Mullaringadu makes first line of defence against wild jumbos

AS the sun sets over Mullaringadu, located in the Vannappuram panchayat of Idukki, the villagers brace themselves for another sleepless night.

- NEJMA SULAIMAN @Idukki

Armed with torches, sticks, and even firecrackers, residents prepare to guard their homes and crops, hoping that the wild elephants won't return.

This has become a routine for Mullaringadu residents after a 22-year-old youth named Amar Ilahi was killed in a wild elephant exactly a month ago at a teak plantation near his house on December 29.

Speaking to TNIE, ward member Jijo Joseph said, the villagers, primarily dependent on agriculture, are struggling to cope with the dual threat of losing their crops and their lives. "For the past three years, wild elephants have been destroying everything we grow. Now, they have started attacking us as well. Following the death of Amar Ilahi, people are afraid to venture out of their houses as elephant herds continue to camp near the habitation area and might unleash attack anytime. We are at a breaking point," he said.