The deceased, identified only as Muniappa, was deployed as a line watcher in Kuppam forest area of the district, over 550km from here.
He, along with three co-workers, was driving away elephants when one of the pachyderms charged towards them. While the others fled from the spot, Muniappa was killed by the elephant, Conservator of Forests Ravi Kumar said.
"He was not trampled...But it seems the elephant lifted him with its trunk and threw him away," he said, adding the deceased was an outsourced employee.
