An employee of the forest department died under tragic circumstances near Coonoor on Saturday.
Speaking to The Hindu here on Sunday, the District Forest Officer, Nilgiris North, S.Ramasubramaniam said that about six months ago two female elephants and a calf had strayed into the forests below Coonoor near the Glendale Tea Estate. Though they had not displayed any violent traits, concern had been growing over their presence among the people in the area. Consequently efforts were on to drive them away. While forest staff were chasing them from one side, the people were chasing them from the other.
On Saturday night while Forest Watcher Ramdass (52) incharge of the Hulikal East beat and two anti-poaching watchers were passing by a small forest adjacent to the Estate, they had been suddenly attacked by one of the pachyderms.
The anti-poaching watchers managed to escape but Mr. Ramdass could not.
He was rushed to the Glendale Estate hospital but was declared as ‘brought dead’ by the medical staff there.
The victim who hailed from Lalgudi was a bachelor.
After a post-mortem examination his body was handed over to his elder brother and arrangements made to transport it to his native place.
Stating that a sum of Rs. 25,000 was given as immediate relief by the Conservator of Forests V.T. Kandaswamy, Mr. Ramasubramaniam said that after completing the necessary formalities Rs. 2.75 lakhs more would be given to his mother. On behalf of the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association (NWLEA) a sum of Rs. 10,000 has been given.
An operation would be launched on Monday to guide the elephants into the Kallar forest.
Adverting to the plea of the local people to use kumki (working) elephants to chase the pachyderms away, he said that the terrain where the animals are moving was not suitable for pressing kumkis into service.
While wildlife enthusiasts and some of the forest officers opined that such tragic incidents can be averted only by protecting the habitats, residents of Vellalamattam where the watcher had been killed and its surroundings alleged that despite repeated representations forest officials had not viewed the situation with the seriousness it deserved. They added that for sometime now small herds of elephants had been moving in different places along the Coonoor-Mettupalayam highway. Regretting that prowling bears had also become a serious source of concern, they hoped that the forest officials would take serious note of the threat and act on complaints without delay.
