Coimbatore: A 40-year-old estimated wild male elephant was electrocuted near Mettupalayam in the early hours of Tuesday.
According to a forest source, a male elephant estimated to be around 40-year- old had entered a betel nut farmland near the forest border comes under Sundappatti beat in Mettupalayam forest range on early hours of Tuesday.
The elephant had knocked down a betel nut tree which fell over and disconnected the electric power line passing near by the plantation. While the elephant stepped up on the high voltage electric line it got electrocuted and died at the spot.
On receiving information from farmers, a team led by district forest officer Venkatesh along with Mettupalayam forest range officer Selvaraj and team rushed to the spot and launched an inspection.
The information was passed to the forest veterinary doctor and efforts are being taken to perform autopsy, added the source.
