Kerala: Radio-Collared Elephant Tramples Man To Death In Wayanad, Residents Demand Action

In response to public protests, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been enforced in four wards (Kurukkanmoola, Payyambally Kuruva, Kadankolly) of the Mananthavady Municipality.

The victim was identified as Panachiyil Aji from Padamala in Kerala.

Source : Special Arrangement

A radio-collared wild elephant, which had been on the run, trampled a man to death in front of a residence at Padamala near Mananthavady in the early hours of Saturday. The victim was identified as Panachiyil Aji from Padamala in Kerala. Following the incident, the people have started to stage a protest to ensure the safety of the residents and avoid elephants from entering human habitats.

Earlier, Karnataka Forest Department captured and released the elephant with a radio collar. Last week, it entered the forest in Kerala. 

On Saturday, when the elephant charged towards Aji, he sought refuge within the compound of a house but the massive animal forcefully broke through the gate and inflicted fatal injuries upon him. This marks the third such incident involving wild elephants encroaching into human settlements in Wayanad within a short span.

The incident sparked strong protests across Wayanad with a significant number of people gathering at Gandhi Park in Mananthavady town and in front of the Medical College Hospital, where Aji's body has been kept. The protesters expressed outrage and alleged a lack of effective measures to prevent wild elephants from entering human habitats, thus posing a continuous threat to residents' safety.

In response to public protests and escalating tensions, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been enforced in four wards (Kurukkanmoola, Payyambally Kuruva, Kadankolly) of the Mananthavady Municipality.

Meanwhile, last week another radio-collared elephant named Thanneer Komban, also from Karnataka, entered Mananthavady town. Despite strenuous efforts to tranquilize the elephant, it tragically succumbed while being released back into the Bandipur forest on February 3. The capture of the elephant after it entered Kerala involved a rigorous 16-hour operation during which the animal received two doses of tranquilizers.