Chennai, Dec 12 || The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has issued a public advisory urging residents near the forest in Valparai, Coimbatore district, to avoid venturing out at night due to the increasing threat posed by wild elephants straying into human habitats.
Forest officials are patrolling the area after three elephants, separated from a 17-member herd, raided human settlements in Valparai on Monday, injuring several people.
Four individuals sustained fractures to their hands and legs in the attacks and have been admitted to a government hospital.
This incident follows the death of 18-year-old S. Mukesh a few months ago. Mukesh, a resident of Puthukad near Valparai, was fatally attacked by a wild elephant while travelling on a two-wheeler through an estate road on his way to the Sholayar Dam.
Despite being rushed to the Valparai General Hospital, he was declared dead on arrival. The death Mukesh came just days after a tribal man, Ravi, was trampled to death by a wild elephant at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), near Valparai.