A. Karupuswamy (45) of Chadivayalpathi tribal settlement in the Vellapathi forest beat in Boluvampatti Range was hospitalised after he was badly injured in an elephant attack near Chadivayal on Saturday. In another incident, a wild elephant damaged a forest department vehicle near Anaikatti on Friday night.
According to the department sources, the man did not notice the wild female sub adult (elephant) standing behind the trees close to his settlement and was also not to be seen with its herd.
It was learnt that the victim went there to ease himself when the elephant pushed him and went into the forest. On hearing his cry for help, the villagers rescued him and took him to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). Department sources said that his rib was fractured in the incident. He was reported to be out of danger.
Close encounter
In another incident, forest department personnel had a close encounter when they had gone to drive away a small herd of three elephants – a male, a female and its calf – into the forest after they entered a residential area in Veerapandi Pirivu close to Thadagam.
One of the seven personnel in the team said that it was around 1 a.m. on Saturday when they reached the place and were preparing to begin the operation when the male elephant ran straight to their jeep, damaged the headlight before returning to the forest.
According to the department sources, nobody was injured in the incident.
In another incident, an elephant attacked a jeep even before the officials launched their search operation.