According to Forest Department officials, the tusker had strayed into a private plantation abutting the forest boundary at Karadimadai in the Madukkarai Forest Range on Thursday night in search of fodder.

Officials said the elephant accidentally came into contact with a live overhead electric line connected to a high-tension transformer installed at a relatively low height. “The elephant appears to have grabbed the line with its trunk, resulting in a fatal electric shock,” a forest official said.

The animal died on the spot. Following alerts from local residents, forest personnel rushed to the area and confirmed that the tusker had died of electrocution.

Officials from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board later disconnected the power supply, following which veterinarians conducted a post-mortem examination. The carcass was subsequently left in the forest for scavengers. The Forest Department has launched an inquiry into whether adequate safety measures had been followed in the installation of electric lines and fencing around the plantation.

In another wildlife-related incident, a 58-year-old tribal man was killed and his 22-year-old son-in-law injured in a wild elephant attack near Ayyankolly in the Nilgiris district early Friday morning.

The deceased was identified as Semban from Murukkampadi tribal settlement in Pandalur taluk, while his son-in-law, Jishnu, sustained severe injuries in the attack.

Officials said the two were returning home on foot around 3 a.m. after attending a temple festival when they encountered a herd of elephants near a plantation. “One of the elephants lifted Semban with its trunk, flung him to the ground, and trampled him. Jishnu was also attacked while trying to escape,” an official said.

Villagers who heard their cries rushed to the spot, raised an alarm, and managed to drive the elephants away. The victims were then taken to the Government Hospital in Pandalur. Doctors declared Semban dead on arrival, while Jishnu was given first aid and later referred to the Government Hospital in Ooty for advanced treatment. Forest Department officials handed over an initial compensation of Rs 50,000 to the deceased’s family.