Chakkakompan attacks a ration shop in Anayirankal

Ration shop staff and family narrowly escape from the attack. The tusker damaged the front portion of the shop, six sacks of rice, and also ate some rice, says the shop owner

Wild tusker Chakkakompan attacked a ration shop at Anayirankal, near Santhanpara, in Idukki on Saturday morning.

The ration shop staff, Lavanya, and her family, who were staying in a room adjacent to the shop, had a narrow escape.According to local people, Chakkakompan attacked the shop around 4.30 a.m.

Ms. Lavanya, her husband, Sivakumar, grandmother, Selvi, and the couple’s one-and-a-half-year-old son, Chikku, were inside the room next to the shop when the attack happened. When the family heard the tusker destroying the wall of the shop, they immediately informed the neighbours. The local people alerted the Forest department officials, and soon the Chinnakkanal Rapid Response Team (RRT) arrived at the spot and chased the tusker away.

The tusker damaged the front portion of the shop, six sacks of rice, and also ate some rice, said M.M. Raveendran, owner of the shop.

Devikulam range officer P.V. Vegi confirmed that it was Chakkakompan who attacked the shop.

Earlier, wild tusker Arikompan had attacked the ration shop over six times, said Mr. Raveendran. After Arikompan’s translocation, no wild elephants had attacked the shop till this incident, he said. Arikompan was relocated from Chinnakkanal to Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady, in April 2023.

Published - September 28, 2024 07:14 pm IST