Kerala: Wild tusker 'Padayappa' spotted again; Vandalises shops in Munnar (WATCH)

Wild tusker 'Padayappa' was spotted again in the human settlement region of Munnar on Sunday night (June 18). The wild tusker was spotted at an eco-point near the Vattavada route which is frequented by tourists.

Idukki: Wild tusker 'Padayappa' was again spotted at the human settlement areas in Munnar on Sunday night. The wild tusker was spotted at an eco-point near the Vattavada route which is frequented by tourists.

A video of the tusker vandalising the shops was surfaced and Asianet News obtained the visuals.

The tusker also disrupted traffic for almost an hour. However, the tusker did not create a ruckus or attack any passersby or locals in the area. 

The other day, a wild elephant nicknamed "Murivalan" came down and blocked the vehicles for an hour. 

A few days ago, Padayappa blocked a tractor on the road at Kuttiyavalley, near Munnar. Officials from Kannan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) claim that the elephant obstructed the tractor transporting tea leaves from the Gudarvila estate to the Mattupetty tea factory when it arrived in Nettimedu at 5.30 p.m. When they became aware of Padayappa's presence, the worker Raja and the driver Selvakumar fled.

However, the tusker did not attack the vehicle, according to the driver and the worker. For about an hour, the elephant wandered close to the car before departing.

In the meantime, the Madras High Court last week rejected Rebecca Joseph's petition, which asked the court to order the Tamil Nadu government to relocate the wild tusker Arikomban back to Kerala.

In the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, close to Tirunelveli, a special task squad of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department transported the tusker to the Kodayar Forest area on June 5. Before releasing the elephant into the forest, the forest officers had given it the appropriate medical attention.