KRISHNAGIRI: A 55- year- old man was trampled to death by a tusker near Krishnagiri in the wee hours of Sunday, Four persons have died due to human-elephant conflict by two tuskers in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts in the last two months.
M Perumal (55) of Saamandhamalai village near Gurubarapalli was guarding a pond containing fish when he was attacked by the tusker. On Saturday evening, two tuskers that had camped near Devasamuthiram lake were driven away by the forest department and they reached Samandhamalai village nearby late in the night where Perumal was guarding the pond. “The tuskers will be driven into Maharajakadai forest,” a forest department official said. The forest department handed over an initial solatium of `50,000 to Perumal’s family members.
Hosur forest division wildlife warden K Karthikeyani told TNIE, “ This is the fourth human death in two months, due to human-elephant conflict in the two districts. Forest department is monitoring and driving the elephants to the forest. On Sunday, the two tuskers will be driven to Maharajakadai forest area. The next course of action will be taken after watching the movements of tuskers and discussing with higher officials.”