Thrissur:
A 74-year-old man was beaten to death by a captive elephant by its trunk at Pannithadam in Thrissur, causing concern over increasing incidents of jumbos turning irate with summer festival season getting underway in Kerala.
This was second incident of angry elephants running amok and attacking men while being moved in trucks with the start of the summer festival season.
The victim of today's incident was identified as Simon, who was attacked by the elephant while he was passing along the road through which the truck carrying the tusker came by and hit another vehicle.
The jumbo ran amok while the mahout was helping it to alight from the truck after it hit another vehicle.
The irate went on rampage and mortally beat the old man, who was passing by the scene, police said.
The mahout Sivasankaran (49) and another pedestrian, were hospitalised with injuries.
The angry jumbo created scare in the area by running hetlter skelter for about three hours before it was contained by administering tranquiliser shots by experts.
Three days back, a tusker ran berserk and trampled a motorcylist to death at nearby Kechery in day light.
Though the Wildlife Department has laid down norms for transportation of elephants, veterinarians and animal rights groups have complained that these rules are often flouted.
Also, according to experts, scorching heat and physical and mental harrassment of elephants by mahouts make them get provoked easily.
Thrissur-based rights group Elephant Lovers Association has complained that making elephants stand for hours during festival parade amid ear-dinning orchestra often upset their mental balance.
The ELA also complaints that elephants are often moved in open trucks from place to place during the festival season without giving them proper rest, food and water and medical care.