MADIKERI: A man was killed in a wild elephant attack inside a coffee estate in Kodagu on Thursday noon. The incident occurred at Badaga-Banangala village near Siddapur.
The victim, identified as Abdul Latif (72), a resident of Hundli, was working as a watchman at the estate. During lunch hours, Latif was taking a stroll inside the estate when he was confronted by a wild elephant.
The elephant attacked Latif and trampled him to death, while a few other workers at the estate managed to escape. Latif was rushed to the Siddapur Health Care Center, where doctors declared him dead.
Forest officials, including Virajpet RFO KV Shivaram, visited the spot and conducted an inspection. Locals said several elephants have been roaming across coffee estates during the current season and claimed the same elephant had earlier attacked another estate worker, who escaped with minor injuries.
Angry villagers accused the forest department of inaction and demanded immediate protection from wild elephants. Virajpet MLA AS Ponanna instructed forest officials to launch a mission to chase the elephants back into the forest.
The forest department issued a compensation cheque of Rs 5 lakh to Latif’s family. A post-mortem was conducted, following which the body was handed over to the family. Officials said a proposal would be sent to the government to capture the lone tusker due to repeated attacks.