Chennai, Jan 25 : In a tragic incident, a 37-year-old man was trampled to death by an elephant in Gudalur, located in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Jamshed (37), a local Youth Congress leader.

According to TM Younis Babu, a Congress leader and vice chairman of the Third Division Panchayat, Jamshed was visiting his hometown from Bengaluru when the tragedy occurred.

Local residents said Jamshed is survived by his wife and three children.

Younis Babu, while speaking to IANS, said, "Jamshed and a few locals had rushed to drive away the elephant that had entered the area and was destroying crops, including plantains. They were trying to scare the animal off by lighting crackers and making noise, but the elephant suddenly turned around and trampled Jamshed to death."

Residents reported that the Tamil Nadu Forest Department had dug a trench spanning five kilometres to prevent wild elephants and other animals from entering the Third Division Panchayat.

However, the trench still needs to be extended by another three kilometres. The elephant reportedly reached the village through this unprotected area, leading to the fatal attack.

According to locals, at least 20 people have lost their lives in the last five years in the Gudalur region due to human-animal conflicts.

Officials from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department confirmed the incident and said the state government would provide immediate financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family of deceased.

The Gudalur region falls under the Nilgiris Lok Sabha constituency, represented by DMK Deputy General Secretary and former Union Minister, A. Raja.

Younis Babu also said that political parties in the Gudalur region have been demanding foolproof measures to protect people from wild animal attacks.

He added that residents and all political parties except the DMK, were planning a protest march to demand action against the recurring attacks in the Third Division Panchayat.

As per data shared in Parliament by the Union Ministry of Environment, 256 people were killed in Tamil Nadu due to human-animal conflicts between 2019 and 2024.

The year 2023-24 reported the highest casualties, with 629 deaths, followed by 605 in 2022-23. Habitat loss and fragmentation are cited as major reasons for human-elephant conflicts in India, home to 60 per cent of the global pachyderm population.

Elephants have been declared a National Heritage Animal of India.

The country has the largest population of Asian elephants, with nearly 30,000 wild elephants and about 3,600 in captivity.

/IANS