Bandipur elephant attack: Karnataka man fined ₹25,000 for violating wildlife rules

A tourist's selfie attempt with a wild elephant in Bandipur Tiger Reserve led to chaos and injury.

A dangerous attempt to take a selfie with a wild elephant in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve ended in chaos, injury, and a heavy fine for a man who flouted wildlife protection rules.

The entire episode was captured on video by a foreign tourist, who posted it on Instagram. ((Instagram/thales_yoga))

The incident occurred on Sunday evening on National Highway 67, which cuts through the protected reserve and strictly prohibits vehicles from stopping.

The man, identified as R Basavaraj, a resident of Nanjangud, was briefly detained by forest officials on Monday after a viral video showed him being chased and stomped on by an elephant, Indian Express reported.

The animal reportedly charged after Basavaraj tried to approach it for a selfie. While he managed to escape with only minor injuries, the elephant’s aggression caused panic and briefly disrupted traffic on the highway.

In a video shared later by the forest department, Basavaraj issued a cautionary statement to other tourists. “I was returning from Bankapura temple when I saw the elephant on the highway. I tried to take a selfie, and it chased and attacked me. I urge others not to stop vehicles, get down for any reason, or offer food to wild animals,” he said.

The entire episode was captured on video by a foreign tourist, who posted it on Instagram. The clip shows a calm elephant feeding on carrots dropped from a passing truck while vehicles wait patiently at a distance. The peaceful scene quickly turned dangerous when, according to a witness, Basavaraj used a camera with flash, startling the animal into charging.