Scared Tamil Nadu villagers nickname wild elephant ‘Maranam’ after it kills two men

COIMBATORE: After a lone wild tusker killed two men in Thudiyalur near Coimbatore in the last two days, people in the area say they are living in fear. They say the youngsters in the area have already nicknamed the elephant as “Maranam” which means death.
Villagers have urged the forest department to take extra care and efforts to ensure the elephant does not enter villages.
The tusker killed a 36-year-old man who was drinking with his friend near Kathinaickenpalayam village on Monday night and a 27-year-old truck driver on Pannimadai Road on Sunday, who was also walking down the road in an inebriated state.
People in the area have begun sending text messages to forest officers and wildlife activists stating that many people living in Pannimadai, Thaliyur, Varapalayam are scared to even step out for emergencies after 6pm.
District forest officer D Venkatesh said people who live in forest fringes should be wary of stepping out after 6pm. “A smart person would not be wandering outside drunk in a place that is known to be visited by elephants,” he said.
“We have two teams tracking the elephant and are ensuring that it does not enter villages. The elephant attacked the men in remote places,” he said.
“We have not named this elephant anything or begun profiling him,” he said to reports that the tusker has been named “Maranam” by locals.