17-year-old narrowly escapes wild elephant attack in Aralam rehabilitation area in Kerala 

A 17-year-old student narrowly escaped a wild elephant attack in the Aralam rehabilitation area in Kannur, Kerala, on Friday.

The student, identified as C.K. Adi, a trainee at Kakkayangad ITI, was on his way to the institute when he encountered the elephant. Witnesses said the animal, spotted earlier in the Pookund area, chased him. Adi managed to escape by running into a nearby house.

Locals said the elephant, which had been driven into the forest, returned to the residential area instead of moving deeper inside. The dense undergrowth in the region makes it difficult to spot the elephants until they are dangerously close, they said.

Six months ago, a couple, Veli and Leela, were killed by an elephant in Block 13, prompting a decision to clear the undergrowth. However, the work was halted midway due to lack of funds, allowing the forest to grow back.

Residents also alleged that temporary solar fencing has failed to keep elephants away as the animals break through and return.

Despite Operation Gaja Mukti drives to chase them back into the wild elephants continue to re-enter the inhabited areas, sparking renewed concerns about human-wildlife conflict in Aralam.