A 54-year-old Forest department official was injured after a wild elephant attacked him at the Thekkady boat landing inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Idukki on Tuesday morning.
Roby Varghese, a resident of Kattappana and a senior clerk in the Thekkady forest division office, sustained severe injuries in the attack. The incident occurred around 6.30 a.m. when Mr. Varghese was engaged in morning walk near the Aranya Nivas hotel.
“A herd of elephants, including a calf, was camping near the boat landing and he did not notice their presence. The elephant trampled upon him after he fell into a trench while trying to escape,” said a Forest department official.
