Click to play videoBangalore: The Karnataka High Court has ordered an inquiry into the increasing number of unnatural elephant deaths in Mysore. On Wednesday four elephants were badly wounded after getting electrocuted near the Kabini canal.
Soon some villagers noticed that all the four were dead and the carcasses were floating in the canal.
"We come by this canal everyday and suddenly saw these carcasses floating in the canal. We called the police to see what can be done," a villager Siddaraju said.
Three days later with forest officials still unable ascertain the cause of death, the Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu notice of the case and has asked for an inquiry report in a week.
The larger question of what caused the death still remains a mystery. Villagers say elephants stray out during November when crops are just ready for harvest.
So farmers in this fertile region use electric fences, with illegally tapped high-voltage power to fend off the animals.
Official records say nine elephants have died in the last eight days due to electrocution in the Nagarhole, Bandipur and Bannerghatta forests and in the last six months 24 elephants have died.
"This amounts to foul play. It has to be investigated thoroughly because there are stringent provisions in Wildlife Act and Electricity Act. But unfortunately, that's not enforced," says Praveen Bhargav, Managing Trustee, Wildlife First.
Environmentalists are worried that this man-animal conflict will kill more elephants if laws are not enforced.
As forests shrink and food in the jungle becomes scare - it's inevitable that more elephants will venture out.
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