One seriously injured admitted at Mysuru hospital

Madikeri: A wild elephant attacked a group of workers at Maskal Coffee Estate at Pollibetta, leaving one person seriously injured. The seriously injured person has been identified as Bobby (58), a resident of Pollibetta. He has been admitted to a private hospital in Mysuru, where he is said to be recovering.

Bobby and other workers were working in the coffee estate when the wild elephant attacked them all of a sudden. While others managed to escape, Bobby sustained serious injuries on his chest and hands. He was immediately rushed to Ammathi’s RIHP Hospital, where he was provided first-aid and was later shifted to a private hospital in Mysuru by the Forest Department officials. Bobby has sustained injuries, when a wild elephant had attacked him five years ago.

Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Sharanabasappa, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Nehru and staff visited the spot. Range Forest Officer (RFO) Kallira M. Devaiah has assured that the Department would take care of the cost of the treatment.

He also said that the Forest Department has taken several precautionary steps to prevent elephant menace in the region and added that efforts are being made to drive the wild elephant back to the forest.

Deputy RFO Sanjith Somaiah, Rapid Response Team members and others were present.

Meanwhile, labourer Vinu said that wild elephants which have stayed put in coffee estates were frequently attacking estate workers resulting in the labourers working with fear. He further said that the elephant attack at Maskal Coffee Estate had resulted in labourers reluctant to work in estates in the surrounding places and urged the Forest Department authorities to capture the wild elephant which had attacked estate workers and drive other wild elephants back to the forest.