A 60-year-old man was killed by an elephant near Morgan Beat in Masinagudi Range in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Thursday. Police officials said that the man could have been mentally unwell. His identity is yet to be ascertained.
Police sources said that the man boarded a bus near Thorapalli on Thursday morning and bought tickets to Masinagudi. However, he tried to get off the bus near Kargudi and was stopped by the conductor, who warned him of the movement of animals. The man then got off at Theppakadu claiming that he was on the way to Gundlupet in Karnataka.
He is then believed to have walked around four km towards Masinagudi along the main road when he was attacked by a wild elephant. Two car drivers witnessed the attack and sounded their car horns and managed to spook the elephant. They then alerted the Forest Department who, in turn, passed on the information to the Masinagudi Police. The police found the elephant less than a 100-feet away from the man’s body, which was recovered and sent to the Gudalur Government Hospital for post-mortem.
During inquiries, it was found that the man was spotted seeking alms near Thorapalli. Police have passed on his picture to locals there.