Jalpaiguri:An adult tusker died of suspected electrocution at Charoa Line in Sukhani Bustee, Nagrakata, on Wednesday, taking the number of elephants electrocuted in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts in a month to four.Char marks on the animal’s trunk indicated electrocution, while a live wire was found wrapped around it.On Oct 2, another tusker was electrocuted at Nasha Para village under Baropatia Natunbas gram panchayat in Jalpaiguri’s Sadar block.In all the cases, the elephants died after coming into contact with live electric wires laid on the ground to prevent them from entering paddy fields.Environmentalists blame the incidents on the unchecked expansion of human settlements in and around forest areas. Experts say the loss of habitat has pushed elephants to raid human settlements and fields, intensifying man-elephant conflict.
