A 14-year-old boy was trampled to death by elephants

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 14-year-old boy was trampled to death by elephants in the forest at Komba under Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Shiju Kani, son of Gopan and Bindu of Thenmala tribal settlement in Komba forest is deceased. His brother and two cousins survived the attack with injuries. The incident took place sometime between 10 am and 1 pm. Shiju along with brother Alan, 16, and cousins Shiju, 19, and Sreejith, 18, had gone into the forest to collect reeds to make baskets and fishing poles. The attack happened among the dense growth of reeds on the banks of the Neyyar River.

The cousin Shiju, who survived the attack with minimal injuries, said that the teens were unaware of the presence of elephants nearby until they were too close. The younger Shiju was the closest to the elephants.
“We realized that elephants were nearby only when they trumpeted,” Shiju said, recollecting the horrific incident. The teens ran helter-skelter. Shiju thought that the others were trailing behind him. “But after some time, I heard Alan and Sreejith screaming and went back to check on them. I saw Shiju surrounded by four elephants one tusker and three females while Alan and Sreejith were desperately trying to divert their attention,” he said. The boys had to run for their lives again after the elephants chased them. Shiju kept running while Alan and Sreejith quickly climbed on trees a little away from the elephants. The teens kept screaming for help until some men fishing in the Neyyar river in boats heard them and came there. But, by that time the elephants had killed the young boy and left. Shiju was a class VII student at Amboori. His mother Bindu had died a few years ago.