An elephant crushed a zookeeper to death after being poked with a stick.
The 62-year-old man was killed in front of shocked park visitors.
The illegal elephant safari has since been closed by the authorities.
The victim was seen jabbing the animal’s leg with a pole.
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However, the large elephant reacted angrily and knocked the zookeeper to the ground.
It then trampled on his lower limbs before doubling the man over and rubbing its trunk in his face.
The elephant then stepped on the victim’s head.
The animal continued to trample the man until he died.
The elephant then lifted the zookeeper’s floppy body with its trunk before dropping it in the mud.
Another zookeeper arrived with a stick as a horror video filmed by an onlooker came to an end.
The victim, named as Balakrishnan, was killed at Kerala Farm in Idukki District, southern India, on Thursday (20 Jun).
He was about to take a group of tourists on safari when the attack took place.
The tourists were reportedly standing nearby.
According to local media, the authorities discovered that the farm was not properly registered with the Animal Welfare Board of India, a mandatory requirement for any parks housing animals as attractions.
As a result, the zoo was closed the following day pending a full investigation, as reported by Need To Know.
It is unclear what will happen to the 53-year-old female elephant, named Lakshmi.
Local animal rights activist M N Jayachandran said Idukki is the only district in the state where elephant safaris are still operating.
Although Kerala High Court banned them in 2020, the park allegedly reopened a few months after closure.
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