Terrifying moment temple elephant kicks woman devotee
A woman devotee luckily escaped after an elephant aimed a kick at her.
The elephant was taking part in a ceremonial procession at a temple near Palakkad in Kerala, India on April 3.
The woman had lined up with other devotees to greet the elephant.
As it passed her, the woman tried to pat it, and the animal responded with a kick from its hind leg.
The woman was lucky as the huge limb just grazed her stomach instead of landing a blow.
Rajeev Kurup, an animal rights activist, said Indian temples should stop using elephants in their ceremonies as the practice led to their torture and even untimely deaths.
"The woman tried to touch, which the frustrated and stressed elephant," said Kurup.
Activists say Kerala has about 450 captive elephants and thousands of temples, which compete with each other in organising festivities. For all of these temples, elephant processions are a major draw.