NILGIRIS: A 28-year-old man was killed in a wild elephant attack at Kookalthorai near Kotagiri early on Saturday.
The deceased, G Praveen Kumar, a daily wage labourer from Periyamathampalayam near Karamadai in Coimbatore district, was visiting Kambatti Combai village in Kookalthorai to see his grandmother when he was attacked by a lone tusker.
Following information from locals, Kattabettu Forest Range staff visited the spot and took him to Kotagiri government hospital, where he was declared dead on Saturday morning.
"After reaching Indira Nagar in Kambatti Combai, he slept at the bus stand after consuming alcohol on Friday night. We suspect the incident could have occurred around 3 am on Saturday when he woke up and was heading to see his grandmother. His grandmother was unaware of the incident until he was declared dead," an official of Kattabettu range said.
"During the postmortem, it was found that he had sustained an injury to his head, which could have occurred when the animal pushed him down. The incident occurred on a panchayat road, near the forest area," the official added.
Forest department sources said that although he had visited the place several times, he might not have noticed the elephant standing along the road. He approached the animal, which then attacked him. After the postmortem, the body was handed over to his parents on Saturday evening, along with an initial compensation of Rs 50,000.
Leopard enters residential area
Meanwhile, a leopard entered a residential area in Kotagiri town and attempted to attack a pet dog but failed as the dog was inside a cage. Video footage of the incident was circulated on social media.
Forest department officials appreciated the dog's owner for keeping it safely inside a cage. They also advised other residents to follow the practice to ensure the safety of their pets.
