Uttar Pradesh News

Elephant attack: The relationship between humans and elephants dates back 4,500 years, know why they attack

Published

3 months ago

February 17, 2023

Gorakhpur: In a painful incident Thursday in Gorakhpur (Gorakhpur news), an elephant became aggressive during a religious program and killed three people. Of these three people, two were women and one was a child. Later, the elephant was subdued by injecting it with sleep. The relationship between elephant and man dates back approximately 4,500 years. The earliest evidence of elephant domestication is found in the Indus Valley Civilization. On the criterion of physical strength, man stands nowhere in front of an elephant. But it is the quality of a human being that somehow he manages to do his job. Due to the elephant’s immense strength, intelligence, and skill, humans have used it for warfare, ceremonies, industry, and entertainment, and even for punishment. But in the end, the elephant will remain wild no matter how domesticated it is, hence the frequent elephant attacks. But the elephant does not attack like that, there are several reasons for this.

Before knowing the reason for elephant attacks, it is necessary to have an idea of its strength. Elephant species in the world can be mainly divided into two categories: African and Asian. The elephants found in Africa are larger than the Asian elephant. African elephants can measure 3 to 4 meters in height and weigh up to 8,000 kg. In contrast, Asian elephants are three and a half meters tall and weigh around 5,500 kg. Although their whole body is a reserve of strength, but their trunk is especially very powerful. His 1.5 lakh muscles give him so much strength. The trunk of an adult elephant weighs about 130 kg and can lift up to 250 kg. But elephants are so adept that they can even pick up something as thin as a needle with the end of their trunk.

At present, the elephant is used in some places as a crane and a bulldozer or as a symbol of Lord Ganesha in Teej festivals. In some places they are called on rent as a status symbol in marriages. Apart from this, patrols are carried out in the forest with their help, they are also used to control other spoiled elephants.

Now let’s talk about why elephants attack. Animal specialists say that elephants are very intelligent. They too have the ability to feel and express complex emotions just like us. As it was said earlier, the elephant is basically a very powerful wild animal. The male elephant is considered a walking dead during the mast season. He can attack anything. Other elephants, animals and even trees in the forest can fall victim to his wrath. These elephants continue to search for companions to meet.

In the mast state, the hormone testosterone is released from the gland present on both sides of their head. This is why even normally calm elephants become aggressive at this time. There’s no way to appease them except to leave them alone. Pouring cold water over it also has some effect. When the euphoria ends after a while, they become normal. If the pet elephant is happy, then at that time it is kept tied somewhere, no one comes near it. Female elephants are aggressive when giving birth or when their children feel threatened.

These are common reasons, but other than that, encroaching on their personal space, getting too close to them, making too much noise, provoking them, suddenly startled by a bright light or sound, these are all reasons for which the elephant is afraid. then self-defense. Or say, starts attacking in response.

Since the frontal lobe of the brain of elephants is highly developed, their memory is considered to be very good. Often domesticated elephants are tortured while teaching them. For this reason, hatred of human beings can also arise in them, they also experience feelings like stress or depression, and when these feelings arise, they consider humans as enemies. However, repentance was also seen in them. Many times he gets angry and kills his mahout. But after his death, when his anger subsides, he was also seen to shed tears sitting near the corpse.

The first reason for the incident that took place in Gorakhpur is that the elephant got excited because of the loud noise, sound of firecrackers and crowd during the religious ceremony. That’s why he crushed people. There is a tradition in the south that the chariots of the gods or their idols are taken for darshan with pomp. There are also elephants in their procession.

This is Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran elephant from Kerala

Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, an elephant from Kerala, is considered the largest captive elephant in India. Its height was about 3.2 meters. His age is 57, in the past four decades he has so far killed 13 humans, two elephants. Even after that, he remains the center of people’s faith and love.