What began as a desperate attempt to save a beloved pet bird ended in tragedy in Veerabhadranagar, south Bengaluru, on Friday morning, when a 32-year-old man was electrocuted after attempting to chase a macaw perched on a high-tension (HT) electric tower.
The deceased has been identified as Arun Kumar, a native of Nagamangala in Mandya district, who was residing with his cousin’s family at Vasundhara Krithika Homes apartment. He was employed at the family’s signage business in Konanakunte and was described by relatives and neighbours as gentle, soft-spoken, and deeply fond of animals—especially the family’s pet birds.
Panic after pet bird flies out
The incident occurred around mid-morning when the family’s blue-and-yellow macaw accidentally flew out of the house and landed on the iron structure of a nearby HT electric tower.
Alarmed by the possibility that the bird could be electrocuted, Arun rushed outside and began clapping loudly and shouting in an attempt to scare the macaw into flying back.
Apartment security guards, noticing his distress, reportedly warned him twice not to climb the compound wall and assured him that the bird would eventually return on its own.
However, witnesses said Arun grew increasingly anxious as the macaw remained perched calmly on the tower.
Ignored warnings, returned with metal pipe
Driven by fear for the bird’s safety, Arun ran back into the house and returned moments later carrying a steel pipe from a ceiling broom, to which he had tied a stick in an effort to extend its reach.
Despite repeated pleas from guards and residents, he climbed the five-foot-high compound wall once again and began waving the metal pole towards the bird.
What happened next unfolded in seconds.
Fatal electric arc
As Arun stretched the metal pole closer to the HT tower, a high-voltage electric arc reportedly jumped from the power line to the metal pipe. Residents said they heard a loud cracking sound, followed by Arun collapsing from the wall with severe burn injuries.
Neighbours and security staff immediately rushed him to a nearby private hospital. Due to the seriousness of the electrocution, doctors advised shifting him to Victoria Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Bird unharmed, police register case
In a tragic twist, residents said the macaw remained perched on the tower for over an hour after the incident, completely unharmed.
Arun’s cousin and aunt later told police they were unaware that he had taken a metal pipe to rescue the bird.
The Girinagar police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating the incident. Officials have also reiterated warnings against approaching high-tension power installations, stressing that even indirect contact with metal objects near such structures can prove fatal.
A reminder of unseen dangers
The incident has left the local community shaken, highlighting the deadly risks posed by high-voltage infrastructure and the importance of following safety advisories.
Residents described Arun as a kind-hearted individual whose concern for a pet ultimately cost him his life—an incident that has cast a pall of grief over the neighbourhood and renewed calls for greater public awareness around electrical safety.