Injured tusker dies

Sunday, July 22, 2012: The tusker that was injured while being transported in a lorry died here late last night.


The tusker Soman (formerly Karthikeyan) was being taken for ‘sukhachikitsa’ by its owner Varghese Mattathil of Thottackad, according to the police. The police have arrested the mahout Jayakumar and the driver of the lorry, Sajan. Both tested positive for alcohol, police said.


The tusker lost balance under the impact and slid to the front, breaking one of the wooden poles that had been placed behind its fore limbs. It then hit the cabin of the lorry injuring its forehead and trunk. Even as the vehicle came to a halt, the pachyderm collapsed on its forelimbs.


The forest department registered a case against the driver of the lorry.