An 80-year-old woman was killed after attacked by a wild elephant at Samichettipalayam near Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore on Wednesday.
Ramathal, wife of Palaniappan, was charged by one of the three elephants that entered human habitations near Samichettipalayam in the early hours of Wednesday.
The tragedy occurred around 8 a.m. when Forest Depart staff were engaged in anti-depredation works to drive the elephants back to the forest.
Ramathal fell unconscious after she was charged by the elephant. She was rushed to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where doctors declared her brought dead.
Another woman injured
In a separate incident, Thulasiammal (70), a resident of Kasthuripalayam, was injured in the attack of a wild elephant that strayed into residential area in the early hours of Wednesday. She was admitted to CMCH.
More tuskers spotted
A few other places in Coimbatore rural also witnessed movement of elephants in residential areas on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Front line staff of the Forest Department were deployed at Attai Company on Athipalayam-Vellamadai Road near Periyanaickenpalayam where a lone elephant was spotted. The elephant had entered the residential area on Tuesday night and could not return to the forest on Wednesday morning. The Forest staff have covered the area to prevent the animal from further moving to residential localities.
Tension prevailed at Thendral Nagar near Narasimhanaickenpalayam where a tusker entered residential area in the early hours of Wednesday.
With migration season and harvesting of crops such as maize started, human habitations of Periyanaickenpalayam range have been witnessing highest movement of wild elephants in the entire Coimbatore Forest Division.
