Pathanamthitta:

A 53-year-old man was attacked and killed after a wild elephant strayed into his home near Thulappally forest on Monday and tried to chase it away, police said.

This is the fifth death reported in the human-wild elephant conflict in Kerala in the past three months.

Biju, a local car driver, came out of his home with his wife Daisy after hearing the roar of elephants outside. Witness Daisy said the animal grabbed him with its snout and threw him to the ground twice.

She claimed that the same elephant strayed into the area a few days ago and created trouble.

Narrating the incident, Daisy said the animal was seen trying to uproot a coconut tree in the surrounding area and quickly moved towards him after chirping multiple times, adding that she took a step back and moved in on her own House of.

Daisy told reporters: “We went out together early in the morning and heard the roar of an elephant near our house. For the first time, we went home together. But when the elephant was barking, he walked to the road near the house again. “here.

The tearful woman said the animal suddenly lunged at Biju, grabbed him by the nose and threw him to the ground twice.

She said it later ran into the forest.

“As there was no response I went to the scene and saw him lying motionless on the floor,” Daisy added. Police rushed to the spot and shifted Biju’s body to Kottayam Medical College.

Later in the day, Health Minister Veena George visited Biju’s home and consoled his family. She assured them that the government would provide adequate compensation to the family as soon as possible.

Local residents staged fierce protests in the area, demanding compensation for the victim’s family and a job for one family member as a permanent solution to the losses they suffered as a result of the wild elephant attack.

During discussions held between people’s representatives and district and forest officials, it was decided to provide compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the victims today.

Lok Sabha member Anto Antony, who attended the meeting, later told reporters that based on the decision taken at the meeting, the district collector will recommend the government to release Rs 50 lakh as compensation to the family.

“A member of Biju’s family will be given a temporary job at the forest office immediately. Recommendations for a permanent job will be submitted to the government,” he said.

The councilor added that it has also been decided to establish solar fences and trenches in the fringe areas bordering the forests and the decision will be implemented in this regard at the earliest.

Kerala has witnessed a series of deaths due to wild elephant attacks in recent months.

On March 28, a tribal woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant deep in the forest bordering Wayanad and Malappuram districts.

On February 16, Paul, a 50-year-old forest observer, was trampled to death by a wild elephant on his way to work in Kulluva, Wayanad district.

A week earlier, another Wayanad resident Aji (42) was trampled to death by a radio-collared elephant in Manansawadi in the district, triggering massive protests.

In January, estate caretaker Lakshmanan (65) was killed by a wild ivory in Tholpetty in the same area.

In central Kerala’s Idukki district, a densely forested and mountainous area, a woman named Indira Ramakrishnan was killed during an elephant attack in the first week of March Loss of life.

Prajeesh (36) was bitten by a tiger near a forest area in Wayanadwakri in December last year.

The Kerala government has been seeking an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act citing challenges faced by the state in dealing with the intrusion of wild animals into human settlements.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)