A 45-year-old man living with a disability died after he was attacked by an elephant in Cherambadi forest range in Gudalur division on Tuesday evening.
The deceased was identified as K. Kumar, from Koranjal in Cheppanthode in Cherambadi. According to Forest Department officials, Kumar is believed to have used a shortcut through a heavily wooded area in order to get to where he needed to be, as forest department personnel had blocked people from using the route till elephants were driven away from the area.
Kumar is said to have not been able to escape from the elephants after he strayed too close and was attacked.
He was rescued by forest department staff and taken to hospital, where he died.