An elderly tribal couple was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials said on Monday.

The duo were killed Sunday evening when they were collecting cashew nuts and were attacked by an elephant at Aralam farm in Kannur district.

The deaths sparked protests that continued until late at night in the area against the growing human-animal conflict.

The agitated residents demanded immediate steps to prevent wildlife incursions.

Local media report said 17 lives have been lost to wild elephant attacks in Aralam since 2014.

In recent months, Kerala has witnessed a surge in fatal wild elephant attacks, triggering growing protests against the forest department.

Wildlife experts say mass urbanisation, denudation of forests, encroachment of forestland, and vanishing of buffer zones in the forests are some of the reasons that push wild animals into residential areas.

(Xinhua/NAN)