Young farmer trampled to death by Elephant in Tamil Nadu

The injured man was shifted to Government Hospital in Sathyamangalam, where the doctors declared him as brought dead.

BySouth First Desk

Published Jun 15, 2024 | 12:47 PM Updated Jun 15, 2024 | 12:47 PM

Representative image of a wild tusker. (Creative Commons)

A young farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant early on Saturday, 15 June, in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve STR in Erode.

According to forest officials, the incident occurred when Venkatachalam (25) of Sujilkuttai area in Bhavanisagar forest Range under STR region had gone to his farmland on Friday night to guard his crops from wild animals.

Around 1 am on Saturday, the elephant entered the farm and started destroying and eating Pumpkin crops.

When Venkatachalam attempted to drive off the jumbo, it attacked him, resulting in his spot death.

Upon hearing the cries of Venkatachalam, the residents rushed to the spot and chased away the elephant from there.

The injured man was shifted to Government Hospital in Sathyamangalam, where the doctors declared him as brought dead.

A case was registered and an investigation is on.

Elephant kills woman in TN: 4th death in 2 months; villagers say build trenches to keep out wild animals

Previous instances

Less than a month before, on 25 May, an 84-year-old man in the Nilgiris, was killed by an elephant.

Identified as Palani, he was attacked by the wild elephant when he ventured outside his house. He was rushed to a nearby government hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, police said.

The elephant also damaged two cars in the vicinity, they added.

On Tuesday, 21 May, a rogue elephant had killed a farmer in the Burgur forest area in the Erode district.

According to the police, Maadhan (48) of the Bejalatti forest area in the Burgur forest range under the Erode District Forest area, who owned more than five or six cows and goats, went to the Ponnachiamman temple area in the forest to let his cattle graze. Around 4 pm on Tuesday, a rogue elephant, which strayed into the area, attacked Maadhan and trampled him to death on the spot.

The villagers informed the forest officials and Burgur police at about 6 pm, but due to low visibility, both the police and forest personnel could not reach the spot and recover the body.

The body was recovered after about 15 hours, police officials said.

In April, a 45-year-old woman was trampled to death by a rogue elephant in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).

Sundari of Jora Oosure village near Jeerahalli forest area under STR was returning home on 30 April evening with her cattle in the forest area when a lone rogue elephant rushed at her, and trampled the woman, forest officials said.

She was seriously injured and managed to raise an alarm. On hearing her calls for help, the villagers rushed there, and the elephant ran into the forest. Sundari died later.

Amid the death, the villagers demanded that forest officials dig trenches around private lands to save them from wild animal attacks.

Also Read: Farmer trampled to death by elephant in Tamil Nadu’s Erode

(With PTI inputs)