Tourists provoke wild tusker in Idukki
A group of tourists in Idukki, Kerala, narrowly escaped a wild elephant attack after provoking the animal for photographs. Separately, the Forest Department provided initial compensation to the family of a man killed by a wild elephant in a different incident in the same region.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the growing conflict between human tourism and wildlife conservation, as well as the risks of human-wildlife interaction.
A group of tourists provoked a wild elephant at Sivanpanthi near Kanthalloor in Idukki on Thursday evening, and a video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The three youths, residents of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, were attempting to take photographs of the tusker. The video shows the youths standing on a narrow road while the tusker roams a nearby farm. After the youths shouted and provoked the animal to click photos, the tusker charged at them. The trio had a narrow escape. The Forest department has not yet registered a case regarding the incident.
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