Woman killed in wild elephant attack in Kerala’s Idukki district

A 37-year-old woman, Mari, was killed and her son injured in a wild elephant attack at Chinnakkanal in Idukki while they were on their way to school. The incident highlights rising human–elephant conflict in forest fringe areas

Idukki: A 37-year-old woman was killed and her son injured in a wild elephant attack at Chinnakkanal in this hill district on Monday, police said. The deceased was identified as Mari, a local resident.

According to local people, the incident occurred when the woman was on her way to drop her son at school. The two reportedly came in front of a wild elephant while walking from their house to the main road.

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Heavy rain and dense fog prevailed in the area at the time, and it is suspected that the victims failed to notice the elephant nearby, they said.

Mari sustained fatal injuries in the attack and succumbed to the wounds. The injured boy is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, police added.

The incident comes amid continuing concerns over increasing human-elephant conflict in forest fringe areas across the state.

With the latest death, five people have reportedly been killed in wild elephant attacks in the state over the past two weeks.