People gathered at Pulpally in large numbers with the body of Paul, who died after being attacked by a wild tusker on 16 February.
Representative image of a wild tusker. (Creative Commons)
The district-wide hartal called by the ruling LDF, Opposition UDF, and the BJP to seek permanent solutions to the man-animal conflicts in the region turned violent in Pulpally on Saturday, 17 February, with protesters damaging a Forest Department vehicle and tying atop it a cow that was killed in a suspected tiger attack earlier in the day.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued a directive to convene a high-level meeting under the aegis of ministers to discuss issues related to frequent man-animal conflicts in the Wayanad district.
Despite blocking the road to other parts of the state, the locals at Pulpally stopped a Forest Department vehicle and an angry mob damaged the vehicle.
They tore away the soft top of the jeep and punctured the tyre.
People had gathered at Pulpally in large numbers with the body of Paul, an eco-tourism guide of the Forest Department, who died after being attacked by a wild tusker near Kuruva island on Friday.
The protesters also placed a wreath on the Forest Department’s vehicle, alleging that the officials could not protect the people’s life and property.
Later, a section of protesters brought the carcass of a cow killed in a tiger attack earlier in the day and tied it to the bonnet of the Forest Department vehicle.
The Chief Minister intervened in the matter in the wake of intense protests by local people seeking solutions to address frequent attacks by stray wild animals in human settlements in the high range district.
Meanwhile, shops and business establishments remained closed, while vehicles were kept off the roads across Wayanad districts in view of the hartal call.
Last week, Aji (42) was trampled to death by the elephant in the Mananthavady area of the district, triggering massive protests in Wayanad. Attacks on livestock and humans are frequently being reported from Wayanad recently.
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
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