SIVASAGAR, Dec 27 - The female elephants were electrocuted to death after coming in contact with electric fences at Dighal Daria village on the outskirts of Panidihing Bird Sanctuary on December 25. According to local people, miscreants erected electric wires illegally to kill elephants that stray into their vegetable gardens at night.
Sivasagar Forest department took notice of the killing and booked 10 people for interrogation. Animal lovers in the district have condemned the killing of elephants and demanded the arrest of the culprits. Jayshree Naiding, DFO, Sivasagar told this correspondent that the department will take action on the basis of the Assam Forest Regulation Act( Amendment) 2015 and Wild Life Protection Act 1972 against the perpetrators of the crime against animal.
A couple of years back one full-grown elephant was similarly killed in Panidihing but the villagers did not divulge in this regard for the fear of vengeance.
A herd of elephants numbering 150-200 animals roam about the entire area from Dehingmukh Medalal Reserve Forest to Dikhowmukh along the Brahmaputra riverine areas and often destroy farmers� cultivation of winter crops in the areas which the government keeps exclusively as grazing areas for animals.
The area in fact is part of the elephants� corridor from the Arunachal-Nagaland hills in the south to the Arunachal Bhutan hills in the north. The elephants enter the Abhoyapur RF areas and then come towards Lejai RF through Rangali RF near Moran.
In Desung Chapori, some youths have encroached 50 to 60 bighas of land for cultivation of mustard and other vegetables. A section of local people alleged that a huge stretch of land has been encroached disturbing the habitat of wild animals.
