Kerala: Wild Elephants Claim a life, political parties start protest

On Saturday morning, leaders from several political parties began a 12-hour demonstration in Kerala’s Wayanad in response to the death of a 50-year-old man who was mauled by wild elephants.

Poul, a native of Pakkam in Pulpally, was attacked by a herd of elephants on Friday morning and killed while on his way to Kozhikode Medical College.
He worked for the Kuruva Tourism Project.

Following Poul’s murder, the United Democratic Front (UDF), Left Democratic Front (LDF), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organized a dawn-to-dusk protest (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), which began on Saturday morning outside the Wayanad district collectorate.

This is the third fatal elephant attack in this area since January 30.

On January 30, a 55-year-old man named Lakshman from Narikkal near Mananthavady was killed by wild elephants.

Similarly, on February 10, a 47-year-old man named Ajeesh was trampled by a wild elephant near Mananthavady.

The Karnataka Forest Department fitted a radio collar on the elephant, known as “Belur Makhna.” It assaulted him in the compound of a house early one morning.