Wayanad Scare: Journalist Flees Scooter During Elephant Encounter! Read Details

A journalist in Wayanad had a terrifyingly close call with a wild elephant. Ratheesh Kunchathoor, a reporter with Amrita News, was on his scooter when the elephant suddenly charged at him, forcing him to flee for his life.

Journalist in Wayanad Has Narrow Escape from Wild Elephant

KALPETTA: A journalist had a heart-stopping moment when he came face-to-face with a wild elephant, escaping the encounter by a hair's breadth. The incident happened last night around 8:30 PM. Ratheesh Kunchathoor, a Wayanad correspondent for Amrita News, was on his way home from work on his scooter. He was on the Chundale-Olivemala road, in the Chundavayal Ayanimattam area, when the elephant, which was hiding by the roadside, suddenly charged at his scooter. Thinking on his feet, Ratheesh immediately ditched his scooter and ran for cover into a nearby house, saving his life. The elephant later retreated into a neighbouring tea plantation. Chundavayal falls under the Meppadi range of the South Wayanad Forest Division. 

Locals say that a fence, which was built with public participation, is now broken. They believe this is why elephants keep wandering into residential areas. This isn't the first time Ratheesh has had such a scare. He said this was his second close encounter with an elephant. A few months ago, he had a similar escape near his house. In that incident, the elephant had partially damaged his scooter. Residents are now demanding that the authorities repair the broken fence immediately to stop wild elephants from entering populated areas and prevent such dangerous situations.