Gentle giant gets rough Grabs man with trunk and tosses him into air

Sumesh Rajan

January 8, 2025

Mumbai

 

In a bone chilling incident in the state of Kerala in India, an elephant – a gentle giant – ran amok during a festival celebration, grabbing a spectator by his legs with its trunk and tossed him into the air, causing severe injuries to him, around 12.30 am on January 8.

The incident unfolded at the BP Angadi mosque in Tirur located around 340 kilometers north of the state capital Thriuvananthapuram, during the mosque’s Puthiyangadi Nercha (offering) festival.

The annual event, held in Malappuram district, is a vibrant celebration featuring a parade of elephants decked with rich decorative golden coverings called nehitchutti. The festival is held in memory of Aloor Valiya Pookunjikoya Thangal, a revered saint of the Malabar region (in present day Kerala).

The gentle giant named Pakkathu Sreekuttan, which was among the five caparisoned elephants of the parade, suddenly became agitated and charged into the crowd of spectators despite the mahout’s attempts to calm it down.

This created widespread panic with people running helter skelter to save themselves. In the mele, Pakkathu Sreekuttan grabbed the man identified as Unnikrishnan by his leg with its trunk, swinging him violently, and flung him into the air.

The critically injured Unnikrishnan was rushed to MIMS Hospital in Kotakkal, where he is undergoing treatment.

Eyewitnesses say that 27 people were injured, two of them seriously, in this incident.

Local residents expressed shock and concern over the incident, with many calling for stricter measures to prevent similar tragedies.

As the investigation continues, the incident serves as a somber reminder of the risks involved in blending tradition with modern festivities using animals.