Wayanad: Protests have erupted in Wayanad following the death of a 65-year-old tribal farmer in a wild elephant attack while working on his farmland near the Pulimoodu Michabhoomi tribal settlement in Tirunelli, close to Kattikkulam, on Wednesday morning.

The victim has been identified as Raju (65), a resident of the Pulimoodu Michabhoomi tribal settlement.

According to local residents, the incident occurred at around 10 am when Raju was engaged in farming activities. A wild elephant reportedly emerged from a nearby forested area and attacked him. The animal is said to have grabbed him with its trunk and hurled him to the ground, inflicting critical injuries.

Raju was initially rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital, Mananthavady, for treatment. Doctors said that he had sustained serious internal injuries. As his condition deteriorated, doctors decided to refer him to the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital for advanced care.

However, Raju succumbed to his injuries around noon while being shifted to an ambulance from the Medical College premises at Mananthavady for transfer to Kozhikode.

Following Raju's death, local residents, family members and workers of the CPM staged a protest outside the Mananthavady Government Medical College Hospital. The protesters demanded an urgent meeting with elected representatives, including the MLA, to discuss the recurring incidents of wildlife attacks in the region. They also sought the participation of the District Collector and other concerned officials in the discussions, calling for immediate measures to ensure the safety of residents living in forest-fringe areas.

Meanwhile, the Tirunelli Police conducted the inquest proceedings. The body was shifted for postmortem examination, and officials said it would be handed over to his relatives later on Wednesday after the completion of the postmortem.

The incident comes just days after a woman was killed in a wild elephant attack in Idukki.

The state's forest-fringe zones have witnessed a rise in human-wildlife conflict in recent years, with wild elephant incursions into farmlands and human settlements becoming more common.