This is the terrifying moment an elephant attacked a Russian traveler at a popular tourist site in India.
The footage, captured by CCTV at the Amber Fort in Jaipur on February 13, shows the female elephant grabbing the woman with her trunk, swinging her vigorously and then throwing her to the ground and breaking her leg.
Another person appears to fly away as the tourist swings around the yard. Two people were injured in the rampage, animal welfare group PETA reported.
The same elephant, which is forced to take rides at the popular tourist site, also seriously injured a trader in October 2022, the organization said.
While elephants rarely misbehave, social welfare groups say they can become aggressive and even kill people when threatened or abused, like the thousands used for entertainment purposes across Asia.
The elephant is seen lifting the tourist by its trunk and swinging her around the courtyard.
It is understood the traveler broke his leg after being thrown by the enraged animal.
Two people were injured when the animal defended itself from ‘mistreatment’
Footage showed the elephant Gouri attacking a Russian tourist in the main courtyard of the Amer Fort in Jaipur, India.
The gentle giant, known as ‘Number 86’ at work, is pictured wrapped in red cloth and a saddle, while others nearby carry tourists on their backs.
At the beginning of the clip, Gouri picks up the traveler with his trunk and spins her around the yard.
The tourist is sent flying when the elephant breaks free and another person appears to fall from the elephant’s back.
Gouri turns to hurry away as witnesses rush to help the two people lying on the ground.
According to PETA, the elephant also attacked a trader in October 2022, breaking his ribs and one of his legs.
The Times of India reported that a 45-year-old man had been attacked by an elephant in Amber, near Jaipur.
PETA is now calling for Gouri to be moved to a sanctuary where she can “begin to recover from the mental trauma of a lifetime of slavery.”
They say the behavior is typical of abused animals and urge tourists to stay away from exploitative businesses aimed at tourists.
“Elephants that have spent years being chained, intimidated and threatened with weapons have been known to go crazy, attacking in fear and frustration,” said PETA Senior Vice President of International Affairs Poorva Joshipura.
‘Despite being a known danger, the gouri is still used to transport tourists to Amber Fort. The authorities need to wake up and send her to a sanctuary and replace the use of elephants with beautifully decorated electric vehicles.
“In the meantime, tourists should vote with their wallets and not support this abuse.”
Elephants, which are herbivores, rarely attack humans, but may do so if they feel threatened or are separated from their young.
Animals that attack are “typically beaten and subjected to other punishments, which only increases their frustration and distress,” according to PETA.
PETA India has previously highlighted that elephants that tested positive for tuberculosis have still been used for rides.
In India alone, around 400 people die each year in clashes with elephants, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Human development has also brought wild elephants to the brink of extinction; Today there are between 30,000 and 50,000 elephants left in the world.
Most live in India, where thousands of captive elephants are forced to work their entire lives in terrible conditions, overheated, mistreated and, in some cases, beaten for misbehaving.
TO study A study carried out by World Animal Protection across the continent between 2014 and 2016 found that tourist demand was fueling a “severely cruel” industry, whereby businessmen captured animals from the wild and forced them into servitude.
In more than three-quarters of the cases analyzed, elephants were held in appalling conditions, often tied to chains less than three meters long and forced to stand for long periods on concrete floors.
A second person, dressed in white, falls to the ground after the elephant throws the tourist
The tourist is sent flying when the elephant breaks free and another person falls off Gouri’s back.
The illustrative image shows elephants working in Thailand. Animal welfare groups say tourism is fueling demand for a “cruel” industry in which elephants live miserable lives of servitude.
Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, global wildlife and veterinary advisor at World Animal Protection (WAP), told the bbc: ‘The cruel trend of using elephants for rides and shows is growing; We want tourists to know that many of these elephants are separated from their mothers as babies, forced to endure harsh training and suffer poor living conditions throughout their lives.
“There is an urgent need for tourism education and regulation of wildlife tourism attractions around the world.”
In the UK, the government passed the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Overseas) Bill, which seeks to ban tour operators in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from advertising cruel animal attractions and experiences, such as horse rides. elephant.
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is now under pressure to press ahead with a consultation to identify what activities the bill will cover.