The hill station of Munnar was gripped by fear after a wild elephant, locally known as Virinja komban, strayed into the town centre, destroying property and triggering panic among residents. A local youth had a miraculous escape after coming face-to-face with the tusker.

The drama began in the early hours of Wednesday, when the elephant made its way near the Mount Carmel Basilica, one of the town's prominent landmarks. It wandered onto the main road and destroyed banana plantations in the vicinity. Alerted by local residents, the Forest Department’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) rushed to the spot and successfully drove the elephant back into the forest.

However, the relief was short-lived. By 8pm the same evening, the tusker returned to the same location, walking along the path in front of St Michael’s Church. It was during this second intrusion that a local youth, who was walking down the steps from his house, unexpectedly crossed paths with the animal. In a heart-stopping moment, the youth managed to flee just in time, escaping what could have been a fatal encounter.

Following this, the elephant damaged some private property, including retaining walls, before the RRT personnel intervened once again to push the animal back into the wilderness. Local residents have expressed growing concern over the frequent presence of wild elephants in residential and commercial areas of Munnar, urging authorities to find a permanent solution to the escalating human-wildlife conflict.