Wild elephant tramples elderly woman, grandchild to death in Tamil Nadu's Valparai

A wild elephant killed a grandmother and her grandchild who were sleeping in their home early Sunday morning in Tamil Nadu’s Valparai.

Around 3.45 am, a herd of elephants entered Oomaiyandi Mudakku Estate. Asala, an elderly woman, was at home with her granddaughter Hemashree when she heard a knock on the window. She opened the door while holding the child, and the elephant attacked. Hemashree was trampled to death, and Asala was seriously injured.

Forest guards arrived, chased the elephants away, and took Asala to the Government Hospital, where she later died.

Officials said the elephant herd had often left the forest to enter residential areas in search of food. Residents had been advised to stay indoors at night, and anti-poaching guards were on patrol.

On February 4, 2025, a 77-year-old German tourist was fatally attacked by a wild elephant while riding his motorbike through Tiger Valley in Valparai Range, Coimbatore. Despite warnings from other commuters, he attempted to cross a blocked road and was subsequently thrown off his bike by the elephant. He succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to the hospital.

Earlier, on January 23 in Coimbatore, a lone tusker chased and pushed an SUV carrying three electricity board employees near Athaliyamman temple, Navamalai. The vehicle rolled about 10 feet down the road, but all three, junior engineer Vishwanathan and his associates Selvaraj and Santosh, escaped uninjured.

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