A man in India was caught on video recently confronting a large elephant and seemingly offering prayer gestures with the confused animal just feet away.
Susanta Nanda of the Indian Forest Service tweeted the accompanying footage on May 11 and alluded to the unpredictable nature of elephants when challenged in such a manner.
“Anymore proof that elephants are gentle giants?” Nanda wrote. “But wild can be wild anytime. Don’t try these idiotic antics.”
Anymore proof that elephants are gentle giants😊😊
But wild can be Wild anytime. Don’t try these idiotic antics 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/TpCFjcOFBO— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) May 11, 2023
Motorists can be heard honking at the man, whose actions inspired a bluff charge from an elephant that otherwise exhibited remarkable restraint.
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The honking and traffic might have made a dangerous situation even more dangerous.
Elephants are revered in India and there are laws designed to protect them from harassment.
On May 12 Nanda updated his post to say that the man had been “arrested and taken into custody.”
Alluding to the District Forest Office division involved in the arrest, Nanda wrote: “Well done DFO Dharmapuri. This should serve as a deterrent to others.”