A wild elephant caused major damage in Block 9 of Aralam farm on Monday (June 2, 2025), tearing down the kitchen shed of the house of Rajan and Bindu at Valayamchala. The incident occured around 12.30 a.m.

Rajan, a security guard at the farm, and his son were reportedly alerted by a sudden noise behind their house. “The elephant charged at us while we were checking the source of the noise. We ran through the kitchen shed and rushed into the house,” he said.

Eight people, including Rajan’s grandchildren, were inside the house at the time. The wild elephant destroyed the kitchen shed before Rajan and his son managed to drive it away using firecrackers. A rapid response team arrived soon after.

This is the eleventh elephant attack in four months at the Aralam farm. In February, a tribal couple, Velli and Leela, were trampled to death in Block 13 while gathering cashew nuts. The rising number of incidents has raised concerns among residents.

In response to the growing human-wildlife conflict, the Kerala High Court has directed the State government to submit a detailed action plan to address the recurring elephant attacks in the region. The court stressed the importance of coordinated efforts between departments and called for setting up a feedback system to help residents report incidents and suggest preventive measures.