Idukki: A 60-year-old man was found dead at Kallar Estate in Munnar on Tuesday, with a wild elephant attack suspected to be the cause. The deceased has been identified as Natarajan, a native of Kallar and a retired tea plantation worker.

Natarajan went to a nearby forest around 2 pm to collect firewood. When he did not return home by 6 pm, relatives and estate workers launched a search and later found him dead inside the forest.

Preliminary assessments indicate that he may have been killed in a wild elephant attack, as the body bore severe head injuries. Locals said that herds of wild elephants frequently roam the Kallar region.

Munnar police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. Forest department officials said the body has been shifted to Idukki Medical College for post-mortem examination.

"Only after the post-mortem can it be confirmed whether the death was caused by a wild elephant attack. Though the area is a known elephant habitat, there is currently no conclusive evidence of an attack," forest officials said.

Natarajan was also working as a temporary worker at the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) tea factory in Kallar.