A 33-year-old woman from Chennai was crushed to death by two elephants at the Dubare elephant camp in Karnataka, India, after the animals began fighting. The incident occurred while the woman was standing near a river watching the elephants being bathed.
Video footage shows the woman struggling in shallow water as one elephant trampled her while repeatedly trying to stand, with the other elephant continuing to attack. Her husband and child narrowly escaped. The mahout's attempts to separate the elephants were unsuccessful.
Karnataka's forest minister, Eshwar B Khandre, described the incident as 'shocking' and announced stricter rules. Tourists must now maintain a minimum distance of 100 feet from elephants at all captive camps. Selfies, touching trunks, feeding, and bathing elephants have been banned.
A forest department official noted that fights among elephants are common, but Dubare is particularly sensitive due to the high number of elephants and close tourist proximity. The camp was temporarily closed in 2019 after an elephant escaped while in musth.
Animal welfare groups have long criticized the commercialization of elephants in India, where they are used in tourism and festivals despite legal protections. Critics argue that elephants are subjected to stressful environments and harsh training methods.
