A 55‑year‑old woman and her granddaughter were killed in a tragic morning incident in Valparai, Coimbatore district, when a herd of wild elephants rammed through a workers’ settlement. The attack happened around 3:30 a.m. on Monday at the Water Falls Estate, a tea‑plantation area that is part of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve buffer zone.
Forest officials say the elephants entered the labour quarters looking for food. While the animals roamed the area, they broke into a house where the victims were asleep. The woman – named Asala – and her granddaughter, Hemasri, were trampled before anyone could raise an alarm. Rescue teams arrived too late; both suffered fatal injuries. Their bodies were taken to Valparai Government Hospital for post‑mortem examinations.
Investigation and response efforts have already begun. Forest personnel from the Valparai Range rushed to the scene and are probing the cause of the intrusion. They are also installing additional warning systems and increasing patrols to keep an eye on elephant movements.
This incident raises fresh alarm over the growing conflict between wildlife and people in Tamil Nadu’s hill regions. Valparai sits in a key elephant corridor that runs through tea and coffee estates. When forest cover shrinks or electric fences block natural routes, elephants are pushed into human settlements in search of food and water.
The area has seen several similar tragedies. Earlier this year, a 42‑year‑old estate worker was killed near Sholayar after a lone tusker attacked him on his way to work. In December, a farmer in Cinchona village was trampled by an elephant when he confronted it at dawn.
Wildlife experts blame habitat fragmentation and reduced food availability for the rising number of attacks. The government has been testing early‑warning technologies, such as thermal sensors and GPS tracking of elephants, but unpredictable migration patterns still pose a risk.
Local residents are outraged. They demand stronger preventive measures, including moving workers’ quarters away from known elephant paths and conducting night patrols to avoid further loss of life. The authorities have pledged to review safety protocols and improve monitoring to protect both people and wildlife in the region.
Source: ianslive
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