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During a religious festival in Kerala, India, an apparently upset elephant who was forced to perform at the ceremony injured at least 24 humans, including one man who died. Footage of the attack shows the elephant grabbing the man with their trunk and swinging him around before throwing him to the ground.
In response to the incident—which serves as yet another grave warning about the use of elephants in ceremonies and other cruel displays—PETA India sent a letter to officials offering to donate an innovative, lifelike mechanical elephant to prioritize community safety and compassionate celebrations.
Why do elephants ‘attack’ humans?
In India, the use of elephants in religious festivals and in the tourism industry is common—and behind the scenes, abuse and violence are widespread. Handlers often beat them with sharp metal weapons called “bullhooks,” and force them to perform confusing, demeaning tricks under the constant threat of painful punishments.
Many elephants held captive in temples and other places suffer from extremely painful foot problems and leg wounds due to being chained to concrete for hours on end. Most are denied adequate food, water, veterinary care, and any semblance of a natural life. Under these conditions, these animals can become intensely frustrated and lash out, sometimes injuring or killing humans.
In February 2024, a similar incident occurred at Amber Fort—an attraction in India where handlers force elephants to haul heavy loads of tourists on their backs, often in dangerous heat. An apparently distressed elephant named Gouri appeared to grab a tourist, swing her, and slam her to the ground, reportedly breaking her leg. According to the Heritage Animal Task Force, exploited elephants killed 526 people in Kerala in a 15-year period. Animal advocates in Kerala have reportedly documented over 60 incidents of negative encounters with elephants during parades over the past two seasons, resulting in numerous human injuries, some of which have been fatal.
PETA India Offers a Kind Solution
Designed to look and feel like a live elephant, a mechanical elephant can shake its head, move its ears and eyes, swish its tail, lift its trunk, and even spray water. These “elephants” can be climbed upon and used for performances—and the best part is, they can spare elephants from enduring a lifetime of abuse.
PETA India ignited the movement of replacing live elephants with mechanical ones for religious functions at the beginning of 2023 and now, at least twelve mechanical elephants are used in temples across south India—seven of which were donated by PETA India. These mechanical elephants are now used to conduct safe, compassionate ceremonies at their temples, helping live elephants stay with their families in nature.
How YOU Can Help Elephants
Elephants are highly social animals who form close bonds with their families and mourn the death of their loved ones. These gentle, emotional animals do not want to be exploited for religious ceremonies, circuses, or for any other reason. Take action to help elephants exploited elephants today:
