Mom, 36, Trampled by Elephant While Walking Kids to School

Thomas Mukoya / REUTERSA single mother in India has been trampled to death by an elephant as she walked her two children to school. People reports that the 36-year-old woman, identified only as Mari, was escorting her kids to school on June 8in the Chinnakanal village of Southern India when they unknowingly crossed paths with a female elephant and its calf. Foggy weather conditions obscured the family’s view when the animal charged, killing the mother. Her 11-year-old son suffered serious injuries in the attack and was rushed to a regional hospital after a rickshaw driver heard the family’s cries for help. Her daughter managed to escape unharmed. The tragedy has sparked outrage in the region, where residents say encounters with wild elephants have become an increasingly dangerous part of daily life. Although authorities had issued warnings about elephant activity earlier that morning, locals argue existing safeguards have done little to protect families. Mari’s relatives have demanded government support for her children, whom she had been raising alone since her husband’s death two years ago. “She has no husband and was raising two children alone,” her brother told local media, “Who will take care of those children now?” There are currently 17 elephants roaming the village, response teams have been deployed to drive the wild animals away from residential areas.Read it at PeopleRead more at The Daily Beast.