Kannur: The wild elephant that had strayed into Ulikkal town spreading panic has reportedly returned to the forests. The jumbo was first spotted in the residential area in the early hours of Wednesday spreading panic. As a precautionary measure, the authorities declared a day’s holiday for all the educational institutions in Vayathur village the other day. Three people who sighted the elephant sustained injuries in the frantic scramble to escape. The tusker is believed to have entered the town from the forest areas in Karnataka.  

The unprecedented incident led to widespread panic, shops remained closed and the district administration had advised the locals to exercise caution. Meanwhile, the increasing presence of elephants in areas with human settlements is a matter of concern. In a joint operation, the police and the forest officials had tried to shoo away the elephant by bursting crackers. The people in Ulikkal are now breathing a sigh of relief as the Jumbo retreated from their neighbourhood.

Suspicious death

Meanwhile, a dead body was spotted at a church premises in the region. The deceased was identified as Athrassery Jose, a native of Nellikampoyil. Several injuries have been spotted on the body, and incidentally, the body was recovered from the paths in which the wild jumbo had strolled aimlessly yesterday, leading to further ambiguities.