Shivamogga, May 21: The Sakrebail Elephant Camp in Karnataka has been temporarily closed to tourists following a tragic incident at the Dubare Elephant Camp, where a female tourist lost her life due to a fight between two elephants. Officials announced the closure on Wednesday, stating that the injured elephant, named Martand, later died from its injuries.
Authorities have implemented a complete ban on tourist entry into the Sakrebail Camp until new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are established. Initially, restrictions were placed only on activities involving direct contact with the elephants, allowing tourists to observe from a distance. However, to prevent any further incidents, all tourist activities at the camp have now been halted.
The Sakrebail Elephant Camp, located near the backwaters of the Tungabhadra reservoir in the Shivamogga taluk, is a popular tourist destination known for its elephant-related activities.
The unfortunate incident occurred on Monday when a tourist from Tamil Nadu, identified as S. Junis, was killed during a confrontation between two elephants. Following her death, the Dubare Elephant Camp was also completely shut down to tourists.
Junis’s husband, Joyel, sustained serious injuries and has been admitted to a government hospital in Kushalnagar for treatment. According to police reports, the couple arrived at the Dubare Elephant Camp on Monday morning and initially took photos with trained elephants. Later, they entered the water area where mahouts were bathing the elephants, participating in the cleaning activities.
During this time, two elephants named Martand and Kanjan suddenly clashed. Despite the mahouts’ efforts to control the situation, the struggle continued. In the ensuing chaos, Martand reportedly fell on the female tourist, resulting in her immediate death, while her husband was severely injured. Other tourists and officials managed to pull them out of the water and rushed them to the hospital.
On Tuesday, the severely injured elephant Martand also succumbed to its injuries. Sources indicate that Martand suffered significant internal injuries during the altercation and was unable to rise after falling. Reports suggest that it endured continuous attacks for about 15 minutes, leading to severe blood loss that critically affected its heart function.
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