Udhagamandalam, May 28: A 40-year-old woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the early hours of Saturday, when she had allegedly gone to answer nature's call outside her house near Gudalur in Nilgiris district, the second such incident in the last two days, police said. Malu (40) was attacked and killed by the wild elephant past midnight on Saturday near her house in Ovalley Farm.

Forest department officials rushed to the spot and sent the body to Gudalur Government Hospital for a post-mortem. On May 26, one Anandan was attacked by a wild elephant near Aruttuparai in Ovalley, resulting in his death on the spot, when he was going to open his tea stall around 6 am. Both the deaths led to protests by the villagers. Tamil Nadu: SIT To Commence Investigation on Elephant Deaths From May 15.

Forest department officials immediately swung into action and brought two kumkis (tamed elephants) from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to drive out the wild elephant. Following the twin deaths, agitated villagers demanded the department, which is carrying out operations, to take immediate measures to drive out five other elephants roaming around nearby villages and protect the local residents.

The department also issued a warning to the villagers not to venture out and not to go to nearby estates alone, due to the elephant menace.