Palakkad, Dec6 (HS):A Forest Department employee was killed in a wild elephant attack inside the Attappady forest region on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Forest Beat Assistant Kalimuthu. The incident occurred around 12.30 p.m. in the

Mulli forest range of Attappady.

According to officials, Kalimuthu and his team had entered the forest as part of the ongoing tiger census operations.

While they were conducting fieldwork, a wild elephant suddenly charged at the team. In the chaos that followed, the

officers scattered to escape the attack.

During the commotion, Kalimuthu went missing. A Rapid Response Team (RRT) and other forest personnel immediately launched

a search operation. After an extensive search, his body was discovered inside the forest, indicating he had been fatally trampled.

Preliminary reports confirm that a wild elephant attack caused his death. Another forest staff member sustained minor injuries

but is reportedly in stable condition.

The team conducting the tiger census comprised three members — Achuthan, Kannan, and Kalimuthu — all attached to the Pudur

Forest Office. They had entered the Mulli forest sector earlier in the day as part of their scheduled census duties.

Kalimuthu’s body was retrieved from the forest and transported to the Agali Hospital morgue before being moved for post-mortem

examination.

The incident comes barely a week after another distressing episode in Attappady, where a five-member forest protection team,

including two women, got stranded in the Pudur Moolakombu region during tiger census work. They were located and rescued only

after spending an entire night in the forest.

The latest tragedy has once again highlighted the increasing risks faced by frontline forest staff involved in wildlife

monitoring and protection activities in the ecologically sensitive Attappady region.

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman