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Elephant brought to temple for festival turns aggressive, kills mahout 
The other man is still undergoing treatment

Elephant brought to temple for festival turns aggressive, kills mahout 

May 01, 2026
04:45 pm

What's the story

A tragic incident occurred at the Koodalmanikyam Temple in Thrissur on Friday afternoon when an elephant attacked its mahouts, killing one of them. The elephant, named Vazhvaadi Kasinathan, had displayed aggressive behavior during the temple festival. One of them, Sreekuttan (25), later died from his injuries while Amal (28) is still undergoing treatment at Irinjalakuda General Hospital.

Preceding events

Details of the attack

Reports indicate that Vazhvaadi had displayed aggressive behavior during the ceremonial procession on Thursday night. The elephant had caused two people walking alongside it to fall. After this incident, it was brought under control and tied at the Devaswom grounds. However, by Friday noon, the elephant broke out of its temporary shed and attacked its mahouts. The elephant was eventually subdued using sedatives and physical restraints.

Similar incident

Another fatal elephant attack

Earlier on Friday, a similar incident took place near the Kidangoor Mahavishnu Temple in Angamaly. An elephant attacked a 40-year-old man, killing him. Another person was also injured in this attack. It flipped over a car many times, entirely demolishing it, and damaged a few two-wheelers on the temple grounds, even as an Elephant Squad from the Forest Department attempted to apprehend the jumbo before it moved on to a more populous area, according to police.

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