‘Survived by luck’: Selfie with jumbo at Bandipur leads to man’s arrest, ₹25,000 fine

Bandipur: A man who had a miraculous escape from a charging elephant while attempting a selfie in Bandipur National Park has been arrested and fined ₹25,000 by the Karnataka Forest Department.

The incident occurred on Sunday along the Gudalur–Mysuru National Highway near the Mel Kammanahalli forest checkpost. The man, later identified as Basavaraj of Nanjangud, had stepped out of his vehicle to pose with a wild elephant in the backdrop. The animal, which was feeding on vegetables it had snatched from a passing truck, suddenly charged at him.

Though the elephant’s heavy foot came down between his legs, Basavaraj escaped with only bruises on both thighs. A video of the encounter went viral on social media, prompting the forest department to launch a digital search. He was tracked down and taken into custody from his home by 4 pm on Monday.

Brought to the office of the Assistant Conservator of Forests at Bandipur, Basavaraj was booked under multiple provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for stopping a vehicle in a forest stretch, trespassing, and disturbing wildlife.

In a public apology circulated by the forest department as a warning to other selfie enthusiasts, Basavaraj urged people never to stop their vehicles or step out in forest areas to photograph wildlife. “I survived purely by luck. I will never repeat it,” he said, adding that he believes the Goddess Mariyamma of Bokkapuram jungle shrine saved him from the elephant.

Following the incident, officials said patrolling along jungle roads will be stepped up. Apart from the Wildlife Protection Act, relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS) will be invoked against offenders. Damaged CCTV cameras on the highway will be replaced, and more patrol teams will be deployed to check illegal halts and wildlife disturbances.