Nearly 300 wild elephants have
died in India's Orissa state in the past five years, the state's forest and
environment minister has said.
Most of these deaths were
caused by accidental electrocution, Bijayshree Routray told Press Trust of
India news agency.
Over a third of the elephants
were killed by electric shock and hanging electricity wires, he said.
There are around 26,000 wild
elephants in India where it is a heritage animal.
"The government has set
up a joint committee to monitor elephant deaths," Orissa's Forest and
Environment Secretary RK Sharma said.
It will include members from
both the forest and environment and energy departments to try and stop the
deaths of elephants from accidental electrocutions.
Other causes for the deaths of
the jumbos included poaching, poisoning by farmers to prevent them from
damaging crops and being run over by trains.
While elephants are worshipped
by many in India, shrinking habitat has led to increased conflict with people
and the deaths of many of the protected animals.
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