28 wild elephants electrocuted in four years; adult males among worst hit: Forest dept data

Kochi: As many as 28 wild elephants died of electrocution in the state between 2022 and 2025, and 19 of them were male, according to forest department data accessed through RTI.The data also show that 68% of the elephants electrocuted (13 males and six females) were adults aged 15 years and above. This will have adverse consequences for the genetic diversity of the elephant population in the state, an expert from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) said.Forest department officials said most of the electrocution incidents were "intentional", as local people or farmers illegally place live wires on fences around their farmland or compounds to prevent crop raiding. Animals — and sometimes even human beings — are killed after they came into contact with the live wires. The data show that of the 28 deaths, cases were registered in only 21 instances. "Cases should be registered in all electrocution incidents under charges of hunting. What we notice is that most electrocution cases are intentional. These incidents should be treated as serious offences and the culprits arrested, as they also endanger human lives. However, we face strong objections from local people when arresting the accused, like in Pathanamthitta where CPM MLA Jenish Kumar forcibly secured the release of an accused on whose land a wild elephant was found electrocuted. Such actions set a wrong precedent," a senior forest officer said.According to Kerala electricity board data, 24 people and six animals lost their lives in 2024–25 alone in electrical accidents caused by illegally placed live wires on fences in the state. Wildlife experts note that electrocutions also occur due to the forest department's failure to strengthen intelligence gathering at the ground level to prevent illegal live-wire fences."Since males maintain the genetic diversity of the elephant population, the death of so many adults will have far-reaching implications. Males tend to move between herds, thereby preventing inbreeding in the long term. If this pattern of more males falling prey to human aggression continues, genetic diversity will be affected, in turn impacting population growth," said Dr Ramesh Krishnamurthy, head of the department of landscape planning and management at WII, Dehradun."Normally, experienced adult males learn to avoid humans or gain the confidence to negotiate human-dominated areas. It is inexperienced adults that often get trapped in human habitations. The problem in Kerala is unique, where forests and human habitations are interspersed. With excessive use of electric fences, elephants are forced to walk through narrow paths, getting trapped in human habitations and, when encountered, there is little room for either elephants or human beings. While many states and organisations are making their best efforts, people's participation is critical and requires appropriate land-use policies to address the situation in both the immediate and long term," Krishnamurthy said.Elephant expert and National Board for Wildlife member Dr P S Easa said: "Elephants are vagabonds, a well-established natural phenomenon that allows vegetation to regenerate by the time they return to an area. Problems arise when humans interfere. The elephant social system is matriarchal, with a female leader guiding the herd. When a male elephant reaches adulthood, it leaves the herd for outbreeding. Some adult males join all-male groups led by a dominant male. If the leader is a crop raider, others in the group learn the behaviour and also become crop raiders — similar to humans, where if a leader engages in illegal activities, others follow."KSEB officials said they did not have the technology to detect people drawing power illegally from distribution lines, but incidents of elephants dying after coming into contact with overhead power lines in forests have come down drastically after the height of the cables was increased. "People must be using illegal live wires from their domestic power connections. We know about it only if someone alerts us or when an electrocution occurs," an official said.