A worker was trampled to death by a wild elephant in a pepper plantation at Kuzhimalam, near Thaloor on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, on Sunday.
The victim was identified as Dutturaj Shetty, 55, of Kodimoli in Chamarajanagara in Karnataka.
It was suspected that the elephant reached the plantation from the Cherambadi forest range under the Gudalur forest division in Tamil Nadu. Forest Department sources said the elephant attacked the worker when the villagers were trying to drive it away into the forest. He died on the spot.
Dutturaj is survived by his wife Chippayi and daughter Prema .