Bathery: Panic gripped Mudakkolly in Vakery on Sunday morning when a wild tusker strayed into a house courtyard and attacked 80-year-old Thankamma of Kaithavelil.

The elderly woman sustained serious fractures to her leg and ribs, along with a spinal wound and had to undergo emergency surgery at a private hospital in Kozhikode. The incident comes amid repeated sightings of the tusker in human settlements, raising fears of further attacks.

he tusker attacked Thankamma from behind around 6. 30 AM as she was coming out of the bathroom. Although she was gored, the tusk did not pierce deeply. Panchayat member Sreenesh said the animal knocked her into a cow-dung pit and also pulled down the wall of the cowshed. Hearing her cries, residents rushed to the scene and took her first to a hospital in Bathery, before transferring her to a private hospital in Kozhikode for treatment.

Tusker strays through children’s playground
After the attack, the tusker moved through Unnathi (a tribal settlement area), where children were playing. A tragedy was narrowly averted as the animal passed along the other side. It then crossed agricultural fields and disappeared into the forest about 300 metres away.

Residents convene meeting
Residents of Mudakkolly and Koodallur convened a special meeting to discuss the recurring threat posed by the tusker, locally known as the “one-and-a-half tusker.” They said the animal has been straying into human habitats frequently and warned of further attacks unless urgent measures are taken.

While the Forest Department agreed to bear Thankamma’s treatment expenses, a crisis arose when a deposit of ₹50,000 demanded by the hospital for an emergency surgery wasn’t forthcoming. Residents staged protests at the Bathery wildlife division office and later at the Irulam forest station.

DFO assures action
South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Ajith K Raman said necessary action would be taken in connection with the attack. He attributed the delay in releasing funds to the closure of office yesterday due to holiday. He assured that the money would be handed over immediately. Steps have been taken to ensure the surgery proceeds. Patrolling will be strengthened along Vakery and Mudakkolly. The tusker entered human habitat by destroying the hanging fence after uprooting a teak tree. The fence has been restored and surveillance will be tightened, he said.

The DFO also clarified that the tusker involved in the attack was not the “Onnara Komban.”

Tusker sightings in courtyards
Residents, however, point to repeated sightings of the tusker Onnara Komban in Mudakkolly and Koodallur. CCTV footage shows the tusker entering the courtyard of Nediyankal Binu’s house three times last month, including passing through the plastic-sheeted car shed on a couple of occasions. TThe animal entered once when children were present at the courtyard, another time when his wife was near the kitchen and a third time when Binu himself was in the courtyard.

Locals warn that unless the threat posed by the tusker is addressed seriously, further tragedies are inevitable.