Elephant deaths in Keonjhar: Two Forest officials suspended; notice to Electricity Dept

Keonjhar: In connection with the electrocution deaths of two elephants inside Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Judia five days ago, two forest employees have been suspended, and the electricity department of the Keonjhar Sadar range has been given a show-cause notice, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO)HD Dhanral reported on Tuesday.

According to DFO's press release, "The Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) has suspended the Sadar range forester Pradeep Barik and forest guard Mitrabhanu Nayak on charges of dereliction of duty."

It is important to note that two elephants, both about 25 years old, died when their trunks contacted a low-lying electric wire while attempting to consume tree branches when a herd of nine elephants approached Krishi Vigyan Kendra in quest of food. When the carcasses were retrieved, their trunks were entangled with the electric cable.

In India, Odisha has one of the highest rates of elephant electrocution deaths. Nearly 20% of the 86 jumbo deaths in 2021–2022 were due to electrocution, according to sources in the Forest department's Wildlife Wing.

Up till December 2020, there were 741 such deaths reported in the nation, with Odisha recording the most with 133.