The tuskers electrocuted at Bhanjanagar. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, March 24: The forest department has started a hunt to nab the killers of two wild elephants that were electrocuted at Buduli in Ganjam district, about 90km from here last night.

The elephants that were aged between 25 and 30 years were electrocuted in Baduli which falls in Mujagada Range in Ghumsur North Forest Division, forest officials said. “We seized two carcasses along with 800ft electric wire, a bag, an insulator, a seven-feet service wire, a hook and other items from the spot this morning. The two pachyderms might have strayed from Lakhari Elephant Sanctuary in Gajapati district nearby to drink water from Bhanjanagar reservoir and that’s when they came into contact with the live wire laid by the poachers,” said Bipin Bihari Behera, district forest officer, Ghumsur North Forest Division.

The poachers might have laid the electric wires to kill wild boars or other wild animals, he added. “We conducted post-mortem on the spot. It took about two hours. Then we buried the carcasses with the help of a JVC machine,” said Behera.

Forest department officials have interrogated some villagers about the incident. “We are trying to nab the culprit soon.”

There is a severe scarcity of water in the forest and most of the wild animals in the area come to Bhanjanagar reservoir at night to quench their thirst.

The poacher had laid the wire and hooked it to electricity from a 11KV line passing nearby, sources said.

A female elephant was killed at the same spot about three months ago, although forest department officials said that on that occasion, the elephant might have rolled down from the hill by accident.