A 65-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant while attempting to chase it away from his property in Athirappilly, Thrissur, in the early hours of Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Mohanan, a resident of Vaisheri in Athirappilly. The incident occurred around 2.30 am near his house. Local residents have called for a hartal in Athirappilly panchayat on Saturday in protest against the incident.

According to Athirappilly panchayat member Aneesh Chenthamara, Mohanan stepped out of his house after noticing the elephant in his compound. While trying to drive the animal away, it suddenly charged at him.

"The elephant lifted him with its trunk, tossed him and inflicted severe injuries. His neck was broken in the attack," Aneesh said. Mohanan was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Chalakudy but was declared brought dead.

Aneesh said Mohanan was accustomed to guarding his farmland at night, as the area has been witnessing frequent elephant intrusions. On Saturday morning, he had gone out along with his younger brother and a neighbour when the elephant attacked him.

Residents said wild elephants regularly pass through the area, but no fatal attack had been reported in recent years. "Earlier, the animals would retreat when villagers used firecrackers or made loud noises. However, in recent months, a group of around four elephants has been repeatedly entering farmlands and destroying crops, including coconut and arecanut plantations," Aneesh added.

According to Aneesh, the elephants previously remained on the opposite side of a nearby river and rarely crossed into inhabited areas. However, after plantations there were cleared for pineapple cultivation, the animals began crossing the river more frequently and entering agricultural land.

He also alleged that although the Forest Department has installed electric fences in the area, elephants often damage them and move freely into the fields. "Forest officials reached the spot only after Mohanan had been taken to the hospital. They informed us that they were engaged in driving away elephants from other locations, which shows the scale of the problem faced by local residents," he said.

Mohanan's body has been kept at a private hospital in Chalakudy. "Postmortem procedures are expected to be conducted soon. Funeral arrangements are yet to be finalised as some of his relatives living abroad are expected to arrive," he added.

Residents said the same elephant had entered Mohanan's property on Friday as well, causing extensive crop damage. The fatal attack occurred when the animal returned to the area again early on Saturday.

Mohanan is survived by his wife Girija, son Adarsh, who works in Bengaluru, and daughter Greeshma, who serves in the Indian Army.

Hartal in Athirappilly
Villagers have called for a hartal in Athirappilly on Saturday, demanding stronger measures to prevent wildlife intrusions into human settlements.

"We will block the road and continue our protest until either the District Collector or the Conservator of Forests visits the area and assures us that effective steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future," Aneesh said.

Forest dept bears primary responsibility: Minister
Forest Minister Shiby Baby John said the Forest Department bears primary responsibility for addressing human-wildlife conflict incidents, while stressing the need for a coordinated response involving all stakeholders. "Only a collective effort can effectively tackle this issue. However, the primary responsibility lies with the Forest Department," he said.

The minister said he has convened a meeting in Chalakudy on Monday to review the situation and discuss further measures. He acknowledged that there is no immediate solution to the growing problem. "I do not have a quick fix, and in fact, nobody does. The present situation is the result of a long-standing conflict that has remained unaddressed for years," he said. Shiby Baby John also said he had sought a detailed report on fatalities caused by human-animal conflict in the state.