68-Year-Old Woman Killed in Wild Elephant Attack in Malappuram, Kerala

August 21, 2025

Kerala, Malappuram: A 68-year-old woman lost her life in a wild elephant attack in Kerala’s Malappuram district on Thursday morning, officials confirmed. The victim, identified as Kalyani, wife of Chandran from Kambikkayam in Kizhake Chathallur, was fatally trampled in the Edavanna area around 10.30 a.m.

The elephant is believed to have been part of a herd that forest officials were attempting to drive back into the forest after they strayed into human settlements searching for food.

Victim Was Searching for Grandchildren
Authorities stated that Kalyani had gone to look for her grandchildren, who were playing nearby, when the elephant attacked her. The assault occurred within a residential area, heightening public concerns over the growing risk of human-wildlife conflicts in the region.

Public Outrage Over Forest Department’s Role
The body has been shifted to the mortuary at Manjeri Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. Residents gathered at the site to protest, accusing the Forest Department of failing to prevent wild elephants from entering villages.

Rising Cases of Fatal Animal Attacks
This incident adds to a series of deadly wildlife encounters in Kerala this year. In May, a 43-year-old rubber tapper, Gafoor Ali, was killed in a tiger attack in the Adakkakundu region of Malappuram. Similarly, in January, a 45-year-old tribal woman, Radha, died after being attacked by a tiger in a coffee plantation near Mananthavady town, Wayanad.

Government data shows that elephant attacks have claimed 18 lives in Kerala in 2025 so far, with over 200 deaths reported between 2016 and 2025.