Latehar, September 7 (Daily Kiran) : A wild elephant tragically lost its life after coming into contact with live electrical wires in Latehar district, Jharkhand. The incident occurred late Sunday night in the Kusi Tola area of the Jhabar Panchayat under the Balumath police jurisdiction.
Reports indicate that a herd of about 15 elephants had approached local maize fields. During this time, one elephant was electrocuted, dying on the spot. The herd had been causing damage to crops and homes in the area for several days. To protect his property, a local resident named Bifa Oraon had reportedly set up a barrier of bare electrical wires around his house.
These wires were live, and as the herd moved toward the maize fields in the darkness, one elephant inadvertently came into contact with them. The shock resulted in its immediate death, causing panic in the vicinity as the other elephants trumpeted in distress. There are concerns that more elephants may have been injured due to the electrical setup.
Upon receiving news of the incident, a team from the forest department and Balumath police arrived at the scene. They have taken possession of the elephant’s body and initiated a post-mortem examination. Ranger Nandakumar Mehta stated that an investigation is underway to determine how the wires were electrified and who is responsible. Legal action will follow based on the findings of the forest department’s inquiry.
Authorities have urged local residents to refrain from using dangerous methods, such as electrifying wires, to protect crops and homes from wild elephants. This incident is not the first of its kind in the Balumath area, which has seen ongoing human-elephant conflict. In October 2025, the body of a young elephant was discovered in a rice field, and another elephant was found dead in the Renchi forest in July 2022, missing its tusks.
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