KOCHI: His life was full of adventure. And whenever he took up a mission, he forgot everything, even his family. Unfortunately, his reckless nature cost Hussain Kalpoor, 32, a wildlife rescuer and forest watcher, his life. Injured in a wild elephant attack on September 4, Hussain breathed his last in a hospital in Thrissur on Thursday.
In an emotional Facebook post, E K Abdul Salim, a Fire and Rescue Services officer, compared Hussain to Steve Irwin, the famous Australian wildlife expert who died while filming a documentary in 2006. “Hussain was a daring animal rescuer. Despite knowing the risks, he had a passion for wildlife. He was involved in hundreds of rescue missions, catching wild elephants, tigers and leopards. He was an asset to the forest department and also helped the fire force many times,” Salim wrote.
Wayanad Forest Veterinary team head Dr Arun Zachariah, who has been leading wildlife rescue operations across the state, said Salim’s remarks were not an overstatement. “Hussain was indeed the Steve Irwin of Kerala. He was a snake catcher in Kozhikode’s Mukkam, when the forest team spotted him. He joined the forest department 12 years ago as a watcher on daily wages. Passionate about wildlife, he caught many snakes, including King Cobras. We caught around 50 wild elephants and 30 tigers apart from leopards and snakes. He was very good at understanding animals’ behaviour. Though he risked his own life, he always ensured the safety of his team members,” Arun said. He said Hussain was adept at firing tranquiliser darts too.
“We travelled from Kasaragod to Pathanamthitta on animal rescue missions. None of them failed. Hussain was our main rescuer,” he said. His colleagues and forest officers said Hussain could sense animal instincts. He got injured a couple of times in elephant attacks but that did not scare him, they said.
‘Hussain helped during Nipah outbreak, floods’
“A team player, Hussain was part of the group that caught the Kumki elephants we use now to drive away wild elephants entering human habitations,” Dr Arun said. Recalling the events of September 4, Palappilly range officer K P Prem Shemir said, “We had sought the help of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) in Wayanad to drive away two rogue elephants that kept entering the village and creating panic.
The team came in the morning and tracked the elephants. In the afternoon, an elephant entered the road and the team rushed to the spot. The wild elephant charged at them. Though the others fled, Hussain was caught in front of the jumbo. It hit him with its trunk and stamped on his chest. Hussain’s ribs cracked and punctured his lungs. He had been in critical condition. On Wednesday, his oxygen level started deteriorating and he died of cardiac arrest on Thursday,” said Shemir.
“Hussain had rescued elephants, tigers and leopards in Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Thekkady and Munnar,” said his friend Ashkar Sarkar, also a snake rescuer. “He was active in tracking bats during the Nipah outbreak and was part of the rescue and relief operations coordinated by Mukkam Sannadha Sena during the 2018 flood. He was very brave, loved wildlife and never harmed animals,” said Ashkar. Hussain is survived by wife Anshitha and two children.