Wild elephant attack in Wayanad: Locals stage massive protest after tusker kills man

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Feb 10, 2024, 3:00 PM IST

Following the death of a man in the wild elephant attack in Wayanad, the locals staged massive protests against the authorities for their neglect of the presence of the elephant.

Wayanad: There have been violent protests in Mananathavady since the elephant attack that killed a middle-aged man named Aji earlier today. Forest officials are being held accountable for their incompetence in carrying out their responsibilities. The region witnessed an unprecedented protest when locals carried the deceased's body and marched down the street demanding the district collector to give the order to shoot and kill the wild jumbo.

Amidst the proceedings, the residents also blocked the vehicle of the district police chief who arrived at the place.

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Wayanad SP T Narayanan was travelling to the medical college at Mananthavady. However, the villagers obstructed his car while yelling "Go Back." People urged the chief of police to exit his car and make his way over to the hospital.

The top cop had to exit his car as the protests grew more violent, and he eventually made it to the hospital on foot. Within the hilly town, the residents besieged every main road.

Initially, people refused to accept Aji's body in protest. The middle-aged victim met a tragic end, according to protesters, as a result of forest officials' negligence. Despite the elephant having entered Wayanad a few days prior, the locals said that neither the forest officials' warnings nor their attempts to apprehend the elephant were of any real concern to them.

In a tragic incident, Aji Panachiyil (42), a Payyampally native succumbed to injuries from the wild jumbo attack that happened early Saturday (Feb 10) morning. The elephant from Karnataka with a radio collar came to Wayanad. The elephant first wandered into the Mananthavady region's human settlements. The forest officials drove the jumbo away. However, the animal later attacked Aji in the Padamala area.

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