New Delhi: A 33-year-old tourist from Chennai has lost her life after a sudden fight broke out between two elephants at Karnataka‘s popular Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu district. The incident happened while visitors were watching the elephants being bathed, a regular activity that attracts tourists to the camp.
The victim is identified as Jyunesh, who was reportedly standing near the elephants during the bathing session on Tuesday when the situation turned dangerous within seconds. According to officials, an elephant named Kanchan attacked another elephant, Marthanda, during the routine activity.
Mahouts present at the camp tried to control the elephants but the animals could not be separated immediately. In the chaos, one of the elephants lost balance and fell on the woman. As the elephant struggled to get back on its feet, Jyunesh was trampled further, leading to fatal injuries.
Tourist death in kodagu district kushalangara dubare elephant camp.@aranya_kfd@eshwar_khandre @tourist # wild life# india# karnataka# elephant pic.twitter.com/2HiAMeJWmC
— Lalataksha s (@lalataksha_s) May 18, 2026
Safety concerns raised after incident
The tragic incident has once again raised concerns over tourist safety at wildlife camps where visitors are allowed to go close to elephants. Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre expressed grief over the woman’s death and asked officials to tighten safety measures at such locations.
The minister said that even though captive elephants are trained, animal behaviour can never be predicted completely. He directed authorities to ensure tourists maintain a safe distance from elephants and other wildlife animals.
Officials have also been instructed to stop visitors from touching elephant trunks, feeding elephants, washing them, or standing too close for photographs. The state government is expected to review existing safety arrangements at wildlife camps following the incident.
Recent rise in elephant-related deaths
The Kodagu incident comes amid several recent deaths linked to elephant encounters in different parts of the country.
Last month, a 55-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Chhattisgarh’s Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district. The elephant reportedly continued roaming through nearby areas for days, creating panic among villagers.
Earlier in March, an 80-year-old woman was killed by a tusker near the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district. Villagers claimed the same elephant had damaged crops in nearby fields earlier that morning.
Forest officials across states have repeatedly advised people to avoid getting too close to elephants, even in controlled environments as sudden aggression among the animals can become difficult to manage.