The notorious wild elephant Padayappa has struck again in Kerala's Munnar, damaging a car parked in the courtyard of a house at Nallathanni Estate and renewing concerns over recurring human-elephant conflict in the region.
The vehicle, owned by a local resident, Dinakaran, was attacked after the elephant entered the premises, triggering fresh fear among residents.
Padayappa has a long history of such encounters. In February this year, the tusker damaged an autorickshaw at Kadalar Estate West Division, a day after attacking a tourist vehicle.
In recent years, the elephant has repeatedly targeted shops, vehicles, and ration stores. The tusker has damaged roadside shops in Munnar town, vandalised parked vehicles, raided ration shops for rice and wheat, and destroyed crops in estate areas. In one incident, Padayappa damaged the same ration shop for the ninth time.
Locals say incidents of wild elephant intrusion have been rising steadily, with Padayappa frequently straying into residential and estate areas in and around Munnar. While forest officials are monitoring its movements, residents allege that the measures in place have been insufficient to keep the animal away from human settlements.
The tusker was also involved in a series of incidents in Devikulam and Lakkad Estate earlier this year, where it damaged homes and several shops while searching for food.
With tourism activity picking up in Munnar, residents and stakeholders have renewed calls for stronger, long-term measures to prevent the elephant from entering populated areas and to ensure the safety of both locals and visitors.
