A wild elephant was electrocuted near Nalitabari border in Sherpur on Thursday night, said a forest official.
The incident occurred in the Lalanengar area of village Purba Shamshchura at about 11:00pm. The area falls under Madhutila Range of the Forest Department.
Local people and the forest department said the wild animal had come down from the hills in search of food and was killed by an electric trap set up to protect a farmer鈥檚 Boro paddy.
Madhutila Range ranger Dewan Ali said forest officials and members of the Elephant Response Team were sent to the scene after hearing the news of the death.
Assuring of taking actions in this regard, he said that they learned that the elephant died after coming in contact with an electric wire connected to a generator, which was set up by a local farmer to protect crops.
Local people said that for the past few days, herds of wild elephants had been descending from the hills into the Madhutila Range area for food, forcing the farmers to install electric wires and lights around their fields to save them.
On Thursday night, a herd of around 20 elephants entered the farmer鈥檚 Boro field in the village while one of the elephants was electrocuted.
Upon information, Forest Department officials rushed to the scene.
