Wild Elephant Electrocuted In Jharkhand’s Latehar After Touching Live Fence
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A wild elephant was electrocuted to death in Jharkhand’s Latehar district after coming into contact with a live electric fence allegedly installed by a villager to protect his home and crops from elephants, forest officials said on Monday. The incident has once again highlighted the risks arising from human-elephant conflict in the region.
The incident took place during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday in Kusi Tola of Komar village under Jhabar Panchayat, within the Balumath police station area.
Elephant Herd Enters Village Area
According to local reports, a herd of around 15 elephants had entered the area and was moving towards maize fields when one of the animals came into contact with the electrified wire.
The elephant died on the spot. Residents said the herd had been moving through the area for several days and had damaged crops and houses.
A villager identified as Bifa Oraon had reportedly installed exposed electric wires around his property to prevent elephants from entering his premises.
When the herd approached the fields at night, one elephant inadvertently touched the live wire in the darkness and suffered a fatal electric shock.
Forest Team Reaches Spot
The elephant’s death caused panic in the area as the rest of the herd reportedly began trumpeting loudly. Forest officials suspect that other elephants may also have come into contact with the electric fence and could have sustained injuries.
After receiving information, teams from the Forest Department and Balumath Police reached the spot. The elephant’s carcass was taken into custody, and post-mortem procedures are underway.
Probe Into Electrified Fence
Forest Ranger Nand Kumar Mehta said an investigation has been launched to determine how electricity was supplied to the fence and establish responsibility for the incident.
He said legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Forest officials have also urged villagers not to use dangerous methods such as electrified fences to protect their homes and crops from wild elephants.
Earlier Elephant Deaths In Region
The latest incident is not the first elephant death linked to human-elephant conflict in the Balumath region.
In October 2025, the carcass of a young elephant was found in a paddy field in the area. Earlier, in July 2022, another elephant was found dead in a forest in Ranchi, with its tusks missing.
