A wild tusker, locally called Padayappa, raided two roadside shops at Echo-Point, near Munnar, on Monday. According to residents, the tusker reached the area around 8 a.m., raided two roadside shops, and ate fruits. However, the tusker did not attack anyone. After half an hour, it went back to the forest. Echo Point is one of the major tourist spots in Munnar hill station, and a large number of roadside shops are there in the area. When the tusker reached the area, Echo Point had few tourists and vehicles. According to Forest department officials, the wild tusker had been roaming in and around Munnar for the past several months.
On Friday, Padayappa entered a tea plantation at Periyavarai Top Division under the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) around 7.30 a.m. The plantation workers were unperturbed and continued their work without disturbing the tusker. The tusker camped there for an hour and moved back to the forest.
