27-Year-Old Tribal Man Trampled To Death By Wild Elephant In Wayanad, 3rd Fatality In 3 Days

According to local resident Manu, the victim had taken an alternate route while returning from a shop in Wayanad on Tuesday night.

Officials from the police and forest departments have since arrived at the scene to investigate the incident.

Source : Pixabay

A 27-year-old tribal man was killed in a suspected wild elephant attack in Wayanad on Tuesday night. The victim, identified as Manu, was a resident of a tribal settlement in Attamala, under the Meppadi police station limits. His body, found on Wednesday morning, bore severe injuries, including a smashed head, indicating a brutal attack.

According to local resident Manu, the victim had taken an alternate route while returning from a shop on Tuesday night. When he did not return home, a search was launched the next morning, leading to the discovery of his body. "This morning, I went to his place to call him for work and was told that he was missing. Soon we started a search for him and we saw his body which was completely smashed and the head portion damaged," said the local resident Balakrishnan, as per a report on IANS.

Officials from the police and forest departments have since arrived at the scene to investigate the incident.

Stating a protest, locals highlighted the lack of basic amenities, such as wells or water connections, forcing them to depend on a small nearby water body for their daily needs, reported PTI. 

The residents claimed they were unable to venture out of their homes safely due to the frequent presence of elephants and other wild animals in the area.

However, the incident has sparked anger among locals, who accuse authorities of inaction in addressing the growing threat of wild animal attacks in the region. 

The incident comes just a day after another fatal elephant attack in the district. A 45-year-old man was killed in Noolpuzha village near Kerala-Tamil Nadu border prompting protests by locals who expressed frustration over the constant threat posed by wild animals. 

Wayanad, known for its rich biodiversity, has seen an increase in human-wildlife conflicts in recent years, as deforestation and habitat encroachment drive animals closer to human settlements.