Man killed in wild elephant attack at Aralam farm in Kerala’s Kannur

A 43-year-old man was killed in a wild elephant attack at Aralam farm in Kannur, Kerala, in the early hours of Friday. The deceased has been identified as Aneesh, a resident of the tenth block of the Aralam farm settlement area.

The attack occurred around 4 am when the elephant reportedly charged at Aneesh while he was standing in the courtyard of his house. He sustained fatal injuries in the incident.

The body has been shifted to the Kannur Government Medical College Hospital, Pariyaram, for post-mortem examination.

Local residents said presence of wild elephants in the area has intensified again after a brief lull, raising fresh concern over safety in the farm region. Forest officials are expected to step up monitoring and preventive measures in the wake of the incident.

According to officials, Aneesh is the 16th victim, who has been killed in the Aralam farm by wild elephants.

Divisional Forest Office S Vysakh told The Hindu that the elephant entered the farm through the opening where the construction work for an elephant wall is proceeding.

The elephant was trying to eat jackfruits from a tree, when Aneesh and his wife came out of their house hearing the commotion. While the wife managed to enter the house, Aneesh, a rubber tapper, was trampled by the elephant, which suddenly charged on him.

The incident triggered criticism from local tribal leaders. Adivasi Dalit Munneta Samiti president Sreeram Koyyon blamed the Tribal Resettlement and Development Mission (TRDM), which has been entrusted with constructing the elephant wall for the lapse. He alleged that although electric fencing had been installed in stretches where the wall remains incomplete, it failed to prevent the animals from entering the settlement.

He further accused authorities of delaying the wall construction while prioritising distribution of patta to persons associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Mr. Koyyon noted that Aneesh belonged to the Paniya tribal community, many of whom have been allotted land close to dense forest areas. He said inadequate awareness and preparedness among residents living along the forest fringes have contributed to repeated fatal incidents.