A 33-year-old female tourist in India was killed at an elephant camp tourist site when two male elephants suddenly went on a rampage. In the chaos, the tourist sought shelter between the elephant’s legs, only to be crushed on-site by one of the elephants, which had lost its balance after being rammed, resulting in severe head injuries and instant death.
According to multiple Indian media reports, the incident occurred on May 18th. The deceased, a 33-year-old woman named Kinsu, was visiting Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu District, Karnataka, with her family. At the time, Kinsu’s family was in the elephant bathing area, watching the elephants along with other tourists, when a male elephant named Kanchan suddenly went berserk and used its tusks to violently attack another male elephant, Martanda.
Because Martanda did not have tusks, it was completely unable to fight back and could only try to flee. During the clash and chase between the two massive elephants, they suddenly lost control and charged toward an area crowded with tourists. Dozens of visitors immediately scattered in panic, creating a scene of utter chaos.
Husband and 5-Year-Old Daughter Escaped Unharmed
In the chaos, Kinsu, who was at the riverbank watching the elephants, failed to escape in time and was caught between Martanda’s legs. At that moment, Kanchan launched another fierce attack, causing Martanda to lose its balance and topple over, its massive body landing directly on Kinsu, inflicting severe head injuries. Although the mahouts did their best to control the elephants, while onlookers tried in vain to pull her out, Kinsu was fatally injured and did not survive the journey to the hospital. Kinsu’s husband and 5-year-old daughter managed to escape in time during the chaos, narrowly avoiding harm.
Attacked Elephant Also Succumbed to Injuries
The tuskless elephant Martanda, which was violently attacked, also sustained serious injuries to its head, ears, and back, and was declared dead the next day.
According to preliminary investigations by the local forest department, neither of the two male elephants was in the highly aggressive "musth" mating period. The tragedy is suspected to have started because Martanda tried to prevent Kanchan from approaching a female elephant, triggering the clash. Authorities are still investigating whether the incident was an accidental trampling or a deliberate attack by the elephants.
The local government has announced the immediate implementation of safety measures, with a comprehensive ban on tourists touching elephant trunks or participating in close interactions such as bathing the elephants. (News Source: HK01)