Wild jumbo kills man at Aralam farm in Kannur

Kozhikode/Kochi: A 44-year-old tribesman was killed in a wild elephant attack at Aralam farm at Kannur in the early hours of Friday. The deceased Aneesh A S, son of Soman, a resident of Block 10 in Aralam, was attacked by the elephant at 4am when he stepped out of his house. The elephant had reportedly come near the residence to feed on jackfruit from a tree in front of the house.On spotting Aneesh, the elephant charged at him. Though he attempted to run to the rear of the house, the elephant caught him, lifted him with its trunk and flung him to the ground. His wife managed to run back inside the house. The couple has two children. It took time for the neighbours to come to the spot as they feared that the elephant was still nearby. Aneesh, who is a rubber tapper, was taken initially to the Peravoor taluk hospital and then to the Pariyaram medical college but his life could not be saved. Residents alleged lapses on the part of the rapid response team (RRT) in driving away the elephant, which is believed to have entered the farm area through a stretch where construction of the elephant-proof wall is under way.Residents said nearly 20 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks in the area over the past 12 years. In Feb 2025, the death of an elderly couple in a similar incident had triggered widespread protests. HC summons chief secyMeanwhile, the high court has directed the chief secretary, SC/ST department secretary and chief wildlife warden to appear before it through video conference on Monday to detail the steps taken or proposed to be taken to prevent fatalities arising from human-animal conflict at the Aralam farm.A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Jobin Sebastian issued the directive in the wake of Aneesh's death. The court was considering a petition filed by Baiju Paul Mathews seeking judicial intervention in view of the deplorable conditions in and around the farm. The matter has been adjourned to 2pm on Monday.During the hearing, the petitioner submitted that the night patrolling team of the Aralam Wildlife Range could not locate the animal despite reaching the site upon receiving information, apparently due to heavy mist that reduced visibility. The rapid response team shifted the injured Aneesh to Peravoor Taluk Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Taking note of the submission, HC observed that the incident highlights clear lapses on the part of the administration in providing adequate security measures to protect the lives of tribal residents in Aralam area.