Farmer in Kerala’s Wayanad dies in suspected elephant attack

A farmer died in a suspected elephant attack at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad, Kerala, on Wednesday (March 4) morning.

According to local residents of Vadakkanad, the victim, Rajeev, had gone to drive off an elephant that had entered his farm. However, as he did not return, they checked and found him lying on the ground with elephant footprints around him, a local resident told a TV channel.

Meanwhile, a senior forest official said they cannot confirm that the man died in an elephant attack, and the cause of death will only be confirmed after a postmortem examination.

The residents of the region also said they have protested many times against animal attacks. They claimed they receive very little compensation for crop loss.

They also said the hanging fence set-up there was "ineffective.”