Elephants kill two hikers

Kerala Online
February 22, 2009

Thiruvananthapuram, Sunday 22 Feb 2009: A herd of wild elephants trampled to death two hikers who were part of a 10- member group returning from a trek to Agasthyarkoodam peak in the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary in Nedumangadu taluk on Saturday evening. They were identified as Anuroop, 25 and Jayakumar, 27, of Neyyatinkara.
S. Bijukumar, 30, who narrowly survived the attack, told reporters that the attack occurred in the forest midway between Thankayanvacha Kovil point and the Bonacaud Forest Picket station, almost 2 km. downhill.
“We were walking downhill in single file. At 5.30 p.m., those in the front picked up the distinct odour of elephants and signalled to us. We scrambled back uphill and waited in silence for 15 minutes for the herd to pass. We counted seven elephants, most of them cows with babies, as they crossed the trail and disappeared into the forest.

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