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A tragic incident of human-animal conflict claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy near Gudalur in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district, police officials said on Wednesday. The boy reportedly died after being attacked by a wild elephant while returning home on Tuesday evening.

According to police, the incident took place at Pakkanam, a village near Gudalur, when the child had gone to a nearby shop and was walking back home alone. As he passed through an area close to dense vegetation, a wild elephant is said to have suddenly emerged from a thicket and charged at him without warning.

The unexpected attack left the boy severely injured and crying out for help. Hearing his screams, local residents rushed to the spot and attempted to drive the elephant away. Villagers managed to rescue the child and immediately transported him to a government hospital in Pandalur for emergency treatment.

 

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Despite efforts by doctors to save him, the boy later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, police said. The death has left the local community in shock and mourning, with residents expressing concern over the increasing incidents of wild elephant movement near human settlements in the region.

The Tamil Nadu Police said a case has been registered by the Pandalur police station, and an investigation into the incident is currently underway. Forest department officials have also begun inquiries and are monitoring elephant movement in the area to prevent further attacks.

Officials from the forest department stated that Gudalur and surrounding parts of the Nilgiris district have witnessed recurring instances of human-elephant conflict due to the proximity of villages to forest areas and elephant corridors. Authorities said measures are being strengthened to alert residents about elephant presence and reduce the risk of such tragic encounters in the future.

The incident has once again highlighted the growing concern over man-animal conflict in forest fringe regions of Tamil Nadu, where residents often face threats from wild elephants entering residential and agricultural areas in search of food and water.