Drought drives elephant into deadly fence: farmer arrested in Horowpathana

A wild elephant looking for water amid the prevailing dry weather was electrocuted when it came into contact with an unauthorised electric fence around a home garden in the Horowpathana area of Anuradhapura last morning, wildlife officials said.

The elephant, believed to be around 30-years- old, had attempted to enter the home garden when it came into contact with the electric fence, which had allegedly been connected directly to the main electricity supply of the house, officials said.

Wildlife officials said elephants had been moving into human settlements in search of water due to the prevailing dry conditions.

A 65-year-old farmer was arrested by officials from the Horowpathana Wildlife Office on suspicion of having installed the unauthorised electric fence.The incident is the latest reported death of a wild elephant in the ongoing human-elephant conflict in the Anuradhapura wildlife zone.