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75-year-old woman killed in wild elephant attack, locals protest

ByPress Trust of India, Idukki/kochi
Mar 05, 2024 07:38 AM IST

The deceased was identified as Indira Ramakrishnan who resided with her husband on the Ernakulam-Idukki border

A 75-year-old woman was killed in an elephant attack on Monday in Idukki district of Kerala. This led to strong protests by locals and subsequent clashes with the police.

According to the panchayat president, the region is a hotbed of human-animal conflict involving elephants, gaurs and wild boars (HT)
According to the panchayat president, the region is a hotbed of human-animal conflict involving elephants, gaurs and wild boars (HT)

The deceased was identified as Indira Ramakrishnan who resided with her husband in Kanjiraveli in Adimali panchayat on the Ernakulam-Idukki border.

“The incident took place around 9am when Indira was carrying water for her husband who was working in their farmland. The farm borders the forest under the Neriamangalam division and has seen several incursions of wild animals in the past. The couple were engaged in harvesting arrowroot. The wild elephant, reported to have come out of the forest, attacked Indira out of nowhere and she sustained serious injuries. Though she was rushed to a nearby taluk hospital, she succumbed to the injuries,” Soumya Anil, the president of Adimali panchayat, told HT over phone.

An eyewitness, who was not identified, told the local media that the tusker let out a loud trumpet, turned around and attacked Indira. “My son called out to me so I ran to safety.”

According to the panchayat president, the region is a hotbed of human-animal conflict involving elephants, gaurs and wild boars and blamed the forest department for doing nothing to stem the attacks.

“There are no fences bordering the forest areas here and so wild animals routinely enter human settlements and cause havoc. People have been killed and cropland damaged. Even after this incident today, the forest officials have not come here yet. The local MLA is also not bothered. The panchayat has limitations in finding a solution to the crisis,” she added.

The death of the elderly woman was the fifth fatality in wild animal attacks in the region this year. It propelled street protests by angry locals led by Congress MP Dean Kuriakose and Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan. The protesters marched on the streets of Kothamangalam town with the mortal remains of Indira demanding the intervention of the ministers of the state government in finding a quick solution to the conflict.

“Why is the government and the forest department not intervening to hear the plight of the people here? Where are the officials? Not even a week has passed since a man died in an animal attack. How can people here be sacrificed as those responsible for stemming the conflict escape to safety?” Kuriakose questioned.

The police had to forcibly get the mortal remains released from the clutches of the protesters and the local Congress leaders by claiming that an autopsy was necessary as part of the law in such cases. The authorities also detained several protesters.

Forest minister AK Saseendran, who has been under fire lately for the escalating conflict in Wayanad district where three people were killed in wild animal attacks in just two months, said the process of sanctioning the ex-gratia relief to the kin of the deceased in Adimali has begun.

“The chief conservator of forests has already left for the spot and will oversee measures to mitigate attacks. More cameras will be installed to monitor the movement of wild elephants,” he added.

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