Two elephants reportedly turned violent at the Dubare camp in Kodagu
A tourist from Chennai was killed after being trampled by an elephant during a violent clash between two elephants at Karnataka’s famous Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu district on Sunday.
The victim, identified as 33-year-old Jyunesh, had visited the wildlife camp to watch elephants being bathed when the tragic incident unfolded.
Elephant fight turns fatal
According to officials, two elephants — Kanchan and Marthanda — suddenly began fighting during the bathing session at the camp.
Mahouts reportedly tried to control the animals, but the situation quickly escalated.
During the struggle, one of the elephants lost balance and fell towards the tourist area, trapping Jyunesh underneath. Authorities said the elephant continued trampling her while attempting to get back on its feet.
She suffered severe injuries and died in the incident.
A tragic incident occurred at the Dubare Elephant Camp in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, where a woman tourist lost her life after an elephant reportedly fell on her during a clash between two elephants.
The accident took place while elephants were being bathed in the Cauvery… pic.twitter.com/zGRtivARdU
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 18, 2026
Minister orders stricter wildlife safety measures
Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre expressed grief over the woman’s death and ordered officials to tighten safety measures at wildlife camps and tourist zones.
The minister said that even trained captive elephants could behave unpredictably.
He instructed authorities to stop tourists from touching elephant trunks, feeding elephants, washing them, or standing too close for photographs.
Khandre also directed officials to ensure visitors maintain a safe distance from elephants and other wildlife animals at all times.
Safety concerns at wildlife camps
The Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu is a major tourist attraction where visitors are allowed to observe and interact with captive elephants under supervision.
The incident has now raised fresh concerns about tourist safety and crowd management at wildlife tourism centres across Karnataka.
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
