Well, I may be reconsidering my dream of playing with elephants in Thailand after this. While I always envisioned elephants as gentle giants, I sometimes forget that they are fully capable of killing me. I am sure that is something that this one man will now never forget. Worshippers were shocked when they witnessed an enraged elephant as it grabs a man with its trunk and smashes him around.
Enraged Elephant Grabs Man With Trunk
Thrissur Pooram is a prominent religious festival that takes place in Kerala, India. The Daily Mail shares that "it is a spectacular temple celebration held in the cultural capital of the state." While it is well known for various beautiful aspects, one of the things it is most well-known for is its elephant involvement.
Decorated elephants walk in processions, marching in rhythm to the beat of the many drums. However, one elephant decided it no longer wanted to be a part of the celebration. In the midst of the ceremony, an enraged elephant grabs a man with its trunk and smashes him around. The elephant grabbed the worshipper by his leg and tossed him around as simply as we would toss a coin.
Naturally, all those around the scene began to flee, hoping to scramble out of the elephant's war path. However, not everyone ran from the distressed animal. Various elephant riders approached the animal and attempted to console it. They began removing some of its many ornaments in an attempt to alleviate some of its aggression.
Despite this elephant's outburst, and many people arguing it is animal abuse to decorate them the way that they do, their presence in Hindu temple festivities is common and considered favorable. Furthermore, the Daily Mail shares that "the sub-continent has at least 30,000 wild elephants." So not all of them are partaking in these festivities. That amount of wild elephants is "more than any other country and approximately 60 percent of the world's entire Asian elephant population."