Elephant found dead in Nagaon; electrocution suspected; investigation underway

Raha, Nov. 8: A wild elephant was found dead in a paddy field at Pahar Toli area, Kachua, under the Kampur forest range office in Nagaon on Friday morning.

This incident comes just three days after two elephants were found dead in two different places in West Kamrup Divisional Forest Area.

The local resident of the Kachua area in Nagaon discovered the carcass of the tusker, and local authorities were alerted.

The officials of Kampur Forest Range Division, along with a police team from Kachua Police Station, arrived at the site and investigated the cause that led to the animal's unnatural death.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune, Forest Range Officer, Kampur in Nagaon, Samim Akhtar, said that it is suspected that the elephant has died of electrocution, although it cannot be confirmed until proper investigation is over.

"The exact cause will be known once the post-mortem report is received," she said.

She further said that legal action would be taken against the individuals found responsible for the death of the animal once the investigation is over and autopsy reports arrive.

One local resident told The Assam Tribune, “We are not sure how the elephant died. The officials from the Forest Department are investigating the matter. The elephants keep coming here, but this is the first time we have seen an elephant die.”

Another local resident said, “Elephants keep coming to our fields and houses almost every night. They eat and destroy our paddy fields. The Forest Department officials patrol the area during the daytime. But it is not possible for them to keep patrolling at night as elephants come to the area in herds.”

Earlier in the week, carcasses of two wild elephants were recovered in two different places in West Kamrup Divisional Forest Area. Villagers from Pakharapara and nearby areas under the Singra Range Office in Boko found the carcasses in a paddy field and later informed the state forest department.

According to officials, both elephants were male, one being a sub-adult aged under 10 and the other being an adult aged 25.

Officials suspect that the cause of death is electrocution, although they mentioned that nothing can be ascertained until the investigation and autopsy reports arrive, adding that electrocution is employed by a number of people as an illegal method to chase away the elephants from their fields.