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A man died in a wild elephant attack in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, said an official.
The deceased is identified as Kodilil Biju (56), a resident of Thulapally, Pathanamthitta. According to the Kerala police, the incident took place on Sunday morning at Thulapally, near Erumely, situated in the Sabarimala forest boundary area. Reports indicate that Biju encountered the elephant while it was overturning a coconut tree. In a sudden turn of events, the elephant attacked Biju, leading to his demise on the spot, said the police. Locals present at the scene recounted witnessing the attack, with some stating that Biju was struck by the elephant's trunk. The police further said that expressing their anguish and concern over the incident, locals staged protests, refusing to move Biju's body until the arrival of district authorities or other high-ranking officials. This incident adds to the string of fatalities caused by wild animals in Kerala, with a reported total of 12 deaths in three months. Earlier on February 16 Poul, a native of Pakkam in Pulpally, was attacked by a herd of elephants and died on his way to Kozhikode Medical College. He was an employee of the Kuruva tourism project. On January 30, a 55-year-old man, identified as Lakshman, a resident of Narikkal near Mananthavady, was killed by wild elephants. Similarly, on February 10, a 47-year-old man, identified as Ajeesh, was trampled by a wild elephant near Mananthavady. (ANI)
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