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Mullakkal Balakrishnan, a revered temple elephant, passed away after 36 years of service.
A herd of elephants attacked him and trampled him to death on Monday morning.
Kannan, who has 12 years of experience, said such incidents are extremely rare despite the inherent risks of the job.
In a tone of defiance, Poduval said that the tradition of using elephants for pooram was part of ancient time-honoured rituals and would be persisted with.
The victim, Sharon (55), a native of Jharkhand, was working as a rubber tapper at the Arayad Estate.
The Gajraj system was deployed in the Palakkad–Coimbatore route last year.
The injured, Devarajan, is a resident of the Sanamangalam tribal settlement.
Forest officials have warned two-wheeler riders to remain alert to the presence of wild elephants active in many forest areas and have advised against stopping vehicles to take photographs of the animals.
Passengers are advised not to stop their vehicles on the forest roads, especially at night. However, people often break this rule and even provoke wild animals.
The damage continues despite local farmers having raised the issue directly with Forest Minister
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