Trapped between the wild and broken promises: Aralam’s fight for survival
- March 03 , 2025
Aralam Farm was supposed to be a fresh start — a safe haven for 3,375 tribal families in Kannur’s Western Ghats. Instead, it became a death trap.
Since 2012, wild elephants have killed 16 people. The latest victims: 75-year-old Leela and her 80-year-old husband Velli, trampled to death 200 metres from home on February 23. A week later, on March 1, another elephant charged at Puthusseri Ambili and her husband Shyju, injuring them, and wrecking their scooter.
In 2016, the government sanctioned Rs 20 crore for an elephant-proof wall between the farm and Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2022, a new contractor took over the project for Rs 38 crore. The 13-km wall remains unfinished. While the bureaucratic blame games continue, 2,075 families have fled. The 1,300 families who cannot afford to leave? They protest and helplessly wait for the next attack.
