Man killed in accidental encounter with wild elephant in O’Valley

Residents staged protest demanding that the elephant be captured

A 46-year-old man was killed in an accidental encounter with a wild elephant in O’Valley in Gudalur on Thursday morning.

The deceased was identified as Ananth, a resident of Tiruvalluvar Nagar in O’Valley, who ran a tea shop nearby. Ananth is said to have left his house early morning to open his shop. When he crossed paths with the elephant, it attacked him and killed him.

Local residents, who heard the noise, rushed out of their homes and chased away the elephant. They then staged a protest and refused to allow the body to be taken to the Gudalur Government Hospital for post-mortem. They demanded that the elephant be captured and alleged that the animal was known to raid crops and to be aggressive towards humans.

Top revenue and forest department officials, including District Forest Officer (Gudalur division), Kommu Omkaram, rushed to the spot and held talks with local residents, assuring them that efforts would be taken to drive the elephant away from the area.

The residents then allowed the body to be retrieved and taken for post-mortem.

But local activists and forest department staff said there had not been any documented evidence that the elephant injured or killed people. They also added that the O’Valley landscape was a prime elephant habitat and corridor that linked important elephant habitats in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to Kerala and that there was always a regular presence of elephants and wildlife.