Forest watcher trampled to death by wild elephant in Coimbatore

Chennai: An eco-watcher with the forest department in Tamil Nadu was trampled to death by a wild elephant on Friday morning.

M. Murugan (51), a resident of Seengapathy tribal settlement located within the limits of the Boluvampatti forest range, had gone to a bushy area around 20 metres from his residence to relieve himself in the morning.

Forest department officials said that a wild elephant that had come near the human settlement, trampled him. On hearing his cries, other residents and forest officials chased away the elephant and took Murugan to the nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC), Poovalpatti, and gave first aid treatment. He was then taken to Coimbatore Government Medical College where doctors declared him dead.

Murugan is survived by his wife Lakshmi.