Hanur: A wild tusker was electrocuted after it came in contact with an illegal fence to which power was drawn illegally to protect the crops.

The incident took place on World Wildlife Day yesterday at B.M. Halli in Hanur taluk. Chikkamallaiah of the village had erected a fence around his agricultural field and had illegally drawn power to it to protect his crops.

A wild tusker, aged about 25 years, which had come out of the forests in search of food and water, came near the field and was plucking maize when the fence got tangled around its trunk and leg, thus electrocuting it on the spot.

As soon as the news about the tusker being electrocuted spread, Chikkamallaiah has gone absconding.

Cauvery Wildlife Zone Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Ankaraju, Range Forest Officer (RFO) Rajashekharappa, Hanur Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Yedukondalu, Buffer Range Sub-Division Forest Officer Salan, Hanur Circle Inspector Ravinayak, Sub-Inspector (SI) Nagesh and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Urs visited the spot.