Chennai, Mar 15 (BPNS)
The forest department of Tamil Nadu is conducting an awareness drive in Krishnagiri district after an elephant trampled a 27-year-old youth to death on Tuesday evening. The deceased identified as Ram Kumar had gone to a hillock near his home to relieve himself and on seeing two elephants took photos of them. He then tried to take a selfie with the elephants when one of the elephants charged at him and trampled him to death.
The killing of the youth has led to the forest department mount an awareness drive among the people of the area. The forest department has warned the people not to venture out into forest area during evenings as well as early morning times to relieve themselves as wild elephants were frequenting the forest border areas.
The department has also informed people not to take photographs or selfies with the wild animals as they could charge at humans at any time leading to loss of life or grievous injuries.
The forest department is also conducting a door to door campaign among people not to provoke wild animals including elephants and to immediately inform the forest office on spotting any wild animal. The forest officials also warned people not to hunt wild animals including deer and wild boar and that the department will take stringent action against those venturing into it.
R. Krishnamoorthy, a wildlife activist, and environmentalist based out of Krishnagiri while speaking to BPNS said, “ People should not unnecessarily provoke wild animals. The case here of the young lad taking a selfie in front of two wild elephants is never acceptable. The elephant does not know whether the man was out to harm it or not and naturally its basic instinct will be to attack.”
He demanded the forest department to conduct a detailed study into the death of the youth and how he went to the forest to relieve himself.
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