A tourist from Kerala had a miraculous escape after being attacked by a wild elephant in Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The frightening encounter occurred when the tusker suddenly charged at the man, knocked him to the ground, and pinned him under its foot before eventually retreating. Despite the severity of the situation, the tourist survived and was taken to a hospital with injuries.
A video of the incident, which has since gone viral, shows the elephant standing on a road congested with vehicles and people. Without warning, it charged at the man, who was walking along the roadside. Startled, the tourist ran, but after a short chase, he stumbled and fell. The elephant then stepped on him before moving away, giving the man a chance to survive the ordeal.
Forest officials have confirmed the incident and said they are working to establish the tourist’s identity. They added that the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, which lies in a crucial wildlife corridor, frequently experiences human-elephant interactions due to its popularity among visitors and its rich biodiversity.
This is not the first time such encounters have been reported in the area. In February this year, two tourists narrowly escaped when an elephant chased them after they attempted to take a selfie with it in the Chamarajanagar district section of the National Park. Both were on their way to Kerala and escaped without injury.
In a more tragic case from December 2023, a partially devoured body of a man was discovered in the Kundakere range of the reserve, marking the third human death due to tiger attacks in Bandipur in just one month. Authorities have repeatedly urged tourists to maintain safe distances from wildlife and avoid behaviour that might provoke dangerous encounters.
