Elephant Brought To Temple Turns Violent, Kills One, Injures Mahout

Kochi : A captive elephant brought to a temple in Kidangoor in Angamaly turned violent on Friday, attacking and injuring several people, one of whom died in the incident, police said. In the visuals of the incident broadcast on television channels, the jumbo is seen attacking vehicles parked near the temple.

Police said a car flipped several times, completely destroying it and also damaged several two-wheelers present there, even as the Forest Department’s Elephant Squad tried to catch the jumbo before it moved from the temple premises to a more populated area.

An official from Angamali police station said that a truck driver was killed in the attack and the mother elephant was seriously injured.

Later, around noon, more than two hours after the jumbo raged, he was sedated by a veterinarian.

After being hit with an arrow, the elephant became more agitated for a short time and rolled over another vehicle within the temple area that it had previously damaged.

Later, the jumbo gradually calmed down, allowing the Forest Department team to restrain the elephant by tying its hind legs with ropes and tying it to several trees, according to visuals on TV channels.

A person who claimed to have a relationship with the elephant said that the jumbo had participated in the Thrissur Pooram festival in the past and was calm in nature.

“It has not been violent in the past. Something must have triggered it. It is calm now,” he told a TV channel.