MAHASAMUND: An elephant died of electrocution in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district after it came in contact with a live wire laid by poachers to trap wild animals, a forest official said on Sunday.

Saturday night near Kodar dam in Mahasamund forest range when two male jumbos, named ME-1 and ME-5, were moving through the area, Divisional Forest Officer, Mahasamund division, Pankaj Rajput said.

The incident took place on Saturday night near Kodar dam in Mahasamund forest range when two male jumbos, named ME-1 and ME-5, were moving through the area, Divisional Forest Officer, Mahasamund division, Pankaj Rajput said. The two tuskers had entered Mahasamund from neighbouring Gariaband district on January 6 and were heading towards Sirpur area, he added. When the elephants were in the area which comes under the Forest Development Corporation near Kodar dam, ME-5 came in contact with a live iron wire laid for the purpose of poaching wild animals and got electrocuted, the official said.

Chhattisgarh has reported death of more than 70 elephants in the last five years due to various causes like ailments, old age and electrocution, officials said.