Wild elephant damages car in Kerala’s Munnar, two escape unhurt

A car was damaged after a wild elephant attacked vehicles on the Munnar-Marayur road, forest officials said on Sunday.

The officials suspect that a wild tusker, popularly known as Padayappa, was involved in the incident, which occurred around 11 p.m. on Saturday.

According to the officials, the elephant first approached a parked tourist bus and smashed one of its side windows. It then blocked a passing SUV on the road.

The driver stopped the vehicle and remained inside along with another passenger, the officials said. The elephant broke the windshield and dented the car’s roof and bonnet.

The Forest department received information about the incident and rushed to the spot.

By the time the officials arrived, the elephant had moved away from the area, and the damaged car was shifted to a nearby forest station.

The two occupants of the car, both from Erattupetta in Kottayam district, escaped unhurt as they remained inside the vehicle during the attack.

The forest officials said they are closely monitoring the movements of Padayappa, which frequently roams the area and is currently in musth.