Angry at Harsh Beating... Elephant Trainer Dies While Training Elephants in India

Trainer grabbed by the nose and thrown to the ground
Trainer reported dead at the scene

An incident occurred in India where an elephant in training stepped on its trainer, causing his death. On the 24th (local time), foreign media including the Daily Mail reported that on the 20th, a 62-year-old trainer was trampled to death by a 900 kg elephant at a safari park in the Idukki region of Kerala, India. The video shows the trainer hitting the elephant's leg with a stick during training. Afterwards, the elephant appeared to be angry and attacked the trainer, knocking him down and trampling him. A scene was captured where the elephant grabbed the trainer's neck with its trunk and threw him to the ground. The man was reported to have died at the scene.

An elephant in training in India trampled its trainer to death. On the 25th (local time), foreign media including the Daily Mail reported that on the 20th, a 62-year-old trainer was trampled to death by a 900 kg elephant at a safari park in the Idukki region of Kerala, India.
[Photo by Daily Mail]

The police and authorities have issued a temporary closure order for the elephant safari park and are continuing their investigation. An official stated, "We are investigating whether there were any violations of regulations related to the elephant safari, and the park closure is necessary for the safety of the elephants." Netizens who saw the report reacted with comments such as, "The elephant must have endured abuse and acted out," "Protecting and defending oneself is the nature or normal response of an elephant," "Elephants are not animals to be 'trained' by humans," and "I hope the elephant does not die because of this incident."

The process of training elephants to carry tourists is harsh. In the case of baby elephants, they are separated from their mothers at a very young age. Additionally, the elephants' legs are tied to minimize movement. Those who earn income through elephant tourism cut off opportunities for the elephants to interact with friends or family.

Animal organizations such as PEAT explain that many elephants undergo violent training processes. It is common to hit them with long sticks during this process, and the violence intensifies the more the elephant resists. Trainers pierce the elephant's head with sharp metal skewers to inflict wounds and teach obedience. The trainers' goal is to break the elephant's ‘spirit.’ Animal organizations claim that elephants carrying tourists are not acting on their own will but have been enslaved through coercion and violence. Therefore, the logic of animal organizations is that if tourists refuse or stop riding elephants, the harsh taming of elephants will also disappear.

Meanwhile, it is estimated that more than 25,000 wild elephants live in India. As forest development continues to expand, habitats have decreased, leading to frequent attacks on humans by elephants. According to Indian government statistics, more than 2,300 people died from elephant attacks over five years from 2015 to 2019.