Tusker tramples Forest man to death in Gudalur

According to forest officials, they noticed movement of a herd of about 15 elephants in the residential areas in Cherambadi forest range on Saturday night. In their attempt to chase the elephants back to the forests with the help of villagers, a forest guard, Suresh Kumar (45), was attacked by a tusker and trampled to death.

The officials said Suresh did not notice one of the tuskers, that went berserk, approaching him. “There were about eight tuskers in the herd and we started monitoring them since they entered the village. At one point, we were compelled to chase the elephants considering the danger it may pose to the villagers,” said a Forest Ranger.

Meanwhile, wildlife activists have demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the deceased. Vijay Krishnaraj, former secretary, Nilgiris Wildlife Association told DTNext, “In the recent times, elephants killing forest staff has become too frequent. As foresters monitor the movement of elephants risking their own life, the government should consider providing compensation of Rs 10 lakh.” 

Since the Gudalur forest division has been witnessing elephant-animal conflicts often, the concerned officials should find out lasting solutions, he demanded.