Wild elephants go on rampage in Wayanad's Pozhuthana

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Wayanad: Fear has gripped the town of Pozhuthana and its surrounding areas after a herd of wild elephants stormed the region on Wednesday evening and wreaked havoc.
The herd, consisting of three adult elephants and a calf, caused significant damage across several locations including the Pozhuthana town centre, the panchayat office premises, Karpporakkad, the local family health centre and the Sugandhagiri area etc.

One of the most alarming incidents occurred near the LP School in town, where three children narrowly escaped an attack. The children, identified as Rizan and Rihan and Sabir had been on their way to visit a relative's home in Pozhuthana. When the elephants approached them, the children fled to safety in a nearby house. Rihan, however, sustained injuries to his knee and fingers during the escape.

Rizan and Rihan are the sons of Kayalmadathil Razaq, a resident of Gudalakkunnu near Kalpetta, while Sabir is the son of Kavungal Sulaiman, a relative of Razaq.
The rampaging herd also partially damaged an autorickshaw parked nearby and kicked over two motorcycles. The elephants then moved toward Sugandhagiri, where they destroyed a shed housing T K Thampi and his family. Thampi suffered a hand injury, reportedly from a strike by an elephant’s trunk. The animals also damaged the home of Chandran Chami, a resident of the Kaappi Nalaam unit near here.

This is reportedly the first time wild elephants have entered the heart of Pozhuthana town. Forest department officials suspect the herd came from the Vythiri region. Despite efforts by forest officials and local residents to drive the elephants away late into the night, heavy rains and strong winds hampered their operations. The elephants eventually retreated several hours later.

The forest department later tracked the elephants to a 30-acre area near Sugandhagiri. They also helped reconstruct the shed where Thampi and his family had been staying. In view of the incident, the forest department has intensified patrolling in and around the affected regions.
