Chamarajanagar, Jan 14 (IANS): A farmer has been booked in connection with the death of a wild elephant due to electrocution in Chamarajanagar district of the state on Saturday.

The incident had taken place in Doddabaragi village in the Hediyala Forest range near Bandipur. The accused farmer is identified as Gopal.

According to authorities, Gopal, a farmer from Doddabaragi village had installed an electric fence illegally around his farm and the elephant which had tried to cross the fence had died following electrocution.

The authorities have booked a case under the Wildlife Conservation Act against the farmer. The forest officials explained that a similar incident had happened earlier in the same land in 2018.

An elephant had died while crossing into the agricultural land due to electrocution. Presently, a 25-year-old female elephant had died and investigation is on.

The man-animal conflict had escalated in the region leading to the death of wild animals as well as human beings. The authorities have launched an operation to drive out elephants from the villages in the state.