TN: Senior citizen trampled to death by elephant

The senior citizen tried to scare away the elephant, but the jumbo attacked him and trampled him to death on the spot.As the neighbours heard some commotion outside, they came to the fields but found Malliah lying there lifeless.They informed the forest officials who visited the spot on Wednesday morning and stated that the death was due to the elephant trampling him.

A 70-year-old man was trampled to death by an elephant in Dharmapuram village here in the early hours of Wednesday, forest officials said.

According to forest department officials, the deceased was identified as Malliah (70) from Dhoddagajanure village near Thalavadi under the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.

To prevent the entry of wild animals, Malliah used to stay overnight in a land that he owned at Dharmapuram village located in the forest border. He raised plantain trees in the land.

Around 2 am on Wednesday, he heard some noise in the land and woke up to see an enraged elephant damaging the banana trees. The senior citizen tried to scare away the elephant, but the jumbo attacked him and trampled him to death on the spot.

As the neighbors heard some commotion outside, they came to the fields but found Malliah lying there lifeless.

They informed the forest officials who visited the spot on Wednesday morning and stated that the death was due to the elephant trampling him. The Thalavadi police registered a case and are investigating the matter.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, the villagers of Palayam under the Jeerahalli forest range found a female elephant, said to be aged around 10 to 15 years, lying on the ground struggling with some illness.

The villagers provided water and fruits, but the elephant did not consume the same. They informed the forest officials, who rushed to the spot arranging medical help for the ailing elephant.