Elephant running amok injures 13 people during procession in Sri Lanka

Indian Ocean - Elephant running amok injures 13 people during procession in Sri Lanka

A panicked elephant in Sri Lanka injured 13 people during a religious ceremony. According to the police in the island nation in the Indian Ocean, the incident occurred the previous day in Kataragama, about 280 kilometers south of the capital Colombo. In video recordings, a handler is seen attempting to control the agitated procession elephant by pulling its tail.

However, this fails: The animal goes berserk and injures 13 people running away from it. The injured were all taken to the hospital, but have since been discharged, the police reported. The elephant was one of several that were completely covered in red-blue-golden robes during the Hindu procession.

Animal welfare activists criticize the use of elephants in temple ceremonies

Elephants are considered sacred in Sri Lanka. Animal welfare activists frequently criticize their widespread use in temple ceremonies, and laws against animal cruelty are seldom enforced.

There have been several cases where the animals got out of control during parades with loud music and fireworks. For instance, in August of last year, dozens of pilgrims jumped into a lake in the popular tourist city of Kandy to escape from five agitated young elephants. Several people were injured.

According to official estimates, there are around 200 domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka, in addition to approximately 7500 in the wild. The government has banned the capture of wild elephants, but in recent years, dozens of calves have been stolen – often their mothers were killed by the poachers first.

1. Despite the criticism from animal welfare activists, the use of elephants in religious processions in Sri Lanka, situated in the Indian Ocean, remains prevalent.
2. The incident involving the aggressive elephant during the Hindu procession in Kataragama, near Colombo, is one of several similar incidents in recent years.
3. The Indian Ocean, home to Sri Lanka, witnessed another incident on a Sunday, as dozens of pilgrims jumped into a lake in Kandy to evade agitated young elephants during a parade.
4. Elephants, revered as sacred animals in Sri Lanka, often suffer due to the lack of enforcement of animal cruelty laws, especially during temple ceremonies and processions near the Indian Ocean.

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