A tourist has been fined 25,000 rupees (£200) after he was chased and trampled by an elephant while trying to take a selfie in a restricted forest area in southwest India. The man, identified only as R. Basavaraju, was criticised as “reckless” by authorities after he entered the prohibited zone and approached the animal too closely.
Video footage shows the tourist being chased by the furious elephant, which caught up to him and stomped on him several times. Despite suffering severe injuries, he managed to escape and was taken to hospital. Witness Daniel Osorio said the elephant had been eating carrots by the roadside when Basavaraju attempted to take a photo, calling the escape “very lucky”.
The Forest Department released a statement saying: “Such reckless stunts not only endanger human lives but also provoke unpredictable and dangerous animal behaviour.” Basavaraju was also made to record an apology video, in which he admitted his actions resulted from a lack of knowledge about wildlife safety rules.
The incident comes weeks after the co-owner of Gondwana Private Game Reserve in South Africa, FC Conradie, was trampled to death by an elephant. The 39-year-old CEO was killed after trying to move the animal away from tourist lodges. A police inquest has been opened into his death.
