Kerala: India town out on streets over elephant attacks - BBC News

Recent deaths due to wild animal attacks have sparked massive protests in Kerala's Wayanad district.

14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Arun ChandraboseImage caption, Kerala's Wayanad district is known for its dense forest coverBy Ashraf PadannaReporter, Trivandrum, Kerala"I'm afraid the elephant that killed my father could come back to attack again," says 13-year-old Alna Joseph.

On 10 February, Ms Joseph was returning from morning prayers at her village church in Mananthavady town in the hilly Wayanad district of the southern Indian state of Kerala when she saw a vehicle carrying a bleeding man.

When she reached home, she found out that it was the body of her father Ajeesh Joseph, a 42-year-old farmer, who had been trampled to death by a radio-collared wild elephant - the second such death in the district in three weeks.

As soon as the local hospital confirmed his death, protests erupted in the town. They were withdrawn only after the authorities announced a 1m-rupee ($12,067, £9,525) compensation for Joseph's family and a job for his widow.

Neighbouring Karnataka state, to which the elephant belonged, also announced a compensation of 1.5m rupees.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68366869

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