Man trampled to death by jumbo

 

Vegetable vendor K. Murugesh came out of his house at Periyar Nagar in Karamadai to answer nature’s call around 5.30 am when two tuskers standing near a bush, almost seven km from the forest boundary, charged towards him.

 

As it was dark, Murugesh did not notice the pachyderms and was close to the tuskers when they trumpeted and came charging from the bush. Though Murugesh tried to escape, one of the elephants chased and attacked him, causing grievous injuries.

 

A few villagers, who came out on hearing his loud screams, rushed Murugesh to the government hospital in Karamadai. However, he died on way. The forest department staff are now battling to drive away the two tuskers into the forest.

 

“We are going slowly in our driving operations, as a large number of people have gathered to take a look at the elephants. The crowd is uncontrollable and we can drive away the pachyderms only when the crowd disperses at night,” said a forest department official.

 

The forest department gave Rs 25,000 as immediate compensation to the family of the victim on Saturday and in another two weeks, Rs2.75 lakh wíll be given to them. Murugesh is survived by his wife and three girl children.

 

Jumbos, which have been striking terror on the forest fringes, had killed two persons last month. Straying elephants have killed seven persons in Coimbatore district in the last 10 months. As many as 72 human lives have been lost in jumbo attacks in the last seven years.

 

Animal welfare activists blame the massive constructions on the elephant corridors which hamper the movement of the elephants and force them to stray into human habitations. The forest department should not allow any further constructions on the elephant corridors, they say.