A herd of wild elephants in Mundajore, Odisha, has reportedly been repeatedly chased, surrounded and crowded by locals and visitors attempting to capture videos for social media, sparking concerns among wildlife activists and animal welfare groups.
Videos and social media posts circulating online have drawn attention to the alleged harassment, with activists urging people to maintain a safe distance from wild elephants and refrain from pursuing the animals for photographs or Instagram reels.
Elephants allegedly chased for social media views
According to the posts highlighting the incident, people have been closely following and surrounding the elephant herd to record videos and generate social media content.
Wildlife advocates have described the behaviour as harassment rather than tourism, stressing that wild elephants need sufficient space to move without being pursued by crowds.
Repeated chasing and crowding can cause animals to become stressed and defensive, particularly when they feel surrounded or threatened.
Activists seek Forest Department intervention
The incident has also prompted concerns over the need for stronger crowd management and timely intervention by local authorities and the Forest Department.
Animal welfare groups have called for measures to prevent people from approaching the elephants and for quick-response teams or police personnel to be deployed when crowds gather around the animals.
Activists have also urged authorities to ensure that elephant movement corridors remain free from human interference.
Crowding can increase risk of human-elephant conflict
Wild elephants can react aggressively when they perceive a threat, particularly if they are chased, cornered or prevented from moving freely.
Wildlife advocates have warned that such behaviour can put both people and elephants at risk. When an elephant reacts defensively after being surrounded or provoked, the resulting human-animal conflict can also lead to the animal being blamed.
Experts and conservationists have repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining a safe distance from wild elephants and allowing them an unobstructed path.
‘Not tourism, but harassment’
The videos have renewed debate over responsible wildlife behaviour, particularly the growing practice of pursuing wild animals for viral social media content.
Wildlife activists have appealed to visitors and locals in Mundajore to avoid chasing elephants for photographs or reels and instead allow the animals to move undisturbed.
They have also urged the Odisha government and Forest Department to take immediate steps to control crowds and prevent further disturbance to the herd.
Note: The allegations above are based on social media footage and posts cited in the material provided. The claims of official inaction have not been independently verified here.
