IDUKKI: Wild elephants claimed one more life in Idukki, this time of a 47-year-old tribal community member.
Kannan of Tank Kudi in Chinnakkanal was attacked and killed by a herd of wild elephants that strayed into the farmland in Vannathipara on Sunday. Residents said the herd, which included nine female elephants, entered the farmland in the morning.
Tribal residents, including Kannan, hailing from various settlements in the panchayat tried to chase the elephants back into the forest.
Around 5.30 pm, Kannan accidentally landed in front of the herd which attacked him and trampled him to death.
His body could be recovered only after more people reached the spot and chased the elephants away. Kannan’s body was shifted to the taluk hospital in Adimaly.
Frequent wild elephant incursions in Munnar forest division have disrupted the life of residents in the area.
Tusker Padayappa, which was chased back into the forest under the leadership of a rapid response team, returned to the residential area and has been terrorising the place for the past 6 days.
The tusker had been camping in Silent Valley and Kuttiyar Valley areas and damaging crops. On Saturday, it entered Mattupetty and blocked traffic on the highway for nearly half an hour.
Earlier, two elephants, including a calf, that strayed on the main highway in Old Munnar spread panic among residents. Passengers of a bike, who landed in front of the jumbos on the highway, managed to escape the elephants.
6 deaths so far
Kannan is the sixth person to die in an elephant attack in Idukki this yearto be reported in Idukki this year. The other deaths are:
March 4: A 70-year-old woman trampled to death by a wild elephant at Kanjiraveli near Adimaly under the Neriamangalam forest range
February 26: Autorickshaw driver Suresh Kumar killed in a wild elephant attack at Kannimala Top Division of Munnar
January 23: Saundar Raj, 68, a resident of BL Ram in Chinnakanal, was attacked by wild elephant while working at his plantation. He died at Theni Medical College Hospital on January 26.
January 22: Palraj, 85, a resident of Coimbatore, trampled to death by a wild elephant in Thenmala estate of KDHP in Munnar.
January 8: A 48-year-old woman attacked and killed by a wild elephant at Panniyar estate in Santhanpara while heading for work in the tea plantation.