Two days after an estate worker was killed by an elephant at O'Valley near Gudalur, two more men were trampled to death by an elephant in Pandalur range in the Nilgiris, taking the toll to three people in three days. While the body of one of the victims was found on Thursday night, the other was found on Friday morning.
C Manisekar, 46, a resident of Mango Range in Pandalur went out for a stroll on Thursday evening with his neighbour. An elephant attacked them when they were returning home around 9.30pm. Manisekar was trampled to death by the jumbo; however his neighbour managed to escape. He informed the forest officials.
"We found Manisekar's body in the Mango range area around 10.30pm on Thursday," said Manoharan, Pandalaur range officer. He further said, "The victim's body was sent to Gudalur government hospital for postmortem."
The range officer along with forest watchers and guards conducted a search operation in the area to locate the jumbo but their efforts went futile. "A team has been deployed to monitor the elephant's movement," the official added.
At 11.30am on Friday, the body of another man attacked by a jumbo was found in a bushy area, about 150 metres from the spot where Manisekar was found dead. The man was identified as M Karnan, aged around 46 years. He was a gardener in a bungalow in the Mango Range estate. "The elephant probably attacked him in the early hours of Friday," Manoharan said. The body was sent to Gudalur government hospital for postmortem.
Residents of Mango range area claimed that the rogue elephant, which killed the two men is also responsible for eight more human deaths in the same area. O'Valley residents claim that the elephant, which killed the estate watchman on Wednesday, killed six more people in O'Valley area.
Thiravidamani, Gudalur MLA, who happened to be in Chennai on Friday, met the principal chief conservator of forests and the chief wildlife warden in person and handed over a memorandum in order to take immediate action to avoid further man-animal conflict in the Gudalur area.
"The higher forest officials said they would do their best to monitor and drive away elephants roaming in estate areas," Thiravidamani told TOI. According to him, around 61 jumbos are wandering in Gudalur and Pandalur areas.
C Manisekar, 46, a resident of Mango Range in Pandalur went out for a stroll on Thursday evening with his neighbour. An elephant attacked them when they were returning home around 9.30pm. Manisekar was trampled to death by the jumbo; however his neighbour managed to escape. He informed the forest officials.
"We found Manisekar's body in the Mango range area around 10.30pm on Thursday," said Manoharan, Pandalaur range officer. He further said, "The victim's body was sent to Gudalur government hospital for postmortem."
The range officer along with forest watchers and guards conducted a search operation in the area to locate the jumbo but their efforts went futile. "A team has been deployed to monitor the elephant's movement," the official added.
At 11.30am on Friday, the body of another man attacked by a jumbo was found in a bushy area, about 150 metres from the spot where Manisekar was found dead. The man was identified as M Karnan, aged around 46 years. He was a gardener in a bungalow in the Mango Range estate. "The elephant probably attacked him in the early hours of Friday," Manoharan said. The body was sent to Gudalur government hospital for postmortem.
Residents of Mango range area claimed that the rogue elephant, which killed the two men is also responsible for eight more human deaths in the same area. O'Valley residents claim that the elephant, which killed the estate watchman on Wednesday, killed six more people in O'Valley area.
Thiravidamani, Gudalur MLA, who happened to be in Chennai on Friday, met the principal chief conservator of forests and the chief wildlife warden in person and handed over a memorandum in order to take immediate action to avoid further man-animal conflict in the Gudalur area.
"The higher forest officials said they would do their best to monitor and drive away elephants roaming in estate areas," Thiravidamani told TOI. According to him, around 61 jumbos are wandering in Gudalur and Pandalur areas.