Gujarati couple trampled to death by wild elephant in Kerala (India)

Author(s)

Shaju Philip, The Indian Express

Date Published
A couple from Gujarat were trampled to death by an wild elephant when they were trekking a forest path in Central Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district.
Police said the incident was reported at a remote forest region Gavi. The victims were identified as Kubendra, 52 and his wife Iriva, 50. Police are yet to get further details about the victims.
According to the police, they were among an eight-member tourist team from Gujarat. While others remained in the hotel, the couple wanted to watch elephants and a tourist guide took them to the forest.
Police sources said that they got trapped before a herd of wild elephants, and the guide escaped from the scene abandoning the couple. The bodies could not be retrieved from the forest immediately due the presence of the wild elephants at the scene.
Police said the bodies were taken to a government hospital at Vandiperiyar in Idukki district.
Police at Moozhiyar station said the SHO is yet to reach the spot, which has a very poor communication network.
Gavi is 28 km away from Vandiperiyar. Only one bus passes through this region which had become a tourist spot after a Malayalam film was shot at the picturesque belt a few years back.
A few months back, a woman from Gujarat was killed by an elephant during a safari. She met with tragic end in front of her husband and other family members near Munnar hill station.