Image
© New Indian ExpressThe elephant that killed its mahout being tethered to a tree at Chalingadu in Thrissur on Thursday
In yet another incident of growing unrest of elephants towards man especially during temple festival venues across the state, a mahout was trampled to death by a provoked elephant at Kaipamangalam, here, on Thursday.

This is the third such killing by captive elephants in the state in less than a week. Earlier, two people, including a mahout, were crushed to death by rampaging elephants in Alappuzha.

In the latest incident, the tusker 'Pallathu Vijayalakshmanan' turned violent and killed its mahout Sivasankaran, 64, of Poovathinkal, Kinasherry, during a temple festival at Kaipamangalam. According to police, the elephant turned violent when the man atop the elephant was trying to climb down along with the 'kolam'.

The elephant suddenly panicked and turned violent, crushing the mahout standing near the elephant under its feet and left a trail of destruction in the compound of Sree Maha Vishnu Temple of Chalingadu. It attacked the parked vehicles in the compound and tried to uproot the trees nearby. Meanwhile, the onlookers pulled the bleeding mahout out of the vicinity of elephant and rushed him to the Medical College Hospital here, where he was declared dead.

Later, the elephant was tethered to a tree with the help of elephant squad members.

Earlier, a 52-year-old mahout was crushed to death by an elephant, named Chirakkadavu Thiruneelakandan, at the Thiruvilanjal Devi Temple last Sunday. In another incident, a 76-year-old man was killed after an elephant, which was brought for a temple festival in Haripad, ran amok last Thursday.

The Wadakkanchery police on Tuesday arrested a mahout of Methala, Kodungallur, under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, after he was found guilty of torturing the animal under the grip of alcohol. The elephant was made to run about 15 kilomteres by the inebriated mahout. Later, the elephant was tethered by elephant squad members. In another incident same day, an elephant named Kareparambil Kalidasan collapsed in Thrissur after it engaging in hectic loads of work.