Tamil Nadu: Farmer arrested in connection with elephant calf’s death

The firecracker burst when the animal chewed on it seriously injuring the animal in Thudiyalur. (Representational image/AP)

A farmer was arrested on Friday for his alleged involvement in the death of a 3-year-old elephant calf, after it bit an explosive kept in a farm to scare wild animals. The calf had strayed into a farm on July 13 and picked up the firecracker, planted to scare away wild animals. It burst when the animal chewed on it seriously injuring the animal in Thudiyalur. Though the forest department officials tried to treat the calf, it succumbed to injuries later.

Police and Forest department officials were on search for the persons, who had kept the explosives illegally in their farm. The forest officials on morning rounds on Friday noticed two persons running after seeing them and nabbed one person, after a chase, police said. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the person, 41-year old Murugan and farmer by profession, has kept the explosives to finish wild boars, which destroyed vegetables and other produces, they said.

Murugan was remanded to custody and cases under Wildlife Protection Act were registered against him. Search was on for two more persons allegedly involved in this, police said.