A wild elephant trampled an 85-year-old man to death near Narasipuram in Coimbatore district on Monday morning.
Forest officials said the incident happened when K. Avinasi, a farmer from Thondupattikadu, went to a nearby stream around 7.15 a.m. He was found dead in the stream some time later. The stream in the forest fringe is often frequented by elephants and other animals. Officials said that Avinasi was warned by his son not to go to the stream alone in the morning.
Pooluvapatti Forest Range Officer A.M.N. Siva said it was not clear whether the man was attacked by a lone elephant or a herd. The body was shifted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for an autopsy.
Forest Department has released a part of the compensation to the family of the deceased. Alerts have been issued to the villagers about elephant movement in the locality.