Tusker Padayappa’s ‘unique bond’ with a house in Devikulam

Wild tusker Padayappa forms unique bond with house in Munnar, visiting regularly without causing harm, surprising owner.

A wild tusker in Munnar, locally called Padayappa, appears to have developed a unique bond with a house at Devikulam near here.

For the past five years, the elephant has been a regular visitor to this house, much to the surprise of its owner, Mukkath George. Padayappa has made over 13 visits to house but has not caused any harm to the property or people.

During his most recent visit in the early hours of Sunday, Padayappa opened the gates of the house with his tusks. The CCTV footage showed the tusker arriving around 3.45 a.m., Mr. George said.

“The tusker opened the gate without damaging it. He then ate guava from a tree on the plantation, nibbled on some vegetables and flowers, and left the premises. In all my encounters with Padayappa, he has never attacked my house or damaged any property,” said Mr. George.

The farm full of guavas and other fruits seems to be what draws Padayappa. “Every season, he comes to my plantation, eats the fruits and quietly leaves. We installed CCTV cameras to alert us to his presence,” he said. While other wild animals sometimes caused damage, Padayappa had never been destructive, he said.

Commenting on the episode, elephant expert P.S. Essa said: “the elephant seems to understand that there is no disturbance or provocation in this area. As long as they are not threatened, elephants generally don’t cause damage. Padayappa seems to recognise that this is a safe space.”

A senior Forest department officer said Mr. George’s house was located on a traditional elephant path connecting Devikulam and Lakkad. “Wild elephants, including Padayappa, remember their traditional routes,” he said.