A 63-year-old former tea estate worker was killed by a wild elephant on early Sunday morning in the Sholur Mattam section, of the Kil Kotagiri range, in the Nilgiris Forest Division.
Forest officials identified the deceased as J. Swamydas, an area resident who had formerly been working in nearby tea estates. Swamydas and his wife were living in Sholur Mattam, and on Sunday morning, Swamydas was woken up by the sound of his dog barking at a thicket nearby.
The victim, who woke up, tried to figure out whether a leopard or sloth bear had come near his house and went to investigate, when a female elephant, that was in the clump of trees surrounding his house with a calf, attacked Swamydas.
Hearing his cries for help, locals rushed to his aid and managed to shift him to the government hospital at Kotagiri, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Assistant Conservator of Forests, Nilgiris Division, K Saravanakumar, said that the elephant herd had migrated from the plains a few months ago during the season when the jackfruits ripen. The herd had been foraging for fruits near to Swamydas’ house, where they were found in abundance when the unfortunate confrontation occurred, they said.
Forest officials said that interim compensation amounting to ₹50,000 was handed over to Swamydas’ wife, and added that full compensation would be handed over to the family shortly.
Forest staff said that they were keeping tabs on the herd of elephants, adding that the mother and calf had already left the area and were seeming to be migrating to their home range, possibly in Coimbatore. They added that the elephants would be driven away from human habitations, if they were found to be straying too close.
