The accident occurred on May 18 at the Dubare elephant camp near Chennai (India), where a woman with her husband and baby were watching elephants being bathed. Suddenly, two trained elephants started fighting, and one of them knocked the woman down and fatally trampled her.
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It is reported that the family was standing close to the animals when a conflict arose between the elephants named Kanchan and Marthanda. During the fight, one of them fell on the tourist and pinned her down. The animal is believed to have weighed more than 4 tons.
The woman’s husband and baby managed to escape, but bystanders were unable to pull her out from under the elephant.
It is still unclear why the trained animals suddenly started fighting. It is only known that the severely injured elephant Marthanda died the day after the incident.
The family had come to the area for a short two-day trip.
After the tragedy – stricter rules for tourists
After the accident, officials decided to tighten safety measures at wild animal camps.
From now on, visitors must keep at least 30 meters away from the elephants, and they will also be prohibited from feeding the animals or taking photos very close to them.
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Animal rights activists: this is a warning about wildlife tourism
The incident sparked discussions among animal rights activists. The organization PETA called the tragedy a painful reminder of the dangers wild animals used for tourism entertainment can pose.
According to the organization, animals kept in captivity and forced to participate in activities for humans often experience stress, which can result in aggressive behavior.
“Animals are not vehicles, trophies, or props for tourist entertainment,” the organization stated.
Meanwhile, the camp’s own website states that elephant bathing activities are currently suspended due to rising water levels during the monsoon season, but there is no mention of the fatal incident.
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