Tension gripped the Chathapuram-Kalpathy-Shekaripuram areas of Palakkad town for more than three hours on Tuesday as Chathapuram Babu, an elephant, ran amok and tried to attack its mahouts. The Tusker had been taken by its two mahouts to collect palm leaves.
The Mahouts efforts to bring the animal under control were in vain, the elephant ran wild through the streets of Chathapuram, Kalpathy and Sekharapuram causing panic among the people in the area, uprooting trees. Attempts by local youth to tie the elephant were futile as the tusker charged through the crowds.
The services of a veterinary doctor was commissioned for tranqulizing the elephant but Babu however became calm once it saw Sree Devi, its owner. Devi asked the Mahouts to step away and was soon feeding it banana and jaggery.
Later Devi tied the elephant to a tree at Chathapuram.The local people said that the elephant ran amok after it was beaten up by one of the mahouts.
