Kerala: Man, 40, killed in suspected elephant attack in Kannur's Aralam

A 40-year-old man named Aneesh was killed in a suspected elephant attack at Aralam Farm in Kannur. The incident is part of a larger human-wildlife conflict in Kerala, which the state cabinet has declared a state-specific disaster.

A 40-year-old man was killed in a suspected elephant attack at Aralam Farm in Kannur in the early hours of Friday, in yet another incident of human-wildlife conflict in the state's largest tribal settlement. The deceased has been identified as Aneesh, son of Soman, a resident of Block 10 in Aralam. Aneesh and his wife, Ambali, had previously worked at the Aralam farm. They depended on manual labour outside the estate. They have two children, a daughter studying in Class 12 and a son in Class 8.

Worsening Human-Wildlife Conflict in Kerala

The Kerala cabinet had declared instances of man-animal conflict as a state-specific disaster in 2024. Key issues include rapid habitat fragmentation, encroachment, and growing populations of animals like wild boars, elephants, and monkeys in agricultural areas bordering forests. High forest density (29.1% of the state area) combined with high population density leads to intense interaction. Over 100 elephant-related deaths occurred in 2024 alone. (ANI)

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