Tourist trampled by elephant while 'trying to take a selfie' in horrifying footage

A tourist was horrifically trampled by an elephant after he reportedly tried to take a selfie with it.

Gruesome footage captured by stunned bystanders shows the moment that the massive mammal stomped over the man as he attempted to flee.

The bloke somehow ended up with both his pants and underwear around his ankles during the ordeal on Sunday (10 August), which no doubt added insult to injury too.

According to local media, the tourist - identified as R.Basavaraju - is alleged to have trespassed into a restricted forest situated near a temple in Karnataka, southwest India.

It is claimed that he was seen 'trying to take a selfie' with the elephant before it charged at him in front of a crowd of onlookers.

R.Basavaraju was seen running for his life as the elephant approached him (ViralPress)

In video which seemingly captured the shocking moments that followed, the warm-blooded vertebrate is seen standing in the middle of a road before it runs out in front of a moving car.

After the driver successfully swerved the elephant, the animal then makes a beeline for the tourist who is making a break for it.

Basavaraju ends up taking a tumble while running for his life and falls onto the road, allowing the elephant to catch up to him... and brutally trample across him.

Karnataka is believed to be home to at least 30,000 wild elephants, which typically tip the scales at a whopping 5,000 kg.

Unbelievably though, Basavaraju was able to bounce back on his feet and flee to safety, although he did sustain severe injuries.

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After being taken to hospital, he was reportedly slapped with a fine of 25,000 Rupees (£210) and was ordered to make a video admitting to his alleged actions.

In the clip, he says that he was largely unaware of safety rules when it comes to wildlife, while warning other visitors not to follow in his footsteps.

Eyewitness Daniel Osorio claimed that the bloke had disturbed the elephant for a selfie while it had been peacefully eating carrots on the roadside.

He alleged that the mammal became stunned by the sudden bright light from the flash, prompting it to unleash its anger on Basavaraju.

"This incident is a strong reminder to follow the rules of the wildlife reserves and to let trained authorities, not people on foot, handle situations like this," Osorio said.

Horrified bystanders in Karnataka, southwest India, captured the footage (ViralPress)

Karnataka's Forest Department described Basavaraju's behaviour as 'reckless', while warning that similar stunts 'not only endanger human lives but also provoke unpredictable and dangerous animal behaviour'.

In 2022, a woman was attacked twice by an enraged elephant in India's Mayurbhanj district - once while she was alive, and again when she had died.

Maya Murmu, 68, sustained fatal injuries after being trampled by the angry animal while fetching water, and shockingly, it later stormed her funeral.

According to Joyce Poole, research director at the Amboseli Elephant Research Project in Kenya, elephants are more than capable of seeking vengeance.

"They are certainly intelligent enough, and have good enough memories, to take revenge," she previously told The Times. "Wildlife managers may feel it is easier to just shoot so-called ‘problem’ elephants than face people’s wrath.

"So an elephant is shot without realising the possible consequences on the remaining family members, and the very real possibility of stimulating a cycle of violence."