Mauganj (Madhya Pradesh): A wild elephant was electrocuted after its trunk allegedly got entangled with an exposed power line near Malakpur village in Mauganj district, raising serious concerns over the safety of elephants moving through forest areas along the Mauganj-Sidhi border.
According to preliminary information, the elephant came in contact with the live wire while apparently trying to feed on leaves from a guava tree near the house of a tribal resident. The electric shock killed the animal instantly, according to information.
Villagers rushed to the spot after learning about the incident, after which a Forest Department team reached the area and began the necessary proceedings.
DFO Lokesh Neerapure said legal action was being taken in connection with the elephant's death and that a post-mortem examination would be conducted near Malakpur.
The spot where the elephant died falls under the jurisdiction of the Forest Development Corporation and has been identified as a forest area in Mauganj district.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey told IANS that the dead elephant was a female and belonged to a pair that had been moving together from the Bandhavgarh landscape.
He alleged that the incident reflected serious lapses in monitoring the elephant movement in the region and called for accountability over the presence of an exposed power line in an area frequented by the animals.
The elephant pair had entered the forests of Sidhi on September 14 after crossing Turra Pahad in the Hanumana region of Mauganj. They remained in forest areas along the Mauganj-Sidhi border for around five days before returning towards Malakpur on Friday night.
The pair had reportedly been moving through forest areas of Mauganj, Rewa and Sidhi for around six months. In the Hanumana region, they had also moved through several villages, where incidents of crop damage and damage to houses were reported.
The surviving male elephant was left distressed after the death of its companion, Dubey said.
The incident has also renewed concerns over the safety of other wild elephants moving through forest corridors in Madhya Pradesh, with wildlife activists seeking stronger monitoring and preventive measures around power lines in elephant habitats.
