Wayanad: Another man dies in elephant attack

Wayanad (Kerala), Feb 16 (PTI) A man, who was seriously injured in another wild elephant attack here on Friday morning, died at the Kozhikode medical college during the day.

The victim was an eco-tourism guide of the Forest department and was stationed at the Kuruva Island here which is a well known tourist destination, a Forest official said.

He encountered the elephant while stationed near the Eco Tourism centre to turn away people from the area due to the ongoing operation to capture the jumbo which had trampled to death another man last Saturday, the official said.

The elephant stomped on the guide causing serious injuries to his rib cage and back. He was then shifted to Kozhikode medical college where he died, the official added.

The attack occurred a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a meeting with people's representatives from the hilly district and issued a slew of directions to prevent human-animal encounters there.

Last week, a 42-year-old man was trampled to death by a radio-collared elephant in the Mananthavady area of the district.

The elephant, which had strayed into the inhabited areas of the district, was radio-collared in Karnataka.

The jumbo is yet to be caught despite the Forest department pressing into service several Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), kumki elephants and even a thermal camera to detect the pachyderm in the dense forests in the area. PTI