Viral video shows wild elephant trampling tourist, stripping his pants after reckless selfie stunt in Karnataka

Entering a restricted forest area, a tourist named R. Basavarju clicked a selfie with an elephant—munching on carrots—-near a temple in Karnataka state of India. Other tourists recorded the shocking moment. The video went viral online, causing anger and fresh warnings about staying safe around wild animals.

Witness Daniel Osorio said the elephant got provoked by the sudden camera flash, raised its trunk, and became aggressive. In the video, the elephant is seen sprinting across the road toward Basavaraju, surprising drivers on the busy road, as per the New York Post report.

Elephant attack turns dangerous

While running away, Basavaraju fell face-first onto the road, giving the elephant a chance to catch him. Stomping on Basavarju multiple times, the elephant marauded the tourist, with his rear left exposed after his trousers were torn apart due to the attack.

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The elephant continued to stand over him for some time, before going back to the wilderness, giving Basavarju a last chance to escape. Basavarju was then rushed to the hospital and is now under treatment. Local forest authorities fined him 25,000 rupees (about $285) for trespassing and provoking wildlife, as stated by New York Post.

Forest officials warn tourists

He was also told to record a confession video admitting that he broke wildlife safety rules out of ignorance. The Forest Department called his actions reckless and reminded people to follow wildlife safety rules. India has over 30,000 wild elephants, the largest in the world, making up about 60% of all Asian elephants globally, as per the reports.

Last year, in Jaipur, a Russian woman was thrown to the ground by an elephant named Gouri at Amer Fort. The same elephant also badly injured a shopkeeper months earlier. Experts say elephants are normally gentle, but fear, mistreatment, or provocation can make them violent, especially in tourism or entertainment settings.

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This incident has started new talks on making the provocation of wild animals a criminal offense, with calls for harsher punishments for tourists risking lives for viral videos, as stated in the report by New York Post.

FAQs

Q1. Why did the elephant attack the tourist in Karnataka?
The elephant got angry after the tourist tried to take a selfie in a restricted area and provoked it with a camera flash.

Q2. What happened to the tourists after the elephant attack?
He was trampled, injured, his clothes were torn, and he was hospitalized, later fined by forest authorities for trespassing.