38-year-old farmer trampled to death by elephant in Mysuru

The deceased has been identified as Mahendra (38), a resident of Channagudi village near Saragur in H D Kote taluk

A farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Mysuru district of Karnataka on Friday, officers familiar with the matter said.

Officials said the incident occurred at 7 am when the farmer and his brother were working in farm (Shutterstock)

According to forest officers, the deceased has been identified as Mahendra (38), a resident of Channagudi village near Saragur in H D Kote taluk. The incident occurred at 7 am when the farmer and his brother were working in the farm, the officers said. Two elephants were returning to Nugu reserve forest from the village when the incident occurred, the officer added.

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“Two elephants were returning to the forest. While one elephant entered the forest, another rushed towards the farmer and trampled him,” Narasaiah, an eyewitness told reporters. He said the elephants have created a havoc in the area and destroyed crops worth lakhs of rupees at night, but authorities did not take any action to curb the elephant menace. “We do not feel safe while working at our own fields.”

Mysuru circle chief conservator of forests Malathi Priya told HT, “Soon after receiving the information, the elephant task force officials rushed to the spot and formed three teams to drive away the elephants into forest.”

The officials have increased patrol in villages to keep a check on the wild elephants, she said, adding that the elephants were entering human habitats from Nugu reservoir side, as there is no barricade. “We have sent a proposal of ₹2 crores to higher authorities to erect a railway barricade fence in Nugu area. The work would start once the proposal is approved,” Priya added.

This is the second such incident in Saragur taluk in one month. On August 15, a ginger cultivator was trampled to death by a wild elephant near Heggudilu village, in Saragur taluk. The deceased, Jose (45), a resident of Kerala was attacked and killed by a jumbo while he was working in the farm. The villagers staged protests against the increasing attacks by wild elephant.