Tusker dies of electrocution

An elephant was suspected to have died of electrocution after it came into contact with a live wire near a farm in Mettupalayam in the district early Tuesday, police said. Workers of an areca nut farm near a forest area noticed the tusker, aged about 30, dead with a tree on it and a powerline touching them, the police said.

On information, the forest officials recovered the carcass and sent it for an autopsy, they said. It is suspected the elephant's trunk could have touched the wire when it tried to pull a tree down, the forest officials said.