Villagers protest as elderly farmer gets killed in elephant attack in Pandalur

CHENNAI: A 64-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Pandalur in the Nilgiris on Wednesday night.

Police identified the deceased as Mohammed, a farmer from Sappanthodu near Cherambadi. "Two wild elephants entered his farm and damaged areca nut trees in the late hours of Wednesday. On hearing some noise, the farmer had gone out of his house to check. An elephant then attacked him to death on the spot," police said.

Officials of the forest department and police rushed to the spot and sent the body of the deceased for a postmortem at Pandalur Government Hospital.

The members of the Cherambadi People Livelihood Movement, tea estate workers, and people resorted to road roko in the Cherambadi- Sungam area, protesting against elephant intrusions that resulted in traffic disruption.

A team led by District Forest Officer (Gud alur Division) N Venkatesh Prabhu, revenue department officials and police held talks with the agitating villagers who demanded better street lights, removal of shrubs and additional measures to prevent the entry of elephants into residential neighbourhoods.

After the authorities assured them they would address the villagers' concerns and deploy kumkis to prevent wild elephants from foraying into their locality, the villagers withdrew their protest. Shops that remained closed till noon in Pandalur reopened after the protest was suspended.