Endangered elephant killed in freak accident

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — A park ranger in Cambodia says an endangered wild elephant has died after an electrical pole fell and electrocuted the animal.

Nup Thet, a ranger at Wildlife Alliance, said the 3-ton elephant was electrocuted late Tuesday in the jungle near Cardamom National Park.

Cambodia is home to some 450 wild elephants. Suwanna Gauntlet, chief executive officer of Wildlife Alliance, said about 200 of them live in Cardamom National Park.

Last July, a wild baby elephant died in northeastern Mondulkiri province after becoming snared in a poacher’s trap in the jungle. The death raised a red flag for many conservation groups concerned with the ability of local authorities to protect the endangered species.