A tourist from Kerala had a narrow escape after a wild elephant charged at him in Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve while he tried to capture a close-up photograph. The animal was eating carrots it had taken from a passing truck when the man approached dangerously close.
Incident captured on video
The tense encounter, recorded on camera, has gone viral on social media, sparking shock and criticism. The video shows the elephant walking on a road lined with vehicles and people. As it crosses, a white car stops to let it pass. Moments later, the animal suddenly charges at the man, who was standing near roadside bushes.
He attempted to flee but stumbled and fell onto the road. The elephant pinned him down briefly as onlookers screamed to scare it away. Thankfully, the animal retreated, leaving the man shaken but unharmed.
Witness account blames camera flash
A witness in the white car claimed the man used a camera with a flash, startling the elephant and provoking the charge. “The sudden burst of light startled the animal, triggering the charge,” the caption on the viral post explained.
The caption also stressed that clear signs along the route warn visitors to stay inside their vehicles, urging that such incidents serve as reminders to follow reserve rules and leave wildlife handling to trained authorities.
Previous warnings on human-wildlife conflict
In January, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer had issued a warning after another video emerged of a man provoking an elephant and narrowly avoiding being attacked. The officer condemned such “dangerous and unethical behaviour,” pointing out that it endangers both humans and animals.
Sharing that earlier footage, the officer remarked: “Identify the animal in this video. Maybe you are young and you can outrun the elephants. But these irritated animals don’t behave peacefully if they see other humans for the next few days. Don’t irritate wild animals for your fun.”
A reminder of safety in reserves
The Bandipur incident underscores the risks of ignoring wildlife reserve rules. Authorities urge tourists to remain inside vehicles and maintain a safe distance from animals to prevent harm to both people and wildlife.