Farmer trampled to death in Erode; man-animal conflict back in focus

COIMBATORE: A 62-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant that strayed into his agricultural field in Thalavadi in Erode district in the early hours of Sunday (August 9).

The deceased, identified as Basavachetty of Kamaianpuram village, has been cultivating turmeric, potato and maize on his farmland.

A forest department official said the incident occurred around 2 am when Basavachetty heard a noise and came out of his house to check. Shocked at the sight of a wild elephant inside his farm, he attempted to drive it away by flashing a torch. “The elephant became aggressive and attacked him. He died on the spot,” the official said.

Upon receiving the information, Forest Department personnel from the Jeerahalli Forest Range reached the spot and inspected the scene. They subsequently attempted to recover the body to send it for a post-mortem examination.

However, villagers prevented the officials from removing the body and staged a protest, demanding a permanent solution to the recurring problem of wild elephants entering agricultural fields and threatening residents.

A team led by Jeerahalli Forest Range Officer M Sakthivel held talks with the protesters and assured them that steps would be taken to create a trench around the vulnerable area to prevent elephants from entering farms.

Following the assurance, the villagers withdrew their protest. The forest department also provided immediate relief of Rs 50,000 in cash and handed over a cheque for Rs 9.5 lakh as compensation to the deceased's family.