TV9 - Elephant gores mahout to death near Thiruvananthapuram

TV9 - Elephant gores mahout to death near Thiruvananthapuram...! Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Dec.28 (ANI): A temple elephant gored its mahout in Malayikeezhu, on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala on Friday. The elephant named, Sree Vallabhan, belonged to a temple in Malayinkeezhu. The dead mahout was identified as Vijayan. He was trying to take it to another temple located nearby. The elephant prevented others from approaching the mahout and further mutilated his body before silently standing next to it. Veterinarians of the Forest Department tranquillised the jumbo with two medicated darts and managed to rein in the errant animal. India has over 50 per cent of Asiatic elephants, considered to be among the most intelligent animals, but their population has declined in recent years due to habitat fragmentation, poaching of tuskers, and erratic enforcement of forest laws. A fair number of elephants are captured and tamed and those born in captivity too are trained to do various errands. Known as Kumkis, usually owned by Forest Departments, these trained elephants are used to herd the intruding wild elephants and chase them away from the human habitats, tea gardens and agricultural lands with standing crops. Instances of wild elephants entering into tea estates and other areas, where human beings reside are quite common because of human encroachments on elephant habitats, which restrict their movement leading to man-animal conflict.