Lone tusker on rampage kills one more, sends Navamalai residents panicking

Coimbatore: Fear has gripped the tribals of Navamalai near Aliyar after a lone tusker, which is on the rampage, killed two people in the area in as many days.
The forest department is likely to bring two kumki elephants to the tribal settlement from the Varakaliyar elephant camp near Topslip to chase away the tusker into the reserve forest. Meanwhile, the residents of Navamalai were advised not to come out of their houses at night.
It is to be noted that Navamalai tribal settlement is located inside the reserve forest near the Monkey Falls.
In the latest attack that was reported on Saturday night, a 55-year-old man was trampled to death by the lone tusker when he threw stones at the animal.
Forest officials identified the deceased as K Mahali, a farm worker from Navamalai. “He was resting outside his hut in an inebriated state when he spotted the tusker, which was being chased away by forest department field staff and anti-poaching watchers. He suddenly threw a stone at the tusker, which charged towards him and trampled him to death,” said Marimuthu, district forest officer, Pollachi forest division.
Soon after the incident, the elephant left the spot. The same tusker had on Friday night trampled seven-year-old M Ranjana, of Venkatachalam Colony at Navamalaipathi near Aliyar, to death.
On Sunday, foresters sent the body of Mahali to the government hospital in Kottur for postmortem. The Aliyar police also reached the spot and registered a case after conducting inquiry with his neighbours.
Meanwhile, tribals gathered at the village and tried to stage a protest. However, Marimuthu and forest range officer Kasilingam pacified the protestors, who demanded the officials to provide them protection from the wild elephant.
“We have deployed two teams of anti-poaching watchers in Navamalai area for night patrolling and requested the people not to come out of their houses at night. We will bring two kumkis from the Varakaliyar elephant camp and they will be stationed at the tribal settlement to chase away the lone tusker,” Kasilingam said.