In a distressing incident in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district, a female elephant lost her life after being electrocuted upon touching a high-tension electric line while returning to the forest with its herd.
The accident occurred on Sunday on the Karimati–Chapkali Road, villagers said. According to locals a group of elephants was moving back toward the jungle when the lead elephant grazed an 11,000-volt electric transmission tower.
The impact brought the animal directly in contact with a live wire, resulting in instant death. Shocked villagers immediately alerted the forest department upon discovering the carcass.
Forest officials acknowledged that, based on initial assessment, electrocution appears to be the cause of death. However, they added that a definitive conclusion can be drawn only after the post-mortem examination is completed. A team has already begun on-site investigations.
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This is not the first time the region has witnessed such a tragedy. In November 2023, five elephants were killed together after hitting a 33,000-volt line in Musabani under the Ghatsila sub-division of East Singhbhum district.
The same month saw two more elephants die due to overhead power lines. Similar incidents have been reported in previous years as well, including the death of an adult tusker in 2019 after contact with a high-voltage line in Kharswan forest division, and at least four other tusker fatalities due to electrocution in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Conservationists and local residents have demanded urgent corrective measures to prevent such recurrent deaths, highlighting the growing conflict between wildlife movement and unsafe power infrastructure.
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