THIS is the horror moment a rampaging elephant swings its victim by the leg like a rag doll after breaking loose in a packed crowd.
The incident took place on Wednesday in India – as a religious event turned into carnage that critically injured two people and injured at least a further 23.
The moment the crowd member is swooped up by the animal[/caption]
Footage shows an elephant, called Pakkathu Sreekuttan, storming forward and violently attacking a reveller, swinging him like a rag doll.
The unidentified man is and viciously swung around before being dumped to the floor.
The crowd, who were enjoying the ceremony just moments before, cann be seen running for safety as the chaos eruptsduring the BP Angadi Nercha in Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala.
The elephant was positioned with four others in the middle of the crowd as the locals celebrated the culmination of the four-day festival.
Due to his severe injuries, the victim was quickly rushed to MIMS Hospital in Kottakkal.
He is in critical condition.
The other critically injured person and the further 23 were injured in the ensuing stampede, reports confirm.
It is not known exactly what set the middle elephant off, but the rider managed to calm it down after a few terrifying moments.
Thrissur Pooram, one of the region’s most prominent religious festivals, is a temple celebration held in the cultural capital of the state.
The festival is renowned for its stunning elephant processions, where decorated elephants march in rhythm with the beat of the drums.
In Kerala, well known as God’s Own Country, elephants form an integral part of the cultural ethos and are deeply connected to the state’s religious and social functions.
LION MAULING
The Sun reported on a deadly lion mauling in late December.
The animal keeper, named locally as F. Iriskulov, 44, recorded himself entering the cage to “impress his girlfriend” at Lion Park, Uzbekistan.
At first the lions are unbothered and remain lying down in the corner, watching the reckless keeper.
The man goads the beasts, repeatedly calling “Simba”.
Suddenly, when Iriskulov gets too close, they spring up and he leaps back in surprise – but still they don’t attack.
Instead of escaping the cage at this point, the man continues to talk to the lions, saying “Simba, be quiet”.
After two minutes, one of the lions can be seen clamping down on the man’s arm, who shrieks out in pain.
At this point the phone falls to the ground, but the man’s bloodcurdling screams can be heard alongside the lion’s low growl as it tucks into him.
The footage then cuts out, but the three lions reportedly killed the man and devoured him.
Photos from the aftermath – too graphic to publish – show the man’s body parts severely mutilated.
The elephants were performing in a religious festival[/caption]
