A German national died after being attacked by a wild elephant near Valparai in Coimbatore district on Tuesday.
Forest Department has identified the deceased as Michael Juergen, 77, a tourist from Germany.
The incident took place around 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday at Tiger Valley, near Valparai. The foreigner was riding a two-wheeler (DL 8S AL 1626) and had a close encounter with a tusker that was standing on the road.
A video shot by a passenger of a bus, which was halted on the road around 80 metres off the elephant, showed the foreigner riding towards the tusker and attempting to cross the animal.
As the man was about to cross the tusker, the animal turned to him and pushed him off the motorcycle. The video showed the foreigner approaching the tusker again and being attacked by the animal.
The injured foreigner was taken to the Waterfall estate hospital where he was given the first aid. He was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Pollachi, where he died without responding to treatment, said the Forest Department.
According to the Forest Department, negligent riding by Juergen led to the accident, as he allegedly did not heed to warnings by other motorists.
Published – February 04, 2025 11:48 pm IST