Wild elephant kills plantation worker in Gudalur; residents call hartal over repeated human-wildlife conflicts

A 43-year-old plantation labourer, Mehboob alias Shamsudheen, was killed in an elephant attack at Manjushree Plantations in O'valley, Gudalur, on Tuesday morning. He was travelling to work on a scooter with a companion, who escaped with minor injuries.

Shamsudheen's body was shifted to Gudalur District Hospital for postmortem examination before being handed over to relatives, and his last rites were performed in the evening.

Local residents staged a protest over recurring elephant attacks, blocking the Gudalur-Ooty road, before being dispersed by police. With this incident, five people have died in wildlife attacks in Gudalur taluk over the last three months. The People’s Action Council has announced a 24-hour hartal in Gudalur-Pandalur taluk on Thursday, with traders also declaring a shutdown in support.