A 65-year-old man was killed in a wild elephant attack in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Wednesday, the latest in a string of human-wildlife conflict incidents reported from the State.

The victim, identified as Raju, a resident of the Pulimoodkunnu Michabhoomi area in Kattikulam, was seriously injured when the elephant attacked him around 10 am, officials said.

The attack occurred while forest officials and residents were attempting to drive the elephant away after it entered a populated area.

Raju sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the Mananthavady Medical College Hospital.

Doctors later decided to shift him to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for specialised treatment as his condition worsened.

However, he died before he could be transferred.

The incident has once again highlighted the growing problem of human-elephant conflict in Kerala’s forest-fringe regions, where encounters between people and wild animals have become increasingly common.

Just a day earlier, a woman was killed in an elephant attack at Chinnakkanal in the hill district of Idukki, an area that has witnessed repeated elephant intrusions into human settlements.

Similar cases have been reported from other forest-bordering districts, fuelling concerns among residents over safety and prompting demands for stronger mitigation measures.