in Angul district.
Locals found a tusker dead at Jagannathpur village in the Pampasar Wildlife Range of the sanctuary on Saturday morning.
Receiving information, Satkosia DFO Saroj Panda and ACF Subhendu Behera reached the site and initiated a probe. The preliminary investigation suggested that the middle-aged tusker died after coming in contact with live wires allegedly laid by poachers to kill wild animals in the forest.
As the incident took place around 500 meter from the Jagannathpur beat house of the sanctuary, the role of forest staffs behind elephant electrocution could not be ruled out, sources said.
With this, the number of elephant deaths due to electrocution rose to three just in three days in the State. On August 25, two female elephants were electrocuted in the premises of Krishi Vigyan Kendra under the Sadar Forest Range in Keonjhar district.