COIMBATORE: A 65-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant while guarding his maize field near Kadambur Hills in Erode district on Sunday night.
The deceased, identified as Madevasamy, hailed from Kadubasuvanmalam village in the Germalam forest range. He had been keeping watch over harvested maize stocked behind his farmhouse when the incident occurred around 10 p.m.
According to officials, a wild elephant strayed out of the nearby forest and entered his farm under the cover of darkness. Unaware of the animal’s presence, Madevasamy was caught off guard when the elephant suddenly charged at him. In a violent attack, the animal reportedly lifted him with its trunk, flung him to the ground and trampled him. He died on the spot due to severe injuries.
Upon receiving information, personnel from the Kadambur police station and forest department staff from the Germalam range rushed to the scene. The body was sent for post-mortem examination to the Government Hospital in Sathyamangalam.
Forest officials are monitoring the movement of the elephant in the area to prevent further incidents.
In another incident, a wild elephant strayed into a residential area near Sholayar dam in Valparai past midnight and damaged property, resulting in a brief traffic disruption along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala stretch.
The animal uprooted a tree, which fell onto a nearby electric pole, snapping power lines and caused temporary power outage in the locality. Startled by the sudden noise and sparks from the damaged lines, the elephant reportedly ran amok, damaging a compound wall and a portion of a nearby house before retreating.
The incident also caused a brief traffic disruption on the interstate road as authorities took precautionary measures to ensure public safety. Officials from the Manambolly forest range rushed to the spot and drove the elephant back into the forest.