Injured elephant dies after clash at Dubare camp that killed Chennai tourist

Madikeri : Tragedy continued to unfold at the famous Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu after elephant “Martanda,” which was critically injured during a violent clash with another captive elephant, died on the morning of Tuesday, May 19, despite treatment efforts by forest officials.

The incident comes a day after a woman tourist from Chennai lost her life after getting caught between two fighting elephants at the camp on Monday. Her husband and child reportedly escaped narrowly during the chaos.

According to forest officials, the incident occurred when mahouts had taken captive elephants “Kanjan” and “Martanda” to the Kaveri River for their routine bath. During the process, a sudden fight broke out between the two elephants. Officials said Kanjan, believed to be in an aggressive state, attacked Martanda with its tusks and knocked the elephant to the ground.

The elephants reportedly continued fighting for several minutes despite repeated attempts by mahouts to control them. In the commotion, Martanda suffered severe injuries. The injured elephant was shifted back to the camp and treated under veterinary supervision, but succumbed to its injuries on Monday.

Confirming the development, Kodagu DCF Abhishek said Martanda could not survive despite continuous treatment efforts at the camp.

Videos of the elephant clash and the tragic incident involving the tourist had gone viral on social media, triggering widespread concern over visitor safety at elephant camps in Karnataka. Following the incident, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre reportedly directed officials to implement stricter safety measures at all captive elephant camps across the state.

Authorities have now ordered that tourists must maintain a minimum distance of 100 feet from elephants while observing bathing activities. Visitors will no longer be allowed to approach elephants for selfies, photography, feeding, or bathing interactions. Officials have also been instructed to prevent tourists from feeding elephants with bananas, sugarcane, jaggery or other food items directly by hand.