Kuttampuzha elephant attack: Hours-long protest ends; Eldhose's body transferred to hospital

Kothamangalam: The body of Eldhose, who was killed in a wild elephant attack in Kuttampuzha on Monday night, was transferred to the hospital.

The transfer took place after the district collector NSK Umesh IAS assured locals, who had staged a protest over frequent wildlife incidents in the area and initially refused to allow the body to be moved.

The incident happened at the forest-fringe village of Kuttampuzha on Monday night. Eldhose, a 40-year-old native of Knachery, was trampled to death by wild elephant while he was walking home after arriving in the area by bus.

After his body was recovered, a large protest erupted in Kuttampuzha, with locals criticizing the local administration for the lack of safety measures and proper street lighting in the area, which they believe could have prevented the incident. 

The region has been plagued by wild elephant trouble for years. Residents have long demanded measures such as solar fences or other protective methods to prevent wildlife intrusions, but these have not been fully implemented.

Following the assurances given by the district Collector during a meeting, the locals allowed the body to be transported to the Kothamangalam Taluk Hospital. After the post-mortem is completed, the body will be handed over to the family. 

Speaking to reporters, Collector stated that the issues raised by the locals were discussed in detail. After informing the protestors about the decisions made in the meeting, the Collector requested permission to transport the body.

An immediate financial aid of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to Eldhose's family. Meanwhile, the work on the 8-kilometer trenching project will begin on Tuesday. The work to install the solar fence will resume on 21 December. The collector also agreed to install street lamps in the area within five days.