Man killed by elephant in Wayanad, second death in 2 days
A man was allegedly trampled by a wild elephant in Kerala’s Wayanad on Wednesday night, a second such incident in two days in the southern state, officials said
A man was allegedly trampled by a wild elephant in Kerala’s Wayanad on Wednesday night, a second such incident in two days in the southern state, officials said.
The victim was identified as 27-year-old Balan, a native of a tribal settlement near Attamala in Meppadi panchayat.
His family, who went looking for him early Wednesday morning, found his mutilated remains on a path near a tea estate in the area. The area is close to the Mundakkai-Chooralmala villages where scores of people were killed in multiple landslides in July last year. Following the landslide and the migration of people in these areas to relief camps and government housing, locals had complained to the forest department that the threat of wild elephants had grown.
A member of his family, who did not want to be named, said Balan had gone to buy provisions from the store and was likely attacked by the wild elephant late Tuesday night on his return home.
Following the incident, activists of the Congress-led UDF and other parties held a protest march to the Meppadi forest office complaining of lack of action against human-wildlife conflict. Locals and the family of the tribal man protested in the area demanding financial assistance for the family. The local tahsildar later announced that the government would grant the first tranche of ex-gratia relief of ₹5 lakh soon.
The UDF has also given the call for a ‘hartal’ in Wayanad district on Thursday.
The killing of Balan comes just a day after a 45-year-old man was trampled to death near Noolpuzha. The panchayat borders Tamil Nadu.
As per the state government data, 13 people have been killed in human-wildlife conflict this year alone.