Malappuram (Kerala), Aug 21 A 68-year-old woman was killed in a wild elephant attack in north Kerala’s Malappuram district on Thursday morning, officials said.
The wild elephant reportedly trampled the woman to death in the Edavanna region of the district on Thursday, sparking protests from local residents.
The deceased has been identified as Kalyani, wife of Chandran, a resident of Kambikkayam in Kizhake Chathallur.
The tragic incident occurred around 10.30 a.m. when Kalyani was attacked by the elephant, which is believed to have been a part of a herd that the forest officials were attempting to drive back into the forest after they strayed into the residential area in search of food.
Forest officials said that she had gone to search for her grandchildren, who were playing in a nearby area.
The attack took place in a residential area, raising concerns among the local populace about the increasing threat of human-wildlife conflict.
The body of the deceased has been moved to the mortuary at Manjeri Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Residents have gathered at the site, expressing anger over the perceived failure of the Forest Department to prevent wild elephants from entering human settlements.
This incident marks another fatality in a series of wild animal attacks that have plagued the state.
In May this year, a 43-year-old rubber tapper, Gafoor Ali, was killed in a tiger attack at a rubber estate in the Adakkakundu region of Malappuram, triggering widespread protests.
The incident occurred when Ali was working in the rubber estate early in the morning.
In another incident, a 45-year-old tribal woman was killed in a tiger attack in a private coffee plantation in Pancharakolly near Mananthavady town in Wayanad district in January this year.
The deceased, Radha, a daily wage worker and wife of a temporary forest department watchman, was on her way to the plantation for work early in the morning.
Kerala has recorded many deaths due to such attacks, with government data revealing 18 fatalities from elephant attacks this year alone, and over 200 lives lost to elephants between 2016 and 2025.
— IANS
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