Wild tusker kills 14-year-old boy in Nilgiris

A 14-year-old boy was killed in a wild elephant attack in the Nilgiris region on Tuesday evening, amid growing concerns over increasing human-wildlife conflict along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border villages.

The victim was identified as Mishab, son of Parakkunnan Shaji Madani and Rasanath. He was a native of Puthurvayal near Pakkana in Gudalur taluk and a Class 9 student of IMS School, Pakkana.

According to residents, the incident took place around 7 pm when Mishab was returning home after visiting a barber shop in nearby Pakkana town. While walking along the road between Pakkana and Puthurvayal, he was allegedly attacked by a wild elephant that emerged from nearby forest areas.

Hearing his cries, people rushed to the spot and shifted the severely injured boy to a private hospital in Sulthan Bathery. However, he later succumbed to his injuries.

The incident triggered grief and anger among residents of Gudalur and nearby forest villages, where elephant intrusions into human settlements have reportedly become frequent in recent months. Residents said fear has spread across villages, including O’Valley, Pakkana and Masinagudi, with wild elephants often entering roads, farmlands and residential areas during evening and night hours.

The latest incident comes days after a tribal woman was killed in another elephant attack in the same region. On Tuesday, reports also emerged of a woman being killed in a separate elephant attack near Meppadi in neighbouring Wayanad district. With Mishab’s death, local residents said at least three people have been killed in elephant attacks in the forest regions of Gudalur taluk in the past month alone, highlighting the increasing human-animal conflict in the Nilgiris-Wayanad region.

Residents and activists have urged the Forest Department to strengthen monitoring systems, deploy rapid response teams and implement long-term measures to prevent further loss of life.