(with pic)
A 68-year-old farmer who was attacked by the wild tusker Chakkakompan at Chinnakkanal on Monday died on Friday at Theni Medical College.
The deceased, identified as Soundarajan, of BL Ram near Chinnakkanal in Idukki, along with his grandson, were engaged in farming when the elephant charged at them on Monday. Soundarajan sustained injuries while his grandson had a narrow escape. After the attack, the tusker camped in the farmland. Later, Forest department officials chased the tusker away. Soundarajan was rushed to a private hospital at Rajakumari, from where he was shifted to the Theni Medical College. However, he succumbed to the grievous injuries on Friday, said Forest department officials.
After the autopsy, the body was handed over to his relatives. Soundarajan is survived by his children Lourd Mary and Njana Prakasham.
Devikulam range officer P.V. Vegi said that the Forest department handed over ₹50,000 as immediate financial assistance to the relatives of Soundarajan. “The remaining compensation amount will be provided to his kin after submission of necessary documents,” said Mr Vegi.
Within last 20 days, three people, including Soundarajan, lost their lives in wild elephant attacks in Munnar Division alone. On January 8, a woman plantation worker Parimalam, 48, was killed in a wild elephant attack in Panniyar, near Santhanpara, and on January 22, K. Palraj, 9, of Coimbatore, was attacked by a wild elephant near a wedding reception venue at Thenmala, near Gundumala, in Munnar.
The Forest department translocated the wild tusker Arikompan, which raided shops and houses at Chinnakkanal, on April 29, 2023 to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Later, the Tamil Nadu Forest department captured the tusker on June 5 and released it to the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. According to Forest department officials, nearly seven months after the translocation of Arikompan no incidents of human death or injury due to wild elephant attacks have been reported in the Munnar division. But after a long gap, the wild elephant attack and death cases again pose a threat to the lives of people.
