Thrissur: In the second wild elephant attack in a span of three days, a plantation worker sustained injuries at an estate in Palappilly here on Monday. Kottarathil Ayyappan (58) of Kundai was injured on his face, hand and leg in the attack.
According to people in the area, Ayyappan was at work when the elephant attacked him.
“Four elephants entered the Kundayi estate on Monday afternoon. Seeing the herd, Ayyappan tried to escape to safety. However, one of the elephants hit him with its trunk. Other plantation workers somehow managed to chase away the elephants and rushed Ayyappan to the Thrissur government medical college,” a resident told the media.
Series of attacks in Palappilly area
The presence of wild elephants in human-inhabited areas in Palappilly village en route to the Chimmini Dam has become a major cause of worry for the residents.
Last week, over 20 wild elephants entered the rubber and tea estates in the area causing widespread panic. In March, six people, including a couple were injured in a week's span due to wild elephant attacks.
Last September, a forest watcher and a member of the forest department’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) – Hussain Kalpur – succumbed to injuries sustained in a wild elephant attack.
The RRT was on a mission to chase away a herd of wild elephants into the forest using two kumki elephants. Following the attack, the mission had to be abandoned.
Injured watcher undergoing treatment
On Saturday evening, a forest watcher was killed in a wild elephant attack in Vazhachal. The deceased is forest watcher Irimban Kumaran (55), attached to the Kollamthirumedu Forest Station. Sunil, another watcher who was accompanying Kumaran, was injured in the incident and is undergoing treatment, according to forest officials.
The incident took place about 10 km inside the forest from Anamala Road. The elephant hit Kumaran who was on routine duty in the forest.
Kumaran then fell into a big pit and was grievously injured. Though he was rushed to Chalakudy Taluk Hospital, he was declared brought dead. Sanal, a local resident who was with the watchers, escaped unhurt.
Palappilly residents demand immediate intervention
The residents of Palappilly have reiterated their demand for urgent intervention of authorities to chase away the wild elephant herds from the area following Monday’s attack.
They have also demanded electric fencing along the forest borders and trenches to be set up immediately.
The lives of plantation workers have become miserable due to the wild elephant menace in the area.
