A young female elephant died after being trapped in a solar-powered electric fence at a farm in south India.

The incident took place in the early hours of September 28 in the Kalkothi foothills outside Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu state.

The elephant, estimated to be three years and five months old, wandered into the farm area with its herd and became tangled up in the electric fencing which may have shocked it to death.

Forest official authorities investigated the death and performed an autopsy on September 29.