A male elephant was found dead, after being electrocuted by an illegally powered electric fence, in a farm near Sirumugai in Coimbatore district on Monday (July 27, 2026).

Forest Department staff, who were patrolling the Vedar Colony area of Chikkadasampalayam panchayat around 6.30 a.m., were alerted about the carcass of a tusker in a banana field belonging to R. Kumar in the locality.

They rushed to the farm and found that the elephant was electrocuted after coming into contact with a solar electric fence. The farm’s owner and Bakiyaraj (42), a labourer, had connected an AC power source to the fence the previous night.

The Department stated that it has been conducting periodic inspection in the locality, jointly with staff from the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited. Such an inspection was carried out during the late night hours last week. A voltage detector was also used to test the power of the fence.

The Department claimed that the farm owner energised the solar fence with an AC power source in the midnight, leading to the electrocution of the elephant. Officials from Sirumugai forest range arrested Kumar and Bakiyaraj for alleged involvement in the electrocution of the elephant. Further investigation is on.

Published - July 27, 2026 03:55 pm IST