A 55-year-old man who was injured in a wild elephant attack late on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) night in the Bitherkad forest range in Gudalur died from his injuries early Thursday (June 4) morning, the Forest department confirmed.

The deceased was identified as M. Sugumaran, a resident of Nilakottai in Bitherkad. Sugumaran was reportedly returning home from a shop when he was attacked by a wild elephant on Tuesday night. On hearing his screams, local residents rushed to his aid and managed to chase away the animal.

The immediate aftermath of the incident was caught on video by the dash cam of a passing vehicle, showing an injured Sugumaran being attended to by local residents. They then managed to immediately rush him to the government hospital in Sultan Bathery in Kerala for treatment.

Forest department officials said that he was stable until Wednesday (June 3) evening. However, his condition deteriorated and he died from his injuries at around 1.30 a.m on Thursday morning. Officials said that a compensation of ₹10 lakh would be handed over immediately to Sugumaran’s next of kin.

They added that residents were being urged not to step out of their homes unnecessarily after dusk and that efforts to drive away wild elephants approaching human settlements were being taken.

In a separate incident, a 54-year-old man was injured after a leopard accidentally entered his home in Kolipalam near Gudalur. Local residents managed to rescue the victim, Gajendran, and rushed him to a hospital where his injuries were said to be non-life threatening.