Coimbatore: Even as members of various political parties and trade unions were preparing for a demonstration urging the Government to protect crops and human lives from wild animals in Gudalur in the Nilgiris district, a 53-year old man was trampled to death by an elephant in Kappikadu, some 30 km from here on Tuesday.

With increasing incidents of attacks by wild animals, including elephants and tigers, representatives of 10 political parties, auto and jeep drivers’ associations and NGOs had called for closure of shops and trade in Gudalur, some 80 km from here.

Accordingly, all the shopkeepers downed their shutters and nearly 500 people were

readying themselves for the protest demonstration, when the news of an elephant killing a worker in the resort reached them. This led to the people raising slogans against the Forest Department and the Government, police said.

Rasal, who was going to the farm from the resort this morning, was waylaid by a herd

of elephants and one of them, caught him with the trunk and hurled him down and trampled him to death, police said.

The body has been sent to Gudalur Government Hospital for post mortem, where tension prevailed over the incident. Meanwhile, the agitators led by DMK MLA, Dravidamani and CPI Secretary, Vasu, attempted to picket the area, condemning the continued killings by wildlife. But they were taken into custody, police said.

The demonstrators wanted the Government to put an end to human-animal conflict,

provide protection to human lives, pay Rs.10 lakh as compensation for the deceased
family, offer Government jobs for a member of the bereaved families and also safeguard the
agriculture land and crops