Wife of Senior IPS Officer Killed in Wild Elephant Attack in Kodagu Coffee Estate
- Kodagu Express Bureau
- 8 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Madikeri/Bengaluru: A 51-year-old woman was killed in a wild elephant attack in a coffee estate at Konanakatte village near Thithimathi in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district on Thursday, triggering renewed concerns over the escalating human-elephant conflict in the region.
The deceased, Sandhya Achaya, was the wife of A. Sunil Achaya, a 1991-batch IPS officer of the Nagaland cadre.
According to forest department officials, Sandhya had ventured into a coffee estate along with two others when a wild elephant suddenly emerged from the plantation and charged at the group. While the two accompanying persons managed to escape, Sandhya was reportedly attacked by the animal.
She sustained grievous injuries in the attack and succumbed while being rushed to a hospital, sources said. A senior officer from the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve confirmed the elephant attack.
The incident has sent shockwaves across Kodagu, a district that has witnessed several fatalities and injuries linked to human-elephant conflict in recent years. Residents of elephant-prone villages have repeatedly urged the Karnataka government to implement long-term measures to mitigate the growing menace.
The latest tragedy comes barely weeks after a tourist lost her life at the Dubare Elephant Camp near Kushalnagar in May after being caught in a tussle between two captive elephants. Following that incident, authorities temporarily closed elephant camps to tourists until a standard operating procedure for visitor safety is framed.
The death of Sandhya Achaya has once again highlighted the persistent challenge posed by increasing encounters between people and wild elephants across Kodagu, despite repeated assurances from the State government to work towards a permanent solution.
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