Sundergarh. A case of death of an elephant under suspicious circumstances has come to light in Sundergarh district of Odisha. An elephant of about seven years was found dead in a field in Dumerta village under Bandhamunda Panchayat of Bisra block of the district on Wednesday morning. The elephant’s carcass was entangled in the wires of the solar fencing installed in the field. Looking at this situation, it is feared that the elephant may have died due to electric shock. However, the actual cause of death has not been confirmed yet. After receiving the information, the team of Rourkela Forest Division reached the spot and started investigation.
Elephant dead body found in the field on Wednesday morning
According to the information, the incident took place in Dumerta village of Sundergarh district. The matter came to light when a dead body of an elephant was found in a field on Wednesday morning.
The age of the dead elephant is said to be around seven years. He also had two teeth.
The elephant was found entangled in the wires of solar fencing installed in the field. For this reason many questions are being raised regarding his death.
Initially, there is a suspicion of electric shock, but the Forest Department has not yet confirmed the cause of death.
After getting information about the incident, forest officials reached the spot and started investigating the circumstances.
Elephant was trapped in solar fencing wires
The most important fact in this case is that the elephant’s body was found entangled in the wires of the solar fence installed in the field.
Solar fencing is used at many places to protect fields. Its purpose is to prevent wild animals from reaching the crops.
Such systems usually use controlled electrical pulses to keep animals away from the field without harming them.
However, if a fence has a technical fault or is supplied with electricity in an unsafe manner, it can be dangerous to animals and humans.
What was the technical condition of the fence installed in Dumerta village, it will be clear only after investigation.
Fear of death due to electric shock
The elephant is suspected to have died due to electric shock after it was found stuck in solar fencing.
However, merely because a body is found entangled in wires, electrocution cannot be considered as the definite cause of death.
It would be necessary to find out whether electricity was flowing in the fence at the time of the incident or not.
Additionally, the condition of the fence’s wiring, power supply, and safety devices may also be important.
The forest department’s investigation will clarify whether the elephant died due to electric shock or there was some other reason behind it.
Rourkela Forest Division team reached
As soon as information about the incident was received, the team of Rourkela Forest Division reached Dumerta village.
Forest officials have started investigating the circumstances surrounding the elephant’s death.
The main objective of the investigation is to find out the actual cause of death.
The question before the authorities is also how the elephant came in contact with the solar fencing and whether there was any technical problem in the fencing system.
However, the final findings of the investigation have not been released yet by the Forest Department.
The exact cause of death is not yet clear
At present there are many possibilities regarding the death of the elephant.
The condition in which the body was found definitely raises the possibility of electric shock, but the final conclusion can be drawn only on the basis of scientific and medical investigation.
In cases of suspicious death of wildlife, postmortem and evidence collected from the spot are important.
These can help in understanding the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it.
However, detailed information regarding the postmortem process and its report in this case is not yet available.
Unsecured fence can become a threat to elephants
Various types of fences are installed in agricultural areas to prevent the movement of wild animals.
These also include solar energy based fences.
The purpose of fencing installed as per safety standards is to keep animals away, not to cause serious injury to them.
But if an electric fence is installed incorrectly or an unauthorized electrical connection is added to it, the risk of a fatal accident can increase.
However, no such irregularity has been confirmed in the fencing of Dumerta village.
Therefore, it would not be appropriate to hold the farm owner or any other person responsible before the investigation is completed.
Challenge of human-elephant conflict
The movement of elephants into many forest areas of Odisha and their presence around agricultural lands has been a significant wildlife management challenge.
In villages situated around forests, elephants sometimes reach the fields in search of food and water.
In such circumstances, farmers are worried about the safety of their crops, while the forest department is faced with the challenge of ensuring the safety of both the elephants and the local people.
The use of safe and scientific measures is considered important to reduce human-elephant conflict.
The incident in Dumerta village has also raised the question of wildlife safety around farms.
Concern over the death of a seven year old elephant
The age of the dead elephant is said to be around seven years.
Elephants have a long life span and are at their peak of growth at the age of seven years.
The death of an elephant of this age is worrying from the wildlife conservation point of view.
Elephants play an important role in the ecosystem. They contribute to the dispersal of seeds and the growth of natural vegetation in forest areas.
Therefore, it is necessary to seriously investigate cases of unusual death of elephants.
Wildlife conservation along with farm protection
