No more close encounters: Karnataka tightens elephant camp safety rules following a tragic incident

The Karnataka government has recently issued an elephant camp rule following the tragic death of a tourist in the Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu. Up-close encounters with elephants will now be banned and tourists can only admire the gentle giants from a distance of at least 100 feet at all captive elephant camps across Karnataka. No selfies or direct interactions will be permitted in the state as well. 

After a fatal camp incident, Karnataka enforces strict elephant safety norms

Jyunesh, a 33-year-old tourist from Chennai, was watching elephants being bathed when a sudden clash broke out between the giants Marthanda and Kanchan. In the chaos, the woman was caught in the water and couldn’t escape. As the slippery slope pulled one of the elephants in, it fell onto her, and in its struggle to get up, it tragically trampled the tourist to death. 

Following this incident, the Karnataka government has issued some strict rules concerning the elephant camps. Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to make sure that tourists don’t go any closer to the elephants than 100 feet. And also ordered the proper rule to be made, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), for elephant camps to strengthen visitor safety.

The tourists will now no longer be allowed to engage in certain activities. Under the new directives the government has asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden to ensure tourists can’t do the following:

• Don’t go near elephants

• Don’t take selfies or photographs standing close to them

• Don’t touch elephant trunks

• Can’t bathe elephants

• Can’t feed them bananas, jaggery or sugarcane

While the elephants can be trained, they can’t be absolutely domesticated, because at the end of the day they are meant to be in the wild. That’s why it’s important for us to stay alert and respect their space, knowing when to keep our distance and let nature take its course.

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