A wild elephant stepped onto a moving car near Asanur in Tamil Nadu, close to the Karnataka border, leaving the passengers terrified.
The incident took place on the Bengaluru-Dindigul National Highway when the elephant approached the car while apparently searching for food. The vehicle was travelling from Mysuru to Coimbatore when the animal suddenly climbed onto it. The elephant damaged the car’s side mirror while stepping on the vehicle. The passengers were left shaken but escaped without injuries. Asanur lies along a forested stretch of the highway where encounters between vehicles and wild animals are not uncommon. The area is also close to the forests of Chamarajanagar and the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, where elephants frequently move through wildlife corridors. Wild elephants have been known to approach vehicles, particularly those carrying food such as vegetables or sugarcane. Forest officials regularly advise motorists to stay inside their vehicles, maintain a safe distance and never feed wild animals. Officials have also warned that stopping or offering food to elephants can encourage them to approach vehicles more frequently, increasing the risk of dangerous encounters.
