Elephant dies after burning tyre attack in Tamil Nadu, two held

According to a senior forest official, the elephant was attacked on January 8 after it had damaged a luxury car parked at Mavanahalla near Masinagudi.

An elephant has died near Ooty due to severe bleeding caused by a burning tyre thrown at it by local residents on January 8. (Special arrangement)

An elephant has died near Ooty due to severe bleeding caused by a burning tyre thrown at it by local residents on January 8. Two days after its death, Tamil Nadu Police on Friday arrested two people in this connection.

According to a senior forest official, the elephant was attacked on January 8 after it had damaged a luxury car parked at Mavanahalla near Masinagudi. A video of the attack emerged on social media, following which an investigation was conducted.

“They threw a tyre filled with kerosene at the elephant, which was already being treated by the forest department for a deep back injury,” he said.

LCS Srikanth, deputy director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Buffer Zone), who is in charge of the area, said they booked one more person and he was out of station.

An autopsy report revealed that it had severe injuries on the back and burn injuries on the ear. (Special arrangement)

“The two persons detained were arrested today and will be sent for remand,” he said.

The arrested have been identified as Reymond Mallan Malcolm (28) and Prasath Sugumaran (36). According to local residents, the elephant was attacked after it came close to a resort run by Malcolm.

The residents said people from the resort frequently used to call the forest department to chase the elephant away from residential areas, and have accused the forest staff of not monitored the animal properly.

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Nilgiris District Collector J Innocent Divya confirmed that orders have been passed to seal the resort.

Vijay Krishnaraj of the Nilgiris-based United Conservation Movement (UCM) Movement, said the injured elephant was being treated for about 45 days by the forest department. “They were administering medicine and feeding fruits. While handling it was tough, there was one forest watcher who was taking care of the elephant all these days,” Krishnaraj said.

The forest official and Krishnaraj said the reason for the death was severe bleeding. “After they threw the flaming object, it had damaged the ear lobe leading to severe bleeding. There were efforts to save the animal but it died on January 19. Similar incidents are increasing in Mudumalai region,” said Krishnaraj, referring to the poisoning of two tigers recently.

The arrested have been identified as Reymond Mallan Malcolm (28) and Prasath Sugumaran (36). (Special arrangement)

An autopsy report revealed that it had severe injuries on the back and burn injuries on the ear.

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Meanwhile, Bellan, 55, an anti-poaching watcher at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve who was assigned to take care of the elephant, has been unable to control his tears since its death.

“We named the elephant ‘SI’ because it walked like a strict police officer. SI frequently visited our village before and it never did any harm to the villagers… Its condition was getting better and the forest department employed four more employees to monitor it with me…

“One night, SI wandered away towards Mavanahalla in search of food… The people at the resort treated it badly and threw a burning tyre on it,” Bellan told The Indian Express.

“It was tired, had lost a lot of blood and was in pain. Two veterinary teams tranquilised it with the help of Kumki elephants… We tried to shift it to Theppakadu Elephant camp, about 1 km away… But we just lost it,” he added.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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