Munnar: It was a miraculous escape, indeed. P. T. Anil Kumar, a member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) engaged in driving back a herd of elephants from human habitats into the forest near Devikulam, had a close shave when an irritated jumbo chased him.
The furious animal ran towards Anil Kumar and grabbed hold of his pants pocket with its trunk, but, luckily, the uniform’s huge pocket above the knee ripped off when the animal tried to lift him.
Acting swiftly, Anil fired in the air and scared away the tusker, facilitating his escape from the scene.
The RRT headed by deputy ranger P. K. Ashokan has been camping in Devikulam following complaints of frequent straying of elephants into residential areas.
During the past couple of weeks, several herds of elephants have been driven back to the forest by the RRT using different methods such bursting firecrackers, shooting in the air, and playing recorded voices of carnivores.
The attack on Anil Kumar occurred when the team was trying to scare away a herd of elephants which strayed into a residential area in Lockhart, on Wednesday night.
The elephant, an ‘Ottayan’ or a lone tusker, turned violent and unleashed a sudden attack on Anil Kumar after he burst a cracker in front of the cottages of tea plantation workers.
Incidentally, Sibil Mon, who suffered severe burn injuries when a cracker burst in his hands during a similar operation near Muttukadu, two months ago, is a member of the same RRT.
