FOUR wild elephants who ran amok after getting drunk on rice beer were electrocuted in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya when they brought down power lines, an official said Tuesday.
| Cheeze, I hate it when I do that... |
The herd went on the rampage on Sunday night after storming into villages and drinking from open casks of beer in a remote area in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district. "The elephants after getting high on rice beer, went berserk and started dashing against an electric pole," the forest official said.
| They were scratching their backs. They were male elephants. When males get together to drink beer, they scratch and belch and fart. It's not limited by species. |
"A live high tension wire fell on the herd leading to the deaths of four elephants instantly," he said. The casualties could have been higher but the herd of about 20 elephants moved away from the site sensing danger.
| "Cheeze, Jumbo! Let's back away! Those guys look... dead!" |
Wild elephants have been targeting areas in Meghalaya and the adjoining state of Assam where people brew large volumes of rice beer and have been causing large-scale devastation in remote areas in the two states. "A depleting forest cover and encroachment of elephant corridors have forced the pachyderms to stray out of their habitats," Assam Forest Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said.
| ... in search of beer. I sometimes stray out of my own habitat in search of beer. |
In the last two years, elephants have killed at least 180 people in Assam and Meghalaya. Angry villagers in turn have killed up to 200 of the animals. The last elephant census in 1999 recorded 7,200 wild elephants in Assam and Meghalaya, more than half of India’s count of 10,000.
Fred, you were worried about bear attacks. Kinda unique when the deaths by the animals about equal the deaths by humans. Found via Greg at A Dog’s Life, chemist and borzoi fan.
| When the elephants start packin' heat, the numbers are going to go out of sync again. Elephants are not dumb. They drink too much, but they're not dumb. |
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