A 55-year old woman was trampled to death by a stray elephant at a village near here, prompting protests by the locals seeking action to check recurring attacks by the wild animals.
The elephant, which entered Viraliyur village last night, damaged two houses, consumed rice and vegetables there and then attacked Murugathal, who was sleeping outside her house.
It lifted the woman by her hair and banged her on the ground and trampled her to death, police said.
Hearing her screams, villagers gathered there and with the assistance of Police and forest officials scared away the elephant into nearby jungles.
About 500 villagers staged a road roko this morning demanding immediate protection from elephants, which frequented their habitats.
A similar protest was held in a nearby village also.
District and police officials rushed to the spot and managed to convince them and assured to take steps to prevent the entry of elephants into villages.
