A video grab showing a wild elephant chasing a man near the Bannari check-post, after he attempted to feed bananas to it, in Erode district in Tamil Nadu on July 13.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A man who attempted to feed bananas to a wild elephant and was subsequently chased by the animal in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) has been fined ₹10,000 by the Forest Department.
The 27-km stretch of the Dindigul-Bengaluru National Highway (NH 948), from the forest check-post at Bannari in the foothills to the Karapallam check-post near Hasanur in the hills, passes through the core area of the reserve. Halting vehicles to take photographs or feed wildlife is strictly prohibited along this stretch to prevent human-animal conflict.
On July 13, a man travelling by car from Karnataka stopped his vehicle near the Bannari check-post, got down, and attempted to feed bananas to a wild elephant standing on the roadside. The elephant began to approach the vehicle, prompting the man to quickly get back into the car and drive away. A video of the incident went viral on social media.
Following the video’s circulation, forest officials launched an investigation using the vehicle’s registration number. The individual was traced to Coimbatore and identified as Gopalakrishnan, 58, a resident of Teachers Garden in Annur taluk.
He was summoned to the Sathyamangalam Forest Range Office on Friday (July 17) for an inquiry. During questioning, Gopalakrishnan admitted to the act and acknowledged it as a punishable offence. A case was registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, and a fine of ₹10,000 was imposed by Kulal Yogesh Vilas, Deputy Director of STR and District Forest Officer of Sathyamangalam Division.
To raise public awareness, forest officials also recorded a video explaining the legal consequences of feeding wild animals and shared it on social media.
Published – July 18, 2025 10:52 am IST
