22-year-old trampled to death in wild elephant attack in Kerala’s Palakkad

22-year-old trampled to death in wild elephant attack in Kerala’s Palakkad

A 22-year-old man lost his life, while his mother sustained serious injuries in a wild elephant attack in Mundur in Kerala’s Palakkad on Sunday night.

The incident occurred around 8 pm when Alan Kulathingal, son of Vinu Athaniparamba from Kayarangode, Mundur, and his mother Vijaya were driving back to home from a relative’s house in Puthupariyaram on their two-wheeler and were suddenly confronted by the elephant.

Alan succumbed to his injuries while en route to the hospital. His mother, who was also injured in the attack, was first taken to the District Hospital before being shifted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital for medical treatment. The deceased’s body has been placed in the mortuary.

The forest department has announced Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to the kin and Rs 1 lakh for the mother's treatment.

Addressing the media, Malampuzha MLA A Prabhakaran, stated the incident as deeply unfortunate. “I have raised the issue of wild animal attacks several times in the Kerala Assembly. Despite measures such as solar fencing, nothing seems to be working. The District Forest Officer has informed me that they are yet to trace the elephant responsible for the attack, which is a serious concern,” he said.

In protest, the CPI(M) staged a protest in Mundur on Monday. Local farmer P R Mukundan voiced his anger, accusing the forest department of inaction despite multiple alerts from residents about the elephant’s presence in the area. “They failed to respond in time and did nothing to drive the elephant back into the forest,” he said.

CPI(M) Palakkad district committee member A K Gokuladas also condemned the incident and criticised the state forest department for neglecting public safety.