Chennai, Mar 15 (IANS): The forest department of Tamil Nadu is conducting an awareness drive in Krishnagiri district after an elephant trampled a 27-year-old youth to death.

Ram Kumar, who had gone to a hillock near his home to attend nature's call, saw two elephants and clicked their photos. However, when he tried to take a selfie with them, one of the jumbos charged at him and trampled him to death on Tuesday evening.

After the incident, the forest department mounted an awareness drive among the people of the area.

It has warned the people not to venture out into forest area during evening as well as early morning to relieve themselves as wild elephants were frequenting the forest border areas.

The department has also informed people not to take photographs or selfies with the wild animals as they could charge at humans at any time leading to loss of life or grievous injuries.

The department is also conducting a door-to-door campaign to tell people not to provoke wild animals including elephants and to immediately inform the forest office on spotting any wild animal.

The forest officials also warned people not to hunt wild animals including deer and wild boar and that the department will take stringent action against guilty.

R. Krishnamoorthy, a wildlife activist and environmentalist based out of Krishnagiri, told IANS, "People should not unnecessarily provoke wild animals. The case here of the young lad taking a selfie in front of two wild elephants is never acceptable. The elephant does not know whether the man was out to harm it or not, and naturally, its basic instinct will be to attack."

He demanded the forest department to conduct a detailed study into the death of the youth.