A family returning from Gundlupet had a frightening encounter with a wild elephant on the Sulthan Bathery-Gundlupet road in Kerala. One of the elephants from a herd unexpectedly moved back towards their vehicle, and the terrifying moments were captured on video, which later went viral on social media.
A family returning from Gundlupet had a frightening encounter with a herd of wild elephants on the Sulthan Bathery-Gundlupet road in Kerala after one of the animals unexpectedly moved back towards the roadway. Around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Father Regi Paul, the vicar of St. Thomas Jacobite Church in Thrikkaipeetta, and his family were involved in the incident. After being caught on camera, the stressful moments became viral on social media.
According to details shared about the incident, three wild elephants emerged from below the road and began making their way across the route while the family was travelling back from Gundlupet. Many drivers pulled over right away and waited for the elephants to go off the road. Drivers gradually started to move once the animals seemed to have moved toward the forest. A traveller vehicle went ahead first, followed by an Ertiga. Father Regi Paul and his family were travelling in the vehicle immediately behind them.
The situation took a dangerous turn within moments. Unexpectedly, one of the elephants went back to the road and came up to the Ertiga. Travellers behind it had little room to respond since there was a queue of cars behind it and little room to manoeuvre. Father Regi Paul and his family found themselves only a few metres from the elephant, turning what had initially seemed like a normal wildlife sighting into a potentially dangerous encounter.
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The family managed to get through the situation without sustaining any injuries. The video of the incident subsequently began circulating on social media, drawing considerable attention. While many viewers expressed concern over the family’s safety, the footage also led to criticism and attacks directed at the family over their actions during the encounter.