Elephant Dies Trying To Free Her Calf From Illegal Electric Fence In Vellore

[Debasis Bose]

Elephant Dies Trying To Free Her Calf From Illegal Electric Fence In Vellore Elephant deaths due to illegal electric fences are treated on par with poaching.

CHENNAI: A 10-year-old elephant died trying to save her calf which was caught in an electric fence in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district this morning. Both mother and child were electrocuted.

The Assistant Conservator of Forests, Mohammad Raffi in Vellore said, "High voltage electricity on an illegal electric fence put up by a private farm is responsible for this. This technically comes under the Krishnagiri Forest Division. We have informed our colleagues there. They will investigate."

No arrests have been made yet. Investigators are looking for the man who had taken the land on lease.

A few days ago, a herd of three elephants including the two that were found dead today was seen roaming in the area and local people had complained of crop damage.

While solar electric fences with very low power supply to emit just pulses that keep animals away, officials say the fence that killed the elephants this morning was connected to high voltage power.

Sampath, President of the Velakkal Natham Panchayat, said, "(The) authorities should ensure this does not repeat."

Elephant deaths due to illegal electric fences are treated on par with poaching. Officials say it appeared the calf got stuck in the live fence first. The mother tried to lift it and got electrocuted.

In January 2012, the Madras High Court had directed the state environment and forests department to remove illegally erected solar and electric fences in the elephant corridors. An appeal against the order was dismissed by the Supreme Court. But, farmers continue to put up illegal fencing.

In Tamil Nadu electric fences kill more elephants than poachers. The elephant is a protected animal under wildlife laws and included in other species like the tiger and lion in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.

[Paramvir Singh]

Of course probably nothing will happen. Ideally non human animals should be given the same rights as us Homo sapiens.

[Mrudul Godbole]

Unfortunate. Very less chance of any arrests happening :(. I hope atleast the FD removes the high voltage fencing in the area. Thanks for sharing.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I am always against electric fencing. Unfortunately some premium NGOs too are peddling elephant fencing in India. Fencing has never been the solution. By fencing you are simply isolating one area and removing it from its migratory corridor. The real issue is the fragmentation of the elephant corridor. They have been using this route and will continue to use it unless you are unethically forcefully capturing the elephants and removing them as Karnataka did (ironically suggested by an elephant expert who in the past had advocated shooting any elephant near human habitation).

Cultivating crops like bananas and high calorific value crops will only lead to elephants feeding on those to supplement their diet.

In Africa, elephants have even been known to carry logs and throw it on the solar fence to break the power and then enter. I guess one elephant would have learnt accidentally and that knowledge gets transmitted soon. In India though I haven't yet come across such an example.

Corridors of elephants have to be marked and the Government has to procure those for ensuring that the elephants can continue using their age old routes. Till that time, the forest department has to be proactive in providing compensation to people and keeping a strict vigil with sufficient ground level intelligence.