Elephant tramples to death Erode farmer sleeping in field to ward off wild boars
On hearing some noise, at around 10.30 pm, Maaran woke to check where the noise was from.
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (Maalaimalar)
COIMBATORE: In a tragic incident, a wild elephant tramples a 55-year-old farmer to death in Kadambur in Erode on Sunday night.
According to the forest department, Maaran (55), from Guthiyalathur had stayed in his maize field at night to protect the crops from wild boar menace. “As wild boars continued to raid maize crops at night, Maaran stayed in the field to drive them away.
On hearing some noise, at around 10.30 pm, Maaran woke to check where the noise was from. Unexpectedly, a wild elephant, which strayed into his farm from the nearby forest, chased and attacked him.
“Though the farmer took to his heels, the animal chased and caught him by its trunk. The animal then flung him to the ground and trampled him to death on the spot,” said a staff.
On hearing his loud cries for help, the farmers from neighbouring fields rushed to the spot and were shocked to find Maaran lying dead in a pool of blood after the elephant attack.
A joint team of Kadambur police and forest department staff arrived and sent the body of the deceased for an autopsy at Sathyamangalam Government Hospital. Maaran is survived by his wife, son, and daughter. Meanwhile, the farmers urged the forest department to deepen the trenches along the forest boundaries to prevent elephants from crossing over.
