BENGALURU: A group of tourists who were on a safari in K Gudi of BRT Tiger Reserve had close shave on Sunday evening when they were chased by an elephant and then found themselves surrounded by a herd, an experience they will not forget for a long time.A one-and-a-half-minute video taken by one of the tourists and shared with The New Indian Express shows a wild female elephant chasing the jeep for a good distance. The jeep then grinds to a halt when confronted by another elephant from the same herd. The driver is seen using the headlights and driving behind the running elephant, making it appear as if the driver is chasing the elephant.
Forest department officials said the driver waited around 10-15 minutes for the herd to pass. “Due to the rigid safari timings, the driver tries to pass through as the herd is yet to cross the safari route, only to be caught in between the two elephants and be surrounded by the herd. The driver’s presence of mind saved the tourists,” said a forest department official from BRT.
Officials said that unlike Bandipur or Nagarahole, safari timings at BRT are not flexible, and the animals are not used to the presence of humans as the safari is new. Also, the terrain is different, and one does not know where the animals hide. Therefore, it is only experience and caution which matter, officials said.
Experts and conservationists, however, are not convinced. A conservationist who works closely with the department said, “Many a time, drivers enrage animals and then race for the thrill of it. They also do this to give tourists the best opportunity for photographs and make some extra money. Drivers sometimes do this to get famous as their names do the rounds on social media.”
BRT Tiger Reserve Director Santoshkumar G told The New Indian Express that the video was shared with him on Monday. The driver is being questioned and the matter is being investigated. This is the first time such an incident has occurred at the reserve.