Kannur: After intense protests, the bodies of Adivasi couple killed in the wild elephant attack at the 13th block of Aralam Farm were shifted to Pariyaram Medical College Hospital in the early hours of Monday.

Although the Sub-Collector arrived at the scene, local residents initially refused to allow the ambulance to shift the bodies. They demanded the presence of the district collector and forest department officials.  However, following discussions with the police the locals later allowed the ambulance to move. 

In response to the incident, the UDF and BJP have called for a hartal in Aralam panchayat, which has begun.

Forest Minister AK Saseendran is expected to visit the area, and a multi-party meeting is scheduled for 3 PM.

The elderly couple was attacked by an elephant on Sunday afternoon while returning from collecting cashew nuts. The elephant, which had been hiding behind their house, launched a sudden attack, killing them on the spot.

"We are tired of complaining. There isn’t even proper street lighting. It happened to them today—what if it happens to us tomorrow?" a local resident said.

The region has been grappling with frequent wild elephant attacks, with the latest incident occurring in a residential area. Residents accused the government of negligence and questioned whether authorities had deliberately failed to address the problem.

So far, more than a dozen people have lost their lives to wild elephant attacks in the Adivasi resettlement area of Aralam Farm. Although the construction of an elephant-proof wall along the forest boundary began two years ago, it remains incomplete. The persistent threat from wild animals has forced hundreds of families to abandon their homes.