A wild elephant entered the residential area of Ulikkal town in Kannur district creating a panic among the residents on Wednesday. As the elephant entered the town, the panic-stricken people ran helter-skelter for safety but three residents were injured in the melee. Following this, the police and forest department initiated action to send the elephant back to the forest, as reported by PTI.
The injured persons are undergoing treatment at hospitals in the district. Although the elephant did not cause damage to any public or private property, it did damage some crops.
On Wednesday, district administration shut down shops, schools and other establishments to ensure that no one is attacked by the elephant.
The Forest Department has pressed six people into service. They are bursting crackers to send the elephant back into the forest. They are also involved in firing tranquilizer to capture the jumbo. The jungle is 6 km away from the town.
Forest Minister AK Saseendran said the priority of the government was to drive back the elephant into the forest.
Further, the officials attempted to shoo away the elephant towards a cashew nut farm, but it ran towards a residential place near a mosque, according to Manorama.
Last month, a semi-paralytic man was trampled to death by an elephant in Koranchal near Cherambadi of Wayanad district. The incident took place when victim Kumar was walking to buy provisions from a plantation.
Following this, villagers staged a blockade of Kozhikode-Ooty Road at Cherambadi. The villagers demanded the government find a solution for the recurring elephant attacks in the region.
In the same locality, a woman was killed in an elephant attack in July. The woman was walking to a bus stand along with her daughter when she was suddenly attacked by an elephant herd.