Madikeri (Karnataka): In a tragic incident, a woman tourist from Tamil Nadu was killed on Monday after coming under a captive elephant that was fighting with another elephant at the Dubare Elephant Camp in Karnataka’s Madikeri district, officials said.
The deceased has been identified as 33-year-old Jinmu. Her husband, Joyal, sustained severe injuries in the incident and has been shifted to the Kushalnagar Government Hospital for treatment.
According to police, the couple had arrived at the Dubare Elephant Camp on Monday morning. They initially got photographs taken with the trained elephants. Later, they ventured into the waterbody along with other tourists while the elephants were being taken for a bath by the mahouts. The tourists were also participating in cleaning and bathing the elephants.
While the tourists were engaged in the activity, two captive elephants, Marthanda and Kanjan, suddenly started fighting with each other. Despite repeated attempts by the mahouts to control them, the elephants continued fighting.
During the commotion, Marthanda reportedly fell on Jinmu, killing her on the spot and seriously injuring her husband. Fellow tourists and authorities rescued the couple from the water body and shifted them to the hospital.
Sources stated that the elephant Kanjan had earlier created panic during the Mysuru Dasara celebrations after suddenly running out of the Mysuru Palace premises following a fight with another elephant. It had also reportedly attacked other elephants at the camp in the past.
Police have taken up further investigation into the incident.
The Dubare Camp, where elephants are trained for the famous Mysuru Dasara, is a place where hundreds of tourists get a chance to have a one-on-one encounter with elephants. A unique eco- tourism destination, the Dubare Elephant Camp is also a centre for the study of elephant behaviour.
Dubare Elephant Camp is a famous location for wildlife lovers. The camp offers an exquisite opportunity for adventurous travellers to observe and interact with the magnificent creatures. Elephants in their natural habitat are quite different from those that are reared in a zoo or closed space. Their peaceful yet wild nature comes across clearly to tourists and is quite thrilling to observe.
(IANS)
