Elephant electrocuted in Assam’s Golaghat, dies: Officials

An adult male elephant in Assam's Golaghat district was electrocuted to death after coming into contact with an electrical cable outside the reserve forest area. Forest officials are discussing measures to prevent such accidents.

SILCHAR: An adult male elephant was electrocuted to death in Assam’s Golaghat district on Sunday coming in contact with an electrical cable outside the reserve forest area.

A herd of elephants gathers near a rice field at Borkala village, in Nagaon district, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. (PTI Photo) (PTI12_07_2023_000196B) (PTI FILE/REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

The incident took place in Letekujan of Golaghat district’s Greater Morangi area.

Forest officials said a herd of wild elephants has been in the Morangi area for the last few months. “On Sunday night, one of them came in contact with a live electric wire near the highway and died on the spot,” one of them said.

The official cited above said the local residents, who were celebrating the Bihu festival when the accident took place, reported the incident to forest officials. A team was dispatched to the area which removed the carcass with help from the electricity department.

After the autopsy, the elephant be buried, officials said.

Local residents told the officials that the elephants were seen near the spot where Sunday’s accident took place in the past. But we did not know that an elephant could get electrocuted.