Coffee Plantation Worker Killed in Wild Elephant Attack near Pollibetta in Virajpet

Kodagu Express Bureau
Nov 10
2 min read

Virajpet: Kodagu’s recurring human–elephant conflict claimed yet another life on Sunday when a 57-year-old plantation worker was trampled to death by a wild elephant near Pali Betta in Virajpet taluk.

The victim, identified as Hanumantha, was working at the Emmegundi coffee estate when a wild elephant suddenly emerged from the nearby forest and attacked him. Another worker who was with him narrowly escaped the assault. Forest Department officials and staff visited the spot soon after the incident and carried out an inspection.

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Outraged residents and plantation workers gathered at the site, accusing the Forest Department and the government of neglecting the growing elephant menace in the region. Former Zilla Panchayat member Mukonda Viju Subramani alleged that repeated pleas for preventive measures have gone unheard. Meanwhile, AITUC leader Somappa demanded a permanent solution to the recurring attacks, pointing out that daily-wage labourers are increasingly at risk in coffee estates bordering forest fringes.

Kodagu district, home to a significant portion of the Western Ghats, has been witnessing frequent encounters between humans and elephants. Fragmentation of forest corridors, encroachment on wildlife habitats, and the expansion of coffee and pepper plantations near forest boundaries have intensified the problem. Farmers continue to report extensive damage to crops such as coffee, areca, and banana, apart from loss of livestock and human casualties.