News
Tusker recovering from gun shot wounds gets electrocuted
View(s):Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
A majestic tusker, whose life veterinarians had saved only a few weeks ago after being shot, has tragically died after getting entangled in an illegal electrical wire snare, meant for wild boar.
The wire trap was close to paddy fields in Wembuwewa, in Anamaduwa.
The tusker, aged around 45 years and standing more than 10 feet tall, had died at the scene after suffering immense pain, officers from the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) said.
The trap had been laid near the fields after illegally tapping a high tension wire running along the main road. Wildlife officers said it is a commonly used method to hunt wild boar.
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- Part of the wire trap that killed the elephant
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- A grief-stricken villager
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- The fall of a majestic tusker
The tusker had been found wondering around Thonigala in Anamaduwa only a few weeks ago with a gunshot wound to its leg. The animal was in serious condition when it was treated by a DWC team led by Veterinarian Isuru Kottagoda. The officers had worked hard to treat the tusker and it had only just begun to roam about looking for food and water when it fell victim to the wire snare.
DWC officers said they had arrested a suspect on charges of laying the illegal wire trap.
A post-mortem examination on the elephant is scheduled for today.
Meanwhile, area residents say there are many illegal gun and wire traps in the area that have been laid with the aim of hunting wild animals. The traps threaten not just the lives of animals but people in the area too, they add.
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