Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Kerala Family Escapes Charging Elephant On Forest Road
A family was driving home when they saw three wild elephants crossing the road.
Several cars stopped to let the elephants pass safely.
The drivers began moving again when the elephants seemed to enter the forest.
Suddenly, one elephant turned around and came back toward the cars.
The family’s vehicle was only a few metres away.
They had little room to move because other vehicles were nearby.
Luckily, nobody in the family was hurt.
A video of the scary moment later spread online.
Father Regi Paul and his family encountered three wild elephants while returning from Gundlupet.
The elephants crossed the Sulthan Bathery-Gundlupet road at about 4:30 pm on Thursday.
Traffic stopped as motorists waited for the animals to move toward the forest.
One elephant suddenly turned back and approached an Ertiga near the waiting vehicles.
The family escaped without injuries, while video of the incident spread on social media.
- Who
- Father Regi Paul, vicar of St Thomas Jacobite Church in Thrikkaipeetta, and his family.
- What
- The family narrowly avoided an encounter with an elephant that charged toward vehicles.
- When
- At around 4:30 pm on Thursday.
- Where
- On the Sulthan Bathery-Gundlupet road in Kerala.
- Why
- Three elephants were crossing the road, and one unexpectedly turned back toward the vehicles.
- People involved
- Father Regi Paul and his family
- Animals
- Three wild elephants
- Time
- Around 4:30 pm on Thursday
- Location
- Sulthan Bathery-Gundlupet road, Kerala
- Immediate outcome
- The family escaped without injuries
- Video
- Footage of the encounter circulated widely on social media