The forest fringes of Pathanamthitta erupted into protests after a 50-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild tusker that wandered into a human habitat in the early hours of Monday. Taking a serious note, the Forest department has recommended a shoot to kill order for the animal.
The victim, identified as Biju Kudilil, 50, hailed from Puliyankunnumala, near Thulappally. The incident occurred around 1.30 a.m. when he ventured into his backyard to drive away the elephant.
According to reports, Biju woke up on hearing the elephant damaging crops on his property and attempted to chase it away. However, the elephant attacked him violently, resulting in his death.
Upon notification by local residents, officials from the Pampa police station and the Kanamala forest station arrived at the scene. However, enraged residents refused to surrender the body, alleging negligence on the part of the Forest department despite prior alerts about the animal’s presence in the village. The Forest department refuted these allegations.
Collector holds talks
The protest ceased after Pathanamthitta District Collector S. Prem Krishnan reached the spot and held talks with the protesters. Subsequently, the body was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, for a post-mortem examination.
Later, residents of Kanamala took out a protest march to the Kanamala forest station, accusing the Forest department of indifference to preventing wildlife attacks. A police team led by a Deputy Police Superintendent was deployed to maintain order as protesters staged a sit-in outside the station.
Protest by MP
Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony, also a contestant in the upcoming election, visited the forest station and staged a sit-in. “The settler farmers are already on the verge of abandoning their farms due to persistent wildlife attacks. Their woes are compounded by harassment by forest officials,’’ he said.
Amid escalating protests, the District Collector and District Police Chief V. Ajith convened a meeting to address the issue. The protesters disbanded after an agreement to release the first instalment of compensation to the victim’s family on the day itself.
“A recommendation will be made to the Chief Wildlife Warden to shoot down the animal as demanded by the local people. Additionally, ₹5 lakh out of the ₹10-lakh compensation has been disbursed to the victim’s family,’’ said Jayakumar Sharma, Divisional Forest Officer, Ranni.
In response to widespread complaints, an inquiry has been initiated against a Deputy Range Officer accused of harassing local people. The officer has been placed on leave pending investigation. Furthermore, a decision was made to offer temporary employment to the victim’s son in the Forest department.
The department is exploring the installation of a 6-km solar fence to deter wild animals from entering the human habitats.
Health Minister Veena George visited the victim’s bereaved family members, assuring them of ensuring compensation measures.
