Medinipur: Three elephants, including two calves, were found dead in a paddy field at Haratara village under the Ranja Beat of the Pidakata Range in West Midnapore district on Sunday morning. The exact cause of death has not yet been established, although villagers suspect that the elephants may have died after coming into contact with an electric wire.
The villagers first spotted the three elephants lying dead in the paddy field on Sunday morning and informed the Forest Department. Forest officials soon reached the spot and began investigating the incident.
Electric Shock Suspected
Subhashish Chowdhury, Forest Officer of the Pidakata Range, said the exact cause of the elephants’ deaths was still unclear.
He said an electric wire had been taken over the paddy field to operate a pump for agricultural work. The wire was found hanging near the incident site, and several people suspect that the elephants may have come into contact with it and suffered an electric shock.
Villagers have also expressed a similar suspicion. However, the actual cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem examination.
Villagers Heard Elephants Trumpeting
A crowd of villagers gathered near the field from Sunday morning after news of the deaths spread.
Several villagers said they had heard elephants trumpeting at around 11 pm on Saturday night. They suspect that the incident may have occurred around that time.
The Forest Department will recover the bodies of all three elephants and send them for post-mortem examination to determine the actual cause of death.
