Wild elephant damages protection wall of a Church in Idukki The Hindu March 28, 2024 See link <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/wild-elephant-damages-protection-wall-of-a-church-in-idukki/article68002937.ece> for photos. A wild tusker, locally known as Murivalankompan, damaged the protection wall of St. Thomas Church at Sinkukandam, near Chinnakkanal, around 4 a.m. on (March 28) Thursday morning. This comes after fire swept through nearly 50 acres of eucalyptus plantation at Vilakk, near Cement Palam, on Wednesday night. According to sources, the fire spread after crackers were burst to chase wild elephants away from the land. Two wild elephants — Chakkakompan and Murivalankompan — were camping in the area, according to P.N. Sunil, a resident of Sinkukandam. “The presence of wild elephants is giving sleepless nights to the people” he said. Also, wild tusker Chakkakompan on Tuesday night attacked a home at Sinkukandam, and the family members narrowly escaped. Seeking Curbs on Trekking Meanwhile, Forest department has written to Kannan Devan Hills Plantation (KDHP) officials to prevent trekking through through Lakshmi Hill and other areas falling under KDHP. The move comes after a video of a melanistic leopard, commonly known as a black panther, was captured by a tourist guide near Lakshmi Hill, in Munnar on March 22. The video had reportedly gone viral. A Forest department official said many foreign tourists, along with guides, trek in these areas. “These areas have an active presence of wild animals, including elephants. If an accident occurs, we cannot provide timely assistance due to the remoteness of the area. We directed KDHP officials to prevent such illegal trekking,” said the official. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/wild-elephant-damages-protection-wall-of-a-church-in-idukki/article68002937.ece