A video of a human-animal conflict on X (formerly Twitter) has yet again left many angry. The clip, shared by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan, shows a group of men trying to scare an elephant using slippers. The incident took place in Assam and it has yet again raised concerns about human-wildlife interaction.
The video shows an elephant standing on top of an elevated land with a man standing below trying to shoo the animal away using a slipper. A few moments later, more men appear in the frame trying to do the same. However, as the video progresses, the tusker is seen charging towards the group. The video ends with the animal retreating.
"Identify the real animal here. Then these giants charge and we call them killers. Don't ever do this, it's life-threatening. Video is from Assam," Mr Kaswan posted along with the video.
Take a look below:
Mr Kaswan shared the clip on Thursday and since then it has accumulated more than 91,000 views and over 1,300 likes. The incident has sparked a debate online. While many expressed shock at the audacity of the men involved, others pointed out the risks involved in provoking a wild elephant.
"Putting their lives in extreme danger," wrote one user. "Book them .....put them behind bars," said another. "Why they are teasing him," wondered a third X user. "What kind of initiatives the forest departments across the country are taking to educate the mass regarding this," expressed a fourth.
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Meanwhile, in another similar incident, four men narrowly avoided a dangerous scenario earlier this year after attempting to get close to a herd of wild elephants. In the video shared by Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda, a group of tourists were seen approaching a herd of elephants inside a forest. They were heard making peculiar sounds with their mouths. However, as soon as the noise startled the elephants they charged towards them.
Mr Nanda posted the video along with a stern warning. "Ridiculous crowd behaviour. An elephant herd with a young calf can be highly aggressive. Don't put your life at stake. Allow them safe passage. They have the first right," he wrote.
