Kerala woman killed in wild elephant attack near Bhavani river

A wild elephant that waded across the Bhavani river attacked a woman and her son at Attappadi in Palakkad district on Tuesday, leaving the woman dead. Bushra, 52, sustained severe head injuries during the encounter and was rushed to a nearby medical facility where she succumbed to her wounds. Her son also suffered injuries in the attack, according to local police reports.

Wild elephants frequently cross the Bhavani river, which borders the elephant corridors between the Western Ghats and surrounding wildlife areas, occasionally straying into human habitations in the region. The attack marks another incident in a recurring pattern of human-wildlife conflict in the Attappadi area, which lies on the edge of wildlife-rich territories in central Kerala.

Police have registered a case relating to the incident. The forest department has launched an investigation to track the elephant responsible for the attack.