'We ran off, thought he would turn up as always': Kerala forest team mourns colleague killed by wild elephant

Palakkad: Kaalimuthu, the 52-year-old watcher from the Pudur Forest Station, knew the forest like the back of his hand. But on Saturday, the wilderness he trusted turned fatal when a wild tusker trampled him to death. He had entered the Mulli area with Pudur Beat Forest Officer Kannan R and temporary watcher Achuthan as part of the tiger census being held from December 1 to 8.

“It was the sixth day of the census. Around 6.30 am, the three of us set out from the Mulli patrolling and camping station,” said Kannan. During the first few days, officers undertake direct sighting and counting. The following days involve moving along designated transit lines and recording data. “On Saturday, we had six points to note. Four were completed, and only two were left. We were about 400 metres away from the road when an elephant suddenly rushed towards us,” he said.

Kannan recalled that the team had sensed the presence of an elephant and was being extremely cautious. “We were moving very carefully, but I believe the elephant had already spotted us and was hiding behind vegetation, watching,” he added. "We ran down a slope. I turned left and climbed back up, trying to get out of its line of vision. I was actually the closest and even fell down midway, but the elephant focused on the two running downhill.” 

“After reaching the road, I received a signal from the team checking on our safety. We usually howl back and forth to communicate during such situations. I signalled back to the forest station and waited for Kaalimuthu and Achuthan to appear. Achuthan arrived later and said he had heard Kaalimuthu’s cries. I, too, heard the elephant trumpeting wildly.” Kannan immediately alerted the Ranger Forest Officer. Members of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) rushed in, burst firecrackers to drive the elephant away, and retrieved the body.

Kannan, who has 12 years of experience, said such incidents are extremely rare despite the inherent risks of the job. “We have been chased by elephants before and have always managed to move tactfully. We can sense animal presence from indicators like their smell, footprints, crushed grass or fallen leaves. When we realised an elephant was around, we kept our guard up, but it still happened. Despite all precautions, it’s pure luck when someone escapes an encounter like this,” he said.

The tiger census, conducted once every four years across all states, involves dividing forest areas into blocks and assigning teams to each. Officers undergo training sessions on survey methods, animal tracking, and safety protocols before the exercise. They carry only essentials, water, food, a notepad, a pen, and their phones for communication and data recording while in the field.

Kaalimuthu, who joined the Forest Department in 2013, is survived by his wife Selvi and son Anilkumar. He had been posted at Pudur for the past two years and was well-liked by everyone, Kannan said. “Like most forest officers, he was well-versed in forest life. He was also loved and respected by all because of his demeanour.”

Meanwhile, in a separate incident the previous day, an eight-member tiger census team, including women officers from Pudur Forest Station, was stranded inside the forest due to heavy rain and poor visibility. “They left on the morning of December 4, but due to heavy rain, they lost their way in the dense forest around noon. They alerted the Agali RRT, and we traced them using GPS. We located them the same afternoon, but owing to the terrain and weather, we camped inside the forest for the night and returned the next morning,” said Beat Forest Officer Noel of the Agali range.