A wave of protests has engulfed Attappady following the tragic death of a biker in a recent elephant attack at Manjakkandi, located on the busy Thavalam-Mulli Road.
Santhakumar, a resident of Thekkuvetta, Pudur, was fatally assaulted by a wild elephant on Monday night as he made his way home on his motorcycle. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Incensed by the growing number of wild animal incidents, local residents took to the streets, effectively blocking the main road at Thavalam. Their demands were clear: immediate capture of the elephant responsible for Santhakumar’s death and fair compensation for his grieving family.
The protest led to hours of disruption on the Thavalam-Mulli road. Demonstrators even vowed to prevent the post-mortem examination of Santhakumar until concrete measures were taken to drive the elephants back into their natural forest habitat. Community members highlighted that wild elephant herds have been frequently straying onto roads for several weeks, posing a severe threat.
In a poignant display of solidarity, a woman who had been injured in a sambar deer-related accident just a week prior in Attappady, joined the protesters, being brought to the site on her cot and bed. The demonstration also extended to blocking the Chinnathadakam-Mannarkkad road.
The Elephant Lovers Forum expressed profound concern over Santhakumar’s death, noting it marks the fourth fatal elephant attack in Attappady this year alone. Haridas Machingal, president of the forum, revealed that a total of seven lives have been tragically lost to elephant attacks over the past two years.
Mr. Haridasan attributed these escalating incidents to the Forest Department’s perceived failure in implementing adequate preventative measures. He further pointed to factors such as encroachment, construction activities, and the scarcity of water and food within the forests as primary reasons for elephants venturing into human settlements.