Tourists escape unhurt as Wild Elephant charges moving car in Kerala

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A group of tourists had a miraculous escape after a wild elephant attacked their moving car in Kerala's Munnar on Saturday. The incident occurred near Signal Point on the Munnar-Devikulam Road, according to sources from the forest department. The elephant suddenly charged at the moving vehicle, kicked it and overturned the car, said local residents. Despite the terrifying encounter, the three tourists and the driver inside the car escaped without injury. The wild elephant was later driven back into the forest by the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the Wildlife Department.

The car’s driver recounted the terrifying moment, stating, "I tried to turn the vehicle in the opposite direction, but the elephant rushed in and kicked it." Television visuals showed the shaken tourists standing near the damaged car, with visible damage to the doors, windows, and mirrors on one side of the vehicle.

According to a forest official, the incident occurred while the tourists were traveling from Munnar to Thekkady. It is believed that the passengers were foreign tourists, though this has not been confirmed. Fortunately, they were unharmed despite the damage to the vehicle. The elephant was successfully driven back into the forest by RRT personnel, preventing any further escalation. The attack has raised concerns about safety measures for tourists traveling through wildlife areas in Kerala, though the swift action of the RRT helped avert a potentially more dangerous situation.