A wild elephant was found dead near a farm in Dharamjaigarh forest division of Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district on Sunday. Officials suspect it a case of electrocution.
This is the fourth incident of elephant death in Dharamjaigarh area so far in 2021 and the second fatality this month.
The carcass of the animal was found in the morning near the farm of one Netram Kanwar in Potiya village of the forest division.
After being alerted, forest personnel rushed to the spot and launched a mandatory autopsy process.
Preliminary investigation suggested electrocution as the cause of the elephant’s death, the official said, adding that the exact cause will be known after the autopsy. Local residents have been questioned to ascertain the exact cause of death.
So far, four elephants have died in the Dharamjaigarh area this year. On August 14, a female elephant was found dead in the area and officials had attributed age-related ailments as the prime cause of death.
As per the state government’s updated records, as many as 45 elephants died due to various causes, including electrocution, in Chhattisgarh in the last three years (2018, 2019 and 2020).