Jalpaiguri Wildlife warden Seema Chowdhury said a group of five elephants had entered Dharanipur tea estate to eat jack-fruit last night.
This morning on the way back, the full grown elephant tried to break the branches of a beetlenut tree, which touched a high tension overhead wire. The pachyderm was electrocuted and fell down dead.
On hearing the report wild life personnel of Binnaguri, district forest officer Sunita Ghatak, besides Chowdhury rushed to the spot.
The elephant was later extricated and buried.