Insane moment tourist is chased and trampled by elephant - then fined £200

By Emily Wright, World News Reporter

Video footage has captures the moment a tourist was trampled by an elephant (Image: ViralPress)

Social media footage has emerged of a tourist being trampled by a charging elephant after he tried to take a selfie with it. The video shows the large animal, armed with impressively sized tusks, charging after the man as he fled in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, southwest India.

The tourist, named R. Basavaraju, 50, had reportedly trespassed into a restricted forest near a temple before the encounter. The footage shows the elephant standing at the side of the road before raising its trunk and charging across the road at the tourist, in front of a moving car. As Mr Basavaraju attempted to run away from the world's largest mammal, he fell onto the tarmac and was stomped on several times, ripping off his trousers and underwear in the process. In the clip, the elephant can be seen standing over the tourist before retreating back into the forest.

The incident occured inside the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in India (Image: Getty)

The man survived the ordeal but was taken to a nearby medical facility in Tamil Nadu with severe injuries. According to a witness, Daniel Osorio, the elephant was seen eating carrots roadside when the tourist approached it to take a selfie.

The elephant is believed to have launched the attack after being provoked by the sudden bright flash of Mr Basavaraju's camera.

Following the incident, Mr Basavaraju was fined 25,000 rupees (£200) and ordered to make a video confessing to his actions. In the clip, he said his behaviour was caused by his lack of knowledge of wildlife safety rules. Alighting from vehicles is strictly prohibited inside the reserve.

The witness, Osorio, said: "This incident is a strong reminder to follow the rules of the wildlife reserves and to let trained authorities, not people on foot, handle situations like this," warning others to avoid making the same mistake.

India is home to 60% of the world's entire Asian elephant population (Image: Getty)

The Forest Department said: "Such reckless stunts not only endanger human lives but also provoke unpredictable and dangerous animal behaviour".

India is home to a significant proportion of the Asian elephant population - the second largest land mammal on Earth, just behind the African elephant. While the latter can weigh between 8,800 and 13,450 pounds and stand between 8 and 13 feet tall, Asian elephants typically weigh between 7,900 and 13,000 pounds and stand between 6.5 and 11.5 feet tall.

The Indian subcontinent has at least 30,000 wild elephants - more than any other country. It is also home to 60% of the world's entire Asian elephant population.