Elephant topples electric pole, gets electrocuted in Chittoor
The elephant dislodged a power transmission pole, causing live wires to come into contact with its body and it died
Tirupati: A 16-year-old female elephant died due to electrocution after toppling a power transmission pole near Nallaguntapalli village in Baireddipalle mandal of Chittoor district on Sunday between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
According to forest officials, the elephant was a part of a herd that entered an agricultural field near Nallaguntapalli on Saturday night. While moving away, the elephant dislodged a power transmission pole, causing live wires to come into contact with its body.
Local residents discovered the lifeless body of the elephant in the morning and informed the forest authorities. A post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted on the carcass, followed by cremation in the nearby forest area.
Forest department officials said they had alerted electricity department about the need to suspend power during night time whenever elephant movement is detected.
Regrettably, their concerns went unaddressed. In light of this event, the forest department is considering filing a case against the electricity department under the Wildlife Protection Act.
In a separate incident, a 45-year-old man was fatally crushed by an elephant as he unknowingly crossed the path of a herd near Punganur in Peddapanjani mandal. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. on Saturday.