Digboi: A matured tusker died of electrocution on Thursday afternoon at Ouguri village within the jurisdiction of Lakhipathar forest range under Digboi Forest Division in Tinsukia district, Assam.
Sources indicate that the innocent creature emerging out of the West Block of the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest, possibly in quest of fodder, had fallen prey to an illegal electrification laid in the garden by a local tea grower.
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The corpse of the elephant was lying amidst a tea garden owned by a resident of upper Mamorani village hailing from Moran Community.
The prima facie evidence and sign of decompositions indicates that the incidents had occurred atleast a couple of days ago.
Digboi DFO, along with other officials of the department, immediately rushed to the site and initiated preliminary investigations based on circumstantial and tangible evidence.
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‘We are examining the factors thoroughly leading to the death of the resource before jumping into any drastic conclusion’, said BV Sandeep IFS the DFO Digboi who took over the charge on May 19th 2025.
The top official of the division stated that although department statistics reveal a sharp fall in man-elephant conflict, they will seriously look into mitigation measures such as implementing non-lethal deterrents, early warning systems, and cracking down on improper, unsafe, and illegal electrical infrastructures around elephant passages.
The DFO, sounding alert to all concerned, said they would view the loss of any wildlife resources very seriously, and would show no leniency to either poachers or department personnel from the concerned jurisdiction found derelict in their duties.”
Meanwhile, Montu Chetia, the Lakhipather Forest Range officer, said they have sent the viscera for postmortem, and expect the report today.
According to official correspondence, the owner of the garden has confessed of laying of hazardous electrification in the garden to protect it against the raid of the elephants.
‘Moran had never before reported to the forest department any incidents involving elephant depredation within his estate or residential jurisdiction, ‘ stated Chetia.
‘Moran has also admitted to removing the structure before the forest personnel had reached the site, ‘ reported the Ranger without divulging much about the departmental legal moves thereafter.
Notably, the forest department had on May 19 launched an eviction drive against the encroachers, subsequently evicting two hectares of illegal tea garden in the area under Assam’s Lakhipathar Forest Range bordering Upper Dehing Reserve Forest, West Block.