Three elephants killed in Assam; electrocution suspected

Around 250 elephants have died over the last 10 years in Assam, which had the second-highest wild elephant population (5,719) in India after Karnataka as per a 2017 census

Updated on: Aug 4, 2023, 10:42:51 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Three wild elephants looking for food at a betel nut farm were killed in Assam’s Kamrup district around 2am on Friday, an official said and added it seems to be a case of electrocution.

Electrocution, poisoning, and train accidents have been among the causes of elephant deaths in Assam (AFP/Representative)

Around 250 elephants have died over the last 10 years in Assam. The northeastern state had the second-highest population of wild elephants (5,719) in India after Karnataka as per a 2017 census.

Electrocution, poisoning, and train accidents have been among the causes of elephant deaths in Assam. Farmers often use electric fences to protect their crops from elephants.

“A herd of wild elephants [an adult female, a male, and a female calf] was out in search of food...They were inside a betel nut cultivation when the incident took place,” said Kamrup East divisional forest officer Rohini B Saikia. “It seems that the deaths took place after a betel nut tree, which the elephants were trying to pull down, fell on a live electric wire...[and] struck the pachyderms,” said Saikia.

Saikia added that the incident does not appear to be human-induced and looks like an accident. “The live wire was at a considerable height and fell only because the betel nut tree fell on it,” said Saikia.

Forest officials were conducting a post-mortem of the elephants.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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