<p>Madikeri: There was no emergency medical vehicle or basic first-aid facility at the Dubare elephant camp, alleged Joel, the husband of Joysi who lost her life during the clash of two tamed elephants on Monday.</p>.<p>“There was no emergency medical vehicle at the spot. Even though staff were present, they could not rescue her. There was not even a basic first-aid facility,” he told media persons.</p>.<p>The family had come from Pallavaram in Chennai to Mysuru and then to Dubare.</p>.<p>“We had purchased tickets worth Rs 300 each to watch the elephant bathing and were taking photographs near the bathing area. At that moment, another elephant suddenly came and attacked the elephant beside us. The elephant fell on me and my wife. I was holding our baby in my hands. I somehow managed to escape, but my wife could not come out. I tried to pull her out in vain,” he lamented, adding that everyone around them ran away and there was no one for immediate help.</p>.<p>The victim’s cornea was donated to the teaching hospital of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences in Madikeri.</p>.<p><strong>Camp closed today</strong></p>.<p>Deputy Conservator of Forests Abhishek said the elephant camp will be closed for visitors on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, reports have emerged that elephant Kanjan, which attacked elephant Marthanda, has attacked and injured several other elephants in the past as well. The 27-year-old pachyderm has been participating in the Mysuru Dasara since 2023.</p>.<p>During the 2024 Dasara celebrations, Kanjan had attacked elephant Dhananjaya on the Mysuru Palace premises and chased the latter away with its tusks. Kanjan later rammed through the palace gate and ran onto the road, creating panic before being brought under control by mahouts.</p>.Tourist crushed to death after jumbos clash.<p>Sources said that even after returning to the Dubare camp, Kanjan had attacked Dhananjaya again.</p>.<p>Nature Conservation Foundation Scientist M Anand Kumar, who has conducted extensive studies on human-elephant conflict and the behaviour of Asian elephants in human-dominated landscapes in South India, said, “It is unfortunate that the incident at Dubare resulted in a loss of a person’s life, and it could have been avoided if the authorities had maintained a safe distance between elephants and people.”</p>.<p>“Though elephants have been domesticated, they still retain their natural instincts and feel uncomfortable and insecure in the presence of people close to them. They get agitated in the presence of more humans. We should respect them and avoid close proximity as they may turn aggressive due to uncomfortable intimidation,” he said.</p>.<p>He urged the authorities to ensure that people respect the elephants’ space and observe and enjoy them from a safe distance. “Allowing people to bathe the elephants and touch them is risky. It may lead to unpleasant and unwarranted consequences,” added Anand.</p>
<p>Madikeri: There was no emergency medical vehicle or basic first-aid facility at the Dubare elephant camp, alleged Joel, the husband of Joysi who lost her life during the clash of two tamed elephants on Monday.</p>.<p>“There was no emergency medical vehicle at the spot. Even though staff were present, they could not rescue her. There was not even a basic first-aid facility,” he told media persons.</p>.<p>The family had come from Pallavaram in Chennai to Mysuru and then to Dubare.</p>.<p>“We had purchased tickets worth Rs 300 each to watch the elephant bathing and were taking photographs near the bathing area. At that moment, another elephant suddenly came and attacked the elephant beside us. The elephant fell on me and my wife. I was holding our baby in my hands. I somehow managed to escape, but my wife could not come out. I tried to pull her out in vain,” he lamented, adding that everyone around them ran away and there was no one for immediate help.</p>.<p>The victim’s cornea was donated to the teaching hospital of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences in Madikeri.</p>.<p><strong>Camp closed today</strong></p>.<p>Deputy Conservator of Forests Abhishek said the elephant camp will be closed for visitors on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, reports have emerged that elephant Kanjan, which attacked elephant Marthanda, has attacked and injured several other elephants in the past as well. The 27-year-old pachyderm has been participating in the Mysuru Dasara since 2023.</p>.<p>During the 2024 Dasara celebrations, Kanjan had attacked elephant Dhananjaya on the Mysuru Palace premises and chased the latter away with its tusks. Kanjan later rammed through the palace gate and ran onto the road, creating panic before being brought under control by mahouts.</p>.Tourist crushed to death after jumbos clash.<p>Sources said that even after returning to the Dubare camp, Kanjan had attacked Dhananjaya again.</p>.<p>Nature Conservation Foundation Scientist M Anand Kumar, who has conducted extensive studies on human-elephant conflict and the behaviour of Asian elephants in human-dominated landscapes in South India, said, “It is unfortunate that the incident at Dubare resulted in a loss of a person’s life, and it could have been avoided if the authorities had maintained a safe distance between elephants and people.”</p>.<p>“Though elephants have been domesticated, they still retain their natural instincts and feel uncomfortable and insecure in the presence of people close to them. They get agitated in the presence of more humans. We should respect them and avoid close proximity as they may turn aggressive due to uncomfortable intimidation,” he said.</p>.<p>He urged the authorities to ensure that people respect the elephants’ space and observe and enjoy them from a safe distance. “Allowing people to bathe the elephants and touch them is risky. It may lead to unpleasant and unwarranted consequences,” added Anand.</p>
