Farmer trampled to death by wild elephants at Thalavadi hills in Erode

A 30-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants while guarding his farmland in the Thalavadi hills of Erode district, on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. in Karalavadi village under the Jeerahalli Forest Range of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve. The deceased, Mahesh, was guarding his land located along the forest boundary, an area prone to frequent wildlife movement.

Forest officials said an elephant herd strayed out of the forest and entered the nearby farmlands. Mahesh and other farmers attempted to drive the animals away by raising alarms and bursting crackers, during which he was caught amid the herd and trampled to death.

Other farmers managed to chase the elephants back into the forest and alerted the authorities. Forest department officials and Thalavadi police rushed to the spot.

The incident led to protests, with villagers alleging that recurring human–elephant conflict in the region had not been addressed adequately. They prevented officials from removing the body and demanded compensation of ₹25 lakh for the victim’s family, citing similar incidents in the past year.

Forest and police officials later held talks with the villagers and assured them that steps would be taken to address the issue.