Tourist's leg broken after elephant attack
Campaign group PETA said the animals were known to "lash out in fear and frustration" when kept in harsh conditions and urged travellers not to support their captivity by paying for rides.
Wednesday 28 February 2024 11:14, UK
A tourist had her leg broken after being grabbed by an elephant and slammed to the ground.
Footage of the incident has been released by the campaign group PETA to highlight animal welfare and public safety concerns.
It happened in the main courtyard of the historic Amer Fort in Jaipur, India, where elephant rides are touted to tourists.
The footage shows the female elephant - called Gouri or "ride number 86" - using her trunk to grab the woman.
The animal then swings the Russian woman round and slams her to the ground.
Gouri also severely injured a male shopkeeper in October 2022, PETA said.
The campaign group is now urging regional officials to move the elephant to an animal sanctuary "where she could begin to recover from the mental trauma of a lifetime of enslavement".
It also wants the elephant rides to be halted following the incident on 13 February.
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PETA's senior vice president of international affairs Poorva Joshipura said: "Elephants who have spent years being chained, bullied, and threatened with weapons are known to run amok, lashing out in fear and frustration.
"Despite being a known danger, Gouri continued to be used to carry tourists at Amer Fort.
"Authorities must wake up and send her to a sanctuary and replace the use of elephants with beautifully decorated electric vehicles. In the meantime, tourists need to vote with their wallets and not support this abuse."