Cooch Behar (Siliguri), Nov.1: The forest division officials in Siliguri are conducting mock exercises with captive elephants to prevent villagers from electrocuting  wild animals while protecting their fields with naked electric wires.

The high-tension wires that are generally used illegally from the nearby electric poles of 440 volts had led to the death of five elephants in the recent past. The ongoing general awareness is hoped to reduce electrocution of the elephants here.

"Our demonstration’s aim is to spread awareness among villagers using illegal electric wires to protect their fields from wild animals. We tried to show this using our captive elephants doing mock exercise," said Manindra Biswas, Divisional Forest Officer, Cooch Behar forest division.

Officials took out their drive in various parts of the State's north Bengal area.

India has more than 50 per cent of Asiatic elephants but its population has been dwindling due to frequent poaching.

In the last census held in 2005, the number of wild elephants in the region was 350, an increase of eight animals since 2000.

The national census 2005 showed there were 25,000 to 28,000 elephants in India, including only 1,500 male tuskers of breeding age.(ANI)