Vijayan(47) a resident in Panniyar who was killed by a wild elephant attack on Wednesday morning. Photo Special Arrangement
A 47-year-old tribal man was killed in a wild elephant attack at Panthadikkalam near Chinnakkanal, under the Devikulam forest range in Idukki, on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) morning.
The deceased has been identified as Vijayan, a resident of Panniyar in Santhanpara. According to forest department officials, the incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. while Vijayan was heading home from a work shed.
Local natives stated that upon spotting the wild tusker, known locally as “Chakkakompan,” Vijayan attempted to flee, but the animal charged and trampled him to death.
Local bodies identified as human-wildlife conflict zones in Kerala under risk assessment
The Chinnakkanal area under the Devikulam forest range continues to be a hazard for residents due to escalating human-wildlife conflict. This marks the second fatal attack in the area within a single week, bringing the death toll from wild elephant attacks under the Devikulam range to four over the past four months.
On the night of September 17, Shiv Kumar (30), a migrant labourer from Madhya Pradesh, was trampled to death by a wild elephant near Ayyanpara in Santhanpara. Earlier, on August 27, S. Ochappan (68), a farmer from Tamil Nadu, was killed at Thalakkulam near Pooppara. On June 8, Mari (36), a Chinnakkanal resident, was killed, and her 11-year-old son injured in another attack.
Published – September 23, 2026 09:08 am IST
