Nine elephant attack deaths in eight months; two among them are tourists
Madikeri: A 41-year-old Bengaluru resident, who had come to Kodagu on a holiday with friends, was killed in a wild elephant attack near Teralu village in Srimangala hobli of Ponnampet taluk yesterday evening. The victim has been identified as Murali Krishna, a resident of R.R. Nagar in Bengaluru.
Murali Krishna and his friends had travelled to Kodagu for a holiday and checked into a homestay in Teralu village yesterday afternoon. Around 5.30 pm, Murali Krishna went out alone for a walk near the homestay.
He suddenly encountered a wild elephant that had chased a dog out of a nearby plantation. The elephant charged at him, knocked him to the ground and trampled him. He suffered severe injuries to his abdomen, with his intestines reportedly protruding.
The homestay owners rushed to his aid, placed him in their car and took him towards Srimangala Hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries on the way. His body was later shifted to the Government Hospital at Gonikoppal for post-mortem. Murali Krishna is survived by his wife and son.
The incident has triggered fear among tourists and villagers in Teralu, with residents expressing concern over the movement of wild elephants in the area.
Forest Department officials along with Srimangala Police, visited the spot and inspected the area. They gathered information on the route taken by the elephant before it entered the village. A case has been registered at Srimangala Police Station.
Prior warning issued
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Sonal Vrishni said the Forest Department’s team had warned the homestay owners around 12.30 pm yesterday about the presence of a wild elephant in the area and advised them to remain cautious.
However, it has emerged that the homestay owners failed to inform their guests about the elephant’s presence nearby.
The incident has sparked anger among residents, who have accused the Forest Department of failing to prevent recurring human-elephant conflict in the area.
Nine lives in eight months
The human-elephant conflict has claimed nine lives in Kodagu this year. According to official records, one death each was reported in January, February, May and June, while two deaths were reported in July and three in August.
Of the nine deaths, eight were due to wild elephant attacks. The death reported in May involved a captive elephant at the Dubare Elephant Camp, where a tourist from Chennai was fatally attacked.
On May 18, 33-year-old S. Juneshe, a homemaker from Chennai, died after being trapped under an elephant during a sudden confrontation between two captive elephants, Kanjan and Jai Marthanda.
Juneshe had visited Dubare with her family as part of a trip to Kodagu. Her husband, a software engineer based in Chennai, and their child were also with her.
This post was published on August 23, 2026 7:30 pm