Elephant run over by train near Madukkarai

According to Forest officials, a group of elephants entered Ettimadai village near MRF whereupon the villagers chased them away. The herd started running helter-skelter. The Kochiveli Express (Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram) which was passing through the area just then knocked down one of the animals, killing it on the spot. 

A Periyasamy, District Forest Officer (in-charge), Coimbatore, told DTNext that “a total of 13 elephants that entered got separated into two groups. The first herd had six elephants, the second had seven, the dead female elephant being from the former.” After the incident, the remaining five elephants panicked and the forest officials had to chase them away into thick forest areas. 

“There is a possibility that the train could have been going very fast, causing the animal’s death,” said Senthil, a forest ranger. We have asked the railway officials to convene a meeting where we will insist that all trains passing through this area should not exceed the 40 km per hour speed limit,” Periyasamy said. The accident was close to a board erected by the railways to signal to engine drivers that it is a path frequented by elephants. 

Dr. Vijayaragavan, Forest Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, conducted a post-mortem after an earthmover transported the animal. Forest department sources said the carcass would be buried at nearby forest land. Activists have demanded that the railways take stock of the situation in the hilly areas. “We already staged a protest against the railways after a train mowed down four elephants in 2008, after which the issue was sorted out. 

Now again, the same situation has arisen. There should be a meeting in which all stakeholders should participate to prevent such incidents,” said K. Kalidasan, president, Osai Environmental Organisation, Coimbatore. 

Only on Sunday morning, forest department tranquilised and captured a lone tusker, from the same locality, which was frequently intruding into human habitation, caused damages to crops and had killed two people including a forest watcher.