A wild tusker, locally called Padayappa, attacked a ration shop at Lakkad Bazaar, near Devikulam, in Munnar on Friday morning. According to residents, Padayappa reached Lakkad Bazaar around 4 a.m.
The tusker destroyed a ration shop owned by Lakkad resident Vijayalakshmi. It destroyed four sacks of rice and camped in the area for over two hours, after which the local people chased it back to the forest. According to the ration shop owner, Padayappa attacked the ration shop three times over the past four months.
Local people said the tusker had been roaming the Devikulam area, near Munnar, for several days. It raided vegetables and fruit farms by plantation workers, who said the presence of Padayappa stopped them from going to work.
