Man injured in elephant attack near Coimbatore

COIMBATORE A 44-year-old man, who works as a watchman in a banana plantation at Sirumugai in Coimbat

A 44-year-old man, who works as a watchman in a banana plantation at Sirumugai in Coimbatore district, was attacked by a wild elephant in the early hours of Sunday. ‘

The man, identified as M. Senthilkumar, is a resident of Sirumugai.

Forest Department officials said that Mr. Senthilkumar had a close encounter with a lone elephant at the banana plantation at Lingapuram around 1.30 a.m. on Sunday. The elephant pushed the man with its trunk and he fell into an elephant proof trench that was dug around the plantation. The animal also damaged a watch tower.

Frontline staff of the Forest Department from Odanthurai forest beat rushed to the spot after receiving an alert. They chased the elephant back to the nearby reserve forest. Mr. Senthilkumar suffered injuries in his left leg and left elbow, said Sirumugai Forest Range Officer D. Senthil Kumar. 

In a separate incident, a man who disturbed a wild elephant and shot its video using his mobile phone was chased by the animal on the Chinna Thadagam – Anaikatti road late on Sunday. A video of the incident, which was widely shared on social media, showed a man approaching the elephant to take its video when it was trying to cross the road. The animal chased the man and he had a narrow escape.