Elephant electrocution case in Karnataka : Farmer booked under Wildlife Act

Bengaluru, June 30 (IANS) The Karnataka Police on Friday booked the owner of the farm where an elephant was electrocuted to death in the DB Kuppe range of Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Mysuru district.

The elephant died in the early hours of Thursday. The police stated that the elephant was aged between 30-35 years and it died after coming into contact with electrical wire.

The electricity was supplied through solar power generation.

The accused was identified as Uday, a local farmer. After the incident Uday had escaped from the village.

The forest authorities booked a case against him under the Section 9 and 22 of the Wildlife Protection Act in the Antarasante police station.

Wildlife activists had raised a concern over the incident and demanded that the forest authorities should take action to protect elephants from getting electrocuted.

They alleged that the electric fences were erected by the farmers by illegally taking the electricity connection.

Joseph Hoover, a wildlife activist had said, “We are losing elephants frequently to electrocution in Karnataka due rising human-animal conflicts. Farmers try to protect their crop and plantation by illegally drawing power from overhead lines and connecting it to the fence. Electrocution of an elephant, tiger, leopard, bear... is an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act."