Illegal high-voltage power fence kills elephant in Erode district; farmer arrested

COIMBATORE: A tusker aged between 12 and 15 years died after coming in contact with an illegal high-voltage fence on a parcel of farmland near the Guthiyalathur reserve forest in Erode district. Forest officials arrested the owner of the farmland after he confessed to having installed a high-voltage fence to protect his maize crops.Forest officials said the carcass of the elephant was found on farmland belonging to B Puttusamy in Kadaganalli village, about 150 metres away from the reserve forest boundary, around 9am on Thursday.Officials reached the spot. Veterinary assistant surgeons from the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and Ezhur performed a postmortem on the carcass as per the Elephant Death Audit Framework guidelines and specific high court directives. The examination confirmed that the elephant died instantly after coming in contact with a wire fence energised by an illegal high-voltage connection.Officials registered a wildlife offence report at the Kadambur Forest Range and initiated formal legal proceedings against farmland owner Puttusamy under the Wildlife Protection Act.