Jumbo tragedy: Live wire snaps life of tusker at Mugguru farm

Bengaluru: A tusker was electrocuted at a farm adjoining Mugguru range, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in the wee hours of August 28. Mugguru is a critical wildlife corridor between Bannerghatta national park, a passage for elephants to traverse to MM Hills and beyond.

The elephant was around 30 years old and the forest officials who inspected the spot found snapped live wire in the solar plant premises and suspected that the tusker had come into contact with the live wire and died on the spot.

It is learnt that Chikkamari Gowda, an accused had connected a wire to the fence from the borewell to protect his banana crop. The four acre farm where the tusker died belongs to him. Gowda is absconding.

While the post mortem was done the Forest department has filed an FIR against Chikkamari Gowda. Officers from Bengalru Eletricity Company Limited (BESCOM) and Karnataka State Police have also visited the area of crime.

Joseph Hoover, an environmentalist stated that it is a growing concern as elephants, apart from being electrocuted and poached, are also having their trunks entangled in snares in and around Kodihalli range in the Bannerghatta national park.