This story is from January 17, 2017

Elephant, calf electrocuted near Mettupalayam

A 30-year-old elephant and its six-year-old calf were electrocuted after they came in contact with a farm’s electric fencing at Thasampalayam near Nellimalai reserve forest in Mettupalayam on Monday night.
Elephant, calf electrocuted near Mettupalayam
<p>Representative image<br></p>
COIMBATORE: A 30-year-old elephant and its six-year-old calf were electrocuted after they came in contact with a farm’s electric fencing at Thasampalayam near Nellimalai reserve forest in Mettupalayam on Monday night.
Another 18-month-old male calf escaped with severe injuries on its trunk. The injured calf was rescued by forest officials and given medication at the timber depot of the forest department in Mettupalayam.
The carcasses of the elephants were found by forest officials on Tuesday morning.
The farm where the elephants died belongs to Palanisamy, a farmer from Thasampalayam. He owns more than five acres near Nellimalai reserve forest area where he had grown more than 300 coconut trees. Elephant herds often raided his farm for food. To keep them away from his crop, he had illegally installed an electric fence enclosing his farm.
On Monday night, a herd of elephants (a male, a female and two calves) strayed out of the reserve forest and attempted to enter Palanisamy’s farm. The mother elephant and its six year-old male calf were electrocuted when their trunks touched the fence. Another calf too suffered severe injuries on its trunk. The male elephant returned to the reserve forest.
Palanisamy disconnected the power supply and went absconding. The incident came to light on Tuesday morning. Mettupalayam forest range officer M Nazir and forest department staff rushed to the spot. They rescued the injured calf and took it to the forest department’s timber depot in Mettupalayam where it was given treatment.
District forest officer S Ramasubramanian held inquiries with the farmers. Tangedco and police officials also visited the spot. A team of veterinary doctors conducted a postmortem at the spot and the carcasses were buried near the farmland.
Mettupalayam forest range officer Nazir has registered a case against Palanisamy under section 9 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
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