Electric fence kills pregnant elephant

A pregnant elephant was electrocuted after coming in contact with an electric fence around a paddy field in Alipurduar district, forest department officials said today.

The incident occurred near Kalapani beat office of the forest department last night.

Though such electrical fence is illegal, many farmers use this technique to prevent standing crops from elephants, the officials said.

As it was difficult for forest officials to take equipment to lift the carcass because of rising water level of Kaljani river, it was still lying there, they said.