Forest watcher, volunteer trampled to death at STR

The incident took place when the victims were undertaking a survey

A forest watcher and a volunteer were trampled to death by a wild elephant at the Vilamundi forest range in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) on Thursday.

The incident took place at 4.30 p.m. in the Singamalai forest area, near Thengumarahada, when a six-member team, comprising forest guard Ponganesh, forest watcher Satheesh Kumar, volunteer Prabakaran and three anti-poaching watchers (AWPs), were involved in a survey.

The elephant chased the team and trampled Satheesh Kumar and Prabakaran to death. Ponganesh suffered injuries.

Officials alerted

The other staff alerted senior officials. An ambulance shifted Ponganesh to the Government Hospital at Sathyamangalam, where he is undergoing treatment. The deceased were shifted to the hospital for post-mortem.

The six-day survey began in all the 10 forest ranges of the STR on Thursday, in which over 300 forest staff, volunteers and college students are participating.