4 days ago
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A 14-year-old lad was killed successful a chaotic elephant onslaught successful the Bitherkad wood scope nether the Gudalur part successful the Nilgiris precocious connected Tuesday (May 26, 2026).
The deceased, identified arsenic S. Misbah, a nonmigratory of Paakana Puthurvayal, was a Class VIII pupil astatine a backstage school. He had gone to a section barber store to get his hairsbreadth chopped and was returning location erstwhile helium crossed paths with an elephant, which attacked him.
Misbah suffered superior injuries and was instantly rushed to a authorities infirmary successful Sulthan Bathery successful Kerala, but succumbed to his injuries. On Wednesday (May 27) morning, the deceased boy’s classmates, arsenic good arsenic section residents, staged a protestation demanding ₹50 lakh arsenic compensation to his adjacent of kin, too a authorities occupation for 1 of his household members.
The protesters dispersed aft a fewer hours pursuing talks with the Nilgiris territory police. This is the 4th fatality caused by antagonistic human-animal interactions successful Gudalur since the opening of the twelvemonth and the 2nd successful the Bitherkad wood range. According to officials, a fig of specified interactions resulting successful fatalities this twelvemonth has been owed to radical entering heavy forested, poorly lit areas successful Gudalur, contempt the Forest Department’s warnings.
However, the decease of Misbah occurred owed to a accidental brushwood betwixt the elephant and the victim, they said, adding that the Forest Department patrols would beryllium strengthened and driving operations would beryllium intensified to support elephants distant from quality settlements.
