Wild tusker Padayappa charges at school bus at Munnar

Students on school bus in Munnar encounter wild tusker named Padayappa, causing panic; residents report ongoing issues with elephant.

Students on a school bus in Munnar had a frightening experience on Wednesday evening when a wild tusker, locally called Padayappa, appeared in front of the vehicle.

According to residents, the incident occurred on the Nettimedu-Kuttiiyarvalley stretch on the Munnar-Silent Valley route. The bus carrying 40 students of a private school at Mattupetty was on its way to Silent Valley.

When the school bus reached near the tusker, it suddenly charged at the vehicle. The panicked students started crying. The bus driver then changed the bus to reverse gear and backed off a few metres. After some time, the elephant moved back to the forest.

Two youths who were traveling on a two-wheeler in front of the bus fell on the road after the rider lost control of the vehicle after noticing the presence of the elephant. They had a narrow escape.

Local residents said Padayappa had been creating panic among residents in Munnar for the past several months. They claimed that the tusker was destroying homestead farms on the premises of the Layams (cluster homes) at Munnar.