Krishnagiri: 20 killed in elephant attacks in 3 years
58 years old Erappa of Aaiyur village died after he was trampled by a tusker
By : sanjeevi anandan
Update: 2015-07-30 04:31 GMT
Krishnagiri: Wild elephants have trampled 20 people to death in the last three years in Krishnagiri district as the jumbo menace is on the increase despite the forest department’s counter-measures. On Sunday, 60-year-old Gopal alias Shanmugam, native of Athipadi village, near Uthangarai here, sustained injury due to jumbo attack at Pannasamanthotti village in Denkannikottai taluk of Krishnagiri when he ventured out of the house to answer the Nature’s call.
The attack came just four days after G. Rajamma, 40 of Ganganapalli village, on the fringe of the Denkannikottai reserved forest died in the jumbo attack when the woman was returning home after grazing cattle in the reserved forest. With this, the death due to the elephant attack has increased to 20 since 2012 including three in 7 months this year in the Krishnagiri forest region. On January 25, this year, M. Giriappa, 65, of Gonguchettipalli village in Krishnagiri became the first victim of jumbo rampage this year in Krishnagiri district.
In a similar incident, 58 years old Erappa of Aaiyur village died after he was trampled by a tusker when he came out of the house after hearing the trumpet of elephants raiding his crop.
The jumbo trouble has forced few villagers to take the extreme step to an extent of killing the elephants by installing highvoltage electric fences.
On 24 November 2014, a Makkan (tuskless elephant) was electrocuted to death after the jumbo stepped on an illegal electric fence erected by a farmer to prevent the wild animals from entering his farm. In 2013 February, 2 jumbos were knocked down by the speeding train between Kelamangalam-Hosur railways stations in Krishnagiri.