The Forest Department on Sunday deployed kumki elephant Khaleem at Karumalai estate in Valparai to handle a female wild elephant that trampled a 60-year-old man to death on Saturday.
Valparai Forest Range Officer P. Sakthivel said that deployment of one more kumki from Topslip elephant camp has been sought to handle the 20-year-old elephant that has been roaming in human habitation of Karumalai estate for the last 10 days.
“We are trying to drive the female elephant back to the forest. The task can be done effectively with two kumkis,” said Mr. Sakthivel.
The victim Velusamy was trampled to death by the wild elephant at a graveyard when he was attending the funeral of another resident of the estate. While others managed to escape when chased by the elephant, Velusamy fell on the ground. Residents later staged protest demanding solution from authorities in frequent human-elephant conflict in the estate.
Staff Reporter from Udhagamandalam adds
A 3-year-old female elephant calf was found dead near the Game Hut to Chikallah Road near Onnaratty Junction on Saturday.
E Vijayaraghavan, forest veterinarian, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, who performed the autopsy, said that the calf had died of stomach ulcer. Samples of the animal’s visceral organs were collected and sent for further analysis.
