WATCH: Fully decorated Kerala temple elephant goes berserk upon spotting another tusker

In Kerala, where nearly 30 per cent of the land is forested, human-wildlife conflicts are commonplace. Arecent episode unfolded during the Arattupuzha Pooram festival in Thrissur district, where an elephant, part of the festival's rituals at Mandarakadavu, attacked another elephant on Thursday (Mar 21).

A viral video captured the chaos, showing a decorated elephant charging and hitting another as spectators panicked. Reports also mention another elephant behaving aggressively. Two peoplewere injured while fleeing, and several vehicles were damaged.

Watch the video here:

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Cultural significance of Arattupuzha Pooram

Arattupuzha Pooram, celebrated at the Sree Sastha Temple in Thrissur, holds immense cultural importance as Kerala's oldest pooram festival. Spanning seven days annually, it is revered as a sacred gathering of deities.

Despite its modest size, Kerala faces challenges with human settlements encroaching upon forested areas. Rapid urbanisation and agricultural expansion further blur the lines between humans and wildlife.

Escalation of conflicts

Recent years have seen a spike in incidents where human lives are endangered due to encounters with wild animals. Recognising the gravity of these situations, the Kerala cabinet designated human-animal conflicts as a state-specific disaster.

In a similar situation of human-elephant confrontation, during a recent safari expedition in South Africa's Pilanesberg Game Reserve, the safari guide found himself in a harrowing confrontation with an enraged elephant. The incident took place at the Rathlogo Bird Hide within the reserve, where tourists are allowed to disembark from their vehicles and explore the area under specific guidelines.

As the guests were taking a break, the safari guide noticed an elephant bull approaching their location. One of the tourists captured footage of the encounter, which later spread on social media.

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While elephants generally avoid confrontations with humans or vehicles when given adequate space, their behaviour can become unpredictable, particularly when they enter a heightened hormonal state known as musth, marked by increased aggression.

(With inputs from agencies)