District forest officials on Tuesday handed a compensation of ₹5 lakh to the family of mahout Kaliappan who was killed in an elephant attack at Kurumbapatti Zoological Park on Monday evening.
District Forest Officer A. Periasamy, Zonal Forest Officer for Social Forestry S. Prabha, zoological park Forest Ranger Murali and other senior forest officials paid their last respects to Kaliappan’s body at Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital where the autopsy was conducted.
When wildlife veterinarian Prakasham was conducting regular checks on the animal, it turned unruly and attacked him. Kaliappan got killed while trying to control the animal. Mild sedation was given to the animal to retrieve the mahout’s body on Monday.
A cheque for the government’s compensation of ₹4 lakh was handed over to Kaliappan’s wife Sabari and other family members by forest officials here. In addition to this, the staff of the Salem Forest division provided a compensation of ₹1 lakh.
Mr. Periasamy told presspersons that steps were being taken to get a government job for one of the members of the mahout’s family on compassionate grounds.
On the health condition of the elephant, Andal, which killed the mahout, Mr. Periasamy said “The elephant has calmed down and it is recovering. A team of wildlife veterinarians is monitoring the elephant’s health condition. Two mahouts from Tiruchi elephant rehabilitation centre have also travelled down to take care of the elephant along with its ‘Kavadi’ Pazhani.”
Mr. Periasamy also said that the process was on to shift the elephant from Kurumbapatti zoo. The zoological park would remain closed until further notice owing to the treatment being given to the elephant, he said.
