Palode: The growing menace of wild animals, which often stray into human settlements, is increasingly threatening both lives and freedom of movement across the high-ranges and valleys in Thiruvananthapuram. Among the most troublesome are wild boars, bisons and elephants.

Just over the past week, three separate wild boar attacks have been reported from the region, triggering widespread fear. The victims include Jose and his family, who were on their way for rubber tapping in the early morning hours; Sunil V Nair, a Fire and Rescue Services official returning home after duty; and charity worker Atmamithram Ullas.

Wild boars and bison have been blocking traffic on the Palode–Kallara Road, especially during night hours. On the Madathara Road, areas like Karimankode, Chippanchira, Swamimukku, Ilavumpalam and Kalayapuram have seen frequent intrusion by wild elephants and wild boars. The threat from wild boars is also severe along the Nedumangad Road. In regions like Ilavattom, Vanjuvam and Kuruppuzha, numerous residents have faced boar attacks. The situation is even worse in tribal settlements such as Peringamala, where human-wildlife conflicts are on the rise.

Despite repeated elephant intrusions into residential areas, the construction of trenches intended to prevent such entry has come to a halt midway. During a formal inauguration project at Arippa, the minister had promised to complete the trench work in a time-bound manner. The promise, however, remains unfulfilled.

Recently, two individuals, identified as Anil and Babu, were killed in separate elephant attacks. Anil lost his life while walking along the Sasthanada Road, while Babu, a local resident, too, was killed in a similar encounter. Back in 1991, Gopalan, a native of Sasthanada near here, lost both his eyes following a bear attack.

More recently, wild elephants damaged a shed within the premises of a house in Iyyakkottu, a tribal hamlet in the Peringamala panchayat. In addition to these incidents, three people were injured in an unusual attack by a wild squirrel. Porcupines and even leopards have also been reported, adding to the growing list of threats faced by residents.