Elephant fight in India caught on video

In India, elephants unexpectedly started a fight at a festival. Eyewitnesses captured the incident on video.

On March 22, several elephants participated in a festival organized by the Tharakkal temple in Kerala as part of the traditional Pooram festival. The video, which was shot by one of the eyewitnesses, shows how the elephant named Guruvayur Ravikrishnan suddenly becomes aggressive right during the procession. He first tries to throw off the rider and then turns his irritation on the second elephant - Puthupalli Arjunan.

The elephants began to attack each other, clashing tusks and moving erratically. Panicked mahouts tried to separate the animals to no avail, and the celebration participants scattered. As a result, several people were injured.

Thrissur Pooram, or the elephant festival, is one of the most spectacular festivals in India. It is celebrated annually in Kerala during the so-called month of Medam (April-May). It is believed that it was first celebrated more than two hundred years ago. The elephant in India is the personification of the god Ganesha, who bestows wealth and prosperity, and the colorful festival of elephants is an opportunity to express one’s respect and reverence to the god Shiva. Elephants are specially decorated for festivals.