Chennai, Jan 15 : A resident of Kadatti tribal village in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Tamil Nadu's Erode district was trampled to death by a wild elephant, officials said on Wednesday.

According to Forest Department officials, Madevappa. 65, and three friends entered the forest on Tuesday to collect firewood. When they were about 500 metres into the forest at the Boothalapuram beat, they encountered a herd of elephants.

While his companions managed to escape, Madevappa was trampled by one of the elephants.

The others returned to the spot later and found Madevappa's body. They alerted the Kadambur police and the Forest Department.

The body was sent to the Government Hospital in Sathyamangalam for a post-mortem examination and a case has been registered.

The Forest Department provided immediate relief assistance of Rs 50,000 to the deceased's wife.

The Department is planning to introduce thermal drones for night-time surveillance to track wild elephants and prevent them from entering human settlements. Officials believe these drones will enable forest staff to monitor elephant movements from a safe distance and alert residents in advance. Elephants often leave the forest at night and venture into human habitations across forest ranges, leading to conflicts.

With the new system, drones will detect elephant movements, and announcements will be made from vehicles equipped with Bluetooth-connected speakers. These vehicles will also emit loud noises to drive the animals back into the forest.

A senior officer revealed that several companies have demonstrated drone operations, and a vendor will be finalised soon.

Currently, the system is being implemented in the Hosur Forest Division, where it has shown promising results.

The department is also planning to procure AI-enabled cameras to further monitor elephant movements and reduce human-animal conflicts.

Recent data presented in the Lok Sabha highlights the urgency of such measures. Over the past five years, 256 people have died due to human-elephant conflicts in Tamil Nadu, including 61 deaths in 2023-24 alone.

For instance, on December 17, 2024, a 62-year-old man named Chandran succumbed to injuries sustained during an elephant attack at Gajam Mudi Estate in Valparai. The attack, which occurred on November 10, 2024, injured four others, including Chandran.

The wild elephant population in Tamil Nadu has risen to 3,063, according to the latest synchronised census conducted between May 23 and 25, 2024, in coordination with neighbouring states Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. This marks an increase of over 100 elephants compared to the 2023 census. Officials stated that Tamil Nadu's forests can sustain an elephant population of approximately 3,000 to 3,500, and the current population is stable and healthy. The Nilgiri Elephant Reserve and Coimbatore Elephant Reserve host the highest density of elephants among the five reserves in the state.

The Forest Department is optimistic that a combination of thermal drones, AI-enabled cameras, and other measures will reduce human-elephant conflicts and ensure the safety of both humans and elephants.

/IANS