58-yr-old trampled to death by a wild elephant in Kodayar
The deceased was identified as T Manikandan, a rubber-tapping worker
MADURAI: A 58-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Kodayar of Kanniyakumari district on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as T Manikandan, a rubber-tapping worker. The incident occurred around 6.30 am when Manikandan was riding a bike to a rubber plantation area under the Kuttiyar subdivision of Arasu Rubber Corporation, Kodayar Division, sources said. He succumbed to injuries on the spot.
M Valsakumar, the general secretary of, the Kanniyakumari District Estate Workers Union, said Manikandan was on his way to the work site on a bike when his fellow worker started screaming and running violently gesturing Manikandan to run as the wild elephant was approaching.
In shock, Manikandan began to run after falling off his bike. However, the furious elephant chased him and trampled him to death, explained Valsakumar adding that it is unfortunate that the elephant killed the rubber worker.
Valsakumar urged the Arasu Rubber Corporation to deploy adequate personnel to monitor any movement of wild animals in the plantation sites to prevent any such incidents in the future.
Observing that the elephant traps are almost filled with sand, he sought the authorities to put up fencing to prevent the movement of such wild animals to ensure the safety and protection of the rubber workers.
The Managing Director of the Corporation, Kiruba Sankar and District Forest Officer E Prasanth inspected the spot and held enquiries, according to the sources.
DFO Prasanth said the elephant that attacked the rubber tapper is a female and said the accident spot is the elephant habitat and anti-poaching watchers were being deployed on a shift basis every week.