Representative image showing an elephant
Credit: iStock Images
Thiruvananthapuram: An elderly couple was killed in a wild elephant attack at Aralam in Kannur district of Kerala on Sunday.
The incident led to strong protests by local people accusing the forest authorities of not taking steps to prevent man-animal conflicts in the region.
Aaralam native Velli, 82, and his wife Leela, 70, were killed. They were collecting cashew nuts from a farm when the wild elephants trampled them to death in the evening. The deceased belonged to the tribal community.
Agitated protestors blocked the police from shifting the bodies from the spot. Efforts to pacify the agitated people were going on till late in the evening.
Local people alleged that at least 20 persons were killed in wild animal attacks in the region over the last ten years. Most of the deaths were in wild elephant attacks.