After weeks of anti-India rhetoric, Maldives' President Mohammad Muizzu has shifted to a distinctly reconciliatory tone for New Delhi. The reasons are not difficult to find as the Maldives owes India some $49 million and Male seeks debt relief from New Delhi.

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The two-week-long talks over the possible pre-poll alliance between the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP in Odisha broke down, with both parties separately announcing decisions to go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

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<p>In Kerala, where nearly 30 per cent of the land is forested, human-wildlife conflicts are commonplace. A&nbsp;recent 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).</p>

<p>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 people&nbsp;were injured while fleeing, and several vehicles were damaged.</p>

<p><strong>Watch the video here:</strong></p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">An elephant brought for the arat ritual at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mandarakadavu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mandarakadavu</a> attacked a fellow elephant. The incident happened in Thrissur, Kerala.<br />
Credit: X <a href="https://t.co/q02LgcLOP8">pic.twitter.com/q02LgcLOP8</a></p>
— Sanat Singh (@sanat_design) <a href="https://twitter.com/sanat_design/status/1771435507773267974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Cultural significance of Arattupuzha Pooram</strong></h2>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/elephant-charges-at-safari-truck-lifting-it-off-the-ground-watch-703235">Also read |&nbsp;Elephant charges at safari truck, lifting it off the ground: WATCH</a></p>

<h2><strong>Escalation of conflicts</strong></h2>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Plastic's devastating impact on wildlife</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/plastics-devastating-impact-on-wildlife-691033/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>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.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


In Kerala, where nearly 30 per cent of the land is forested, human-wildlife conflicts are commonplace. A recent 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).

In Kerala, where nearly 30 per cent of the land is forested, human-wildlife conflicts are commonplace. A recent 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 people were injured while fleeing, and several vehicles were damaged. Watch the video here: An elephant brought for the arat ritual at #Mandarakadavu attacked a fellow elephant. The incident happened in Thrissur, Kerala. Credit: X pic.twitter.com/q02LgcLOP8 — Sanat Singh (@sanat_design) March 23, 2024 × 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. Also read | Elephant charges at safari truck, lifting it off the ground: WATCH 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. Also watch | Plastic's devastating impact on wildlife 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)

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

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<p>Talks for alliance were being held between the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP.</p>

<p>“Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight this election alone in all 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats to create a developed India and a developed Odisha under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to fulfil the hopes, aspirations and aspirations of four and a half crore Odiyas,” Samal said in a post on X.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Talks for alliance were being held between the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP. “Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight this election alone in all 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats to create a developed India and a developed Odisha under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to fulfil the hopes, aspirations and aspirations of four and a half crore Odiyas,” Samal said in a post on X.

India: No alliance with BJD, BJP to contest solo in Odisha

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