A wild tusker, locally known as Padayappa, blocked a tractor on the road at Kuttiyarvalley, near Munnar, recently.
According to Kannan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) officials, the tractor carrying tea leaves from the Gudarvila estate to the Mattupetty tea factory was blocked by the elephant when the vehicle reached Nettimedu around 5.30 p.m. three days ago. The driver, Selvakumar, and worker, Raja, escaped when they noticed the presence of Padayappa.
According to the driver and the worker, the tusker, however, did not attack the vehicle. The elephant roamed near the vehicle for around an hour before moving away. A video of the worker pleading with the tusker with folded hands had later gone viral on social media.
A KDHP official said that on many occasions, the workers had encountered the tusker on their way to work.
M.N. Jayachandran, district secretary of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said the behaviour of Padayappa showed that it was foraging for food. “The tusker is around 60 years old and the Forest department should conduct a study about its health condition and find out if the animal is suffering any health issues,” he said.
