Elephant Vinayak kills handler Ram Vilas at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
India
At Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, a 13-year-old camp elephant named Vinayak unexpectedly killed his handler, Ram Vilas, during a routine bath on April 29.
The incident surprised everyone: Vinayak hadn't shown any signs of aggression before and wasn't in musth.
WWF-India urges behavioral profiling, Vinayak isolated
Forest officials are puzzled since Vinayak calmed down right after the attack.
Ramesh Pandey from the wildlife department mentioned that stress or subtle triggers might be behind such behavior.
Now, Vinayak is being kept apart while his history is reviewed.
Aritra Kshettry from WWF-India is urging for better behavioral profiling, while forest officials are calling for stronger safety protocols to help prevent incidents like this in the future for both elephants and their handlers.