Munnar: Adding another instance to the list of recurring attacks on innocent people by wild animals in Kerala, a 29-year-old man was attacked by a wild elephant after mangling his autorickshaw at Munnar on Monday night.
Auto driver Antony Richard, a resident of Kuttiyar valley, escaped miraculously from death. The youth, who was thrown into the tea estate by the wild elephant, somehow managed to sneak into the tea bushes and hide himself, without giving the elephant a clue.
Richard received severe injuries on his spinal cord and right leg in the attack and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The incident occurred near Velmudi Bunglow on the Kuttiyar Valley route on Monday at 9 pm when Richard was on his way to his house in his autorickshaw. There were almost five vehicles going on in the front and back of his autorickshaw.
The rogue elephant, which was hiding on the side of the road, tried to attack the vehicle that passed through the area ahead of Richard's autorickshaw. But the attempt failed as the driver of the vehicle managed to speed away before the elephant could do something.
But the elephant pounced upon Richard's autorickshaw and destroyed it. Though Richard tried to hide inside his vehicle, the elephant, using his trunk, clutched him by holding tight on his chest and threw him out. Under the impact of the elephant's attack, Richard fell near tea bushes. Immediately, he sneaked into the tea bushes. The elephant could not find him. Richard hid there for a long time, even holding his breath in fear of another attack by the wild elephant.
Those who were sitting on the vehicles that came behind the autorickshaw ran away from the scene after seeing the incident. After one hour, they all came back in an organised manner, found Richard from the tea bushes and took him to a hospital.
