'I thought it was going to trample me': Wild elephants stray into Kerala town, 3 students narrowly escape

KOZHIKODE: Wild elephants strayed into Pozhuthana town on Wednesday night creating panic in the area with CCTV footage showing three students narrowly escaping a charging wild elephant.The children, who were returning from the house of their relative, had narrow escape when an elephant suddenly charged them near the LP school.One of the students riding a bicycle fell as the elephant charged. "I thought it was going to trample me. When I got up and tried to run, the elephant tried to block me with the trunk. However, I managed to run into my cousin's house," one of the students said.On Wednesday evening, a herd of three elephants entered the area via the forest boundary of South Wayanad Forest Division and ventured in the encroached land near Karppurakkad after passing through a private tea plantation. Around midnight, the elephants reached the town through the panchayat premises, triggering panic.For several hours, the elephants wreaked havoc in the area, damaging multiple vehicles and agricultural crops. Forest department officials were alerted by residents and arrived at the spot to drive the elephants back into the forest.