Wild elephant attacks tractor to protect its love interest

Wild elephant attacks tractor to protect its love interest

A wild male elephant spotted a captive female elephant and fell in love.

It left the forest and camped near the female elephant at a village near Bihpuria in North-Eastern India on April 25.

Alarmed by the intruder, Bhabha Bora, the owner of the female elephant informed forest officials, who decided to monitor the animal.

He also tried to move his female animal away, which proved to be difficult, as the bull kept a close watch on the enclosure where the female was kept.

Local villagers say the male suitor thwarted a few attempts to move the female away.

He would charge at anyone who tried to bring her out.

On April 29, the male attacked a tractor, which was carrying banana stems, the favourite food of the female elephant.

It toppled the trailer and rammed the vehicle prompting the driver to flee for his life.

“We don’t know why the bull, which had never attacked anyone, picked on the tractor.

It had seen the tractor regularly approaching the female and perhaps was wary about it,” said a local villager.

Alarmed forest officials brought in a team of vets to tranquilise the elephant.

But the vets noticed that the elephant was not in good health and decided against tranquilising it.

Officials are now keeping a close watch on the animal hoping that it would return to the forest on its own after its hormonal surge or ‘musth’ subsides.

Forest Beat Officer, Gopi Chetry, said: “The attack on the tractor was an aberration as the elephant is not violent.

It has been spotted passing through villages without hurting anyone.” “It was probably a captive elephant, which escaped, and is used to human presence.

We will gently drive it back to the forest,” he added.