Elephant In Musth Runs Amok Near Angamaly Temple in Kerala, One Dead, Another Hurt; Videos Surface

A 40-year-old man was killed and a mahout was injured after an elephant ran amok near Kidangoor Mahavishnu Temple in Angamaly, Kerala. The elephant, Mayyanad Parthasarathy, had been brought for a temple festival and was reportedly in musth.

Elephant turns violent near temple

A 40-year-old man was killed and a mahout was injured after an elephant ran amok near the Kidangoor Mahavishnu Temple in Angamaly, Kerala, on Friday morning.

The man who died was identified as Vishnu, a native of Kollam. He was driving the vehicle that had transported the elephant to the temple.

Elephant was brought for festival

The elephant, named Mayyanad Parthasarathy, had been brought from Kollam for a temple festival at a nearby shrine.

Before the event, it was taken to the Kidangoor Mahavishnu Temple for blessings. Soon after arriving, the elephant became agitated, broke its chain and charged.

Mahout injured during attack

According to Angamaly police, the elephant was in musth, a condition that can make male elephants highly aggressive.

At around 9.45 am, it attacked mahout Pradeep and a helper when they tried to control it. Pradeep suffered injuries and was admitted to a nearby hospital in Angamaly. Police said his injuries were minor, and he remains under observation.

Vehicles and property damaged

Residents said the elephant caused major damage in the temple ground area.

It flipped a car and a scooter, badly damaging both vehicles. The elephant also rammed into the wall of a nearby house.

As the temple is located in a residential area, officials quickly blocked two sides of the ground to stop the elephant from escaping.

Animal brought under control

Police, forest officials and trained elephant squad members rushed to the scene.

After nearly two hours, officials fired tranquilliser darts and finally managed to control the elephant around 12.30 pm.

The animal was then chained securely to a coconut tree at the temple ground.

Investigation continues

The incident has once again raised concerns about the safety of using elephants during temple festivals.

Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances that led to the tragic incident