Kerala   

Wild elephant attacks man

MALAPPURAM: A man suffered serious injuries after he was attacked by an elephant at Vaniyampuzha in Nilambur forest range in Pothukal grama panchayat on Thursday. Forest officials said Yousuf Parappuram, 55, was attacked by a rogue elephant at 5.30 a.m. when he went out of his quarters. He was reportedly hurled a few metres away. Even though Yousuf did not lose consciousness, he suffered severe injuries on head and spine. He also lost a few teeth. Blood was oozing from his ears when he was shifted to the hospital. He was admitted to Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. Yousuf, belonging to Mukkam near Pothukal in Malappuram district, was staying at a quarters provided by the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK). His wife is a rubber tapping employee of the Plantation Corporation.

Local people said wild elephants had come to the Vaniyampuzha plantation of the PCK on several occasions recently. Although there was solar fencing around the plantation, it had reportedly failed in the last couple of days.

An 11-month-old Adivasi girl was killed by a herd of wild elephants at Thandankallu colony in Vazhikadavu forest range recently. Three persons, two of them Adivasis, were killed by the elephants in Vazhikkadavu range in the last four months.

The Forest Department embarked on a series of measures to prevent elephant attacks in the wake of the increasing elephant attacks. Efforts were on to hasten the power fencing work around Adivasi colonies in the forest. Solar fencing is being planned in attack-prone areas such as Thandankallu and Appankappu to protect the Adivasi hamlets. Forest officials said fodder trees would be planted and more ponds would be constructed inside the forest to prevent elephants from getting out of the jungle in search of water and shade.

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