Exemplary show of loyalty by an elephant

Ancient folktales abound about an elephant's loyalty towards his mahout, and the extent he will go to protect his master from danger. In an exemplary show of love and loyalty that seems straight out of the story books, an elephant in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur is seeking revenge for his mahout's untimely death.

The elephant and his two riders were hit by a UP Roadways bus near Shahinpur on Monday. His mahout Munna Pal, aged 36, and Mahendra Shukla, 34, fell to the ground during the impact. Both of them were taken to hospital, where Pal sadly died.

The elephant rushed back to the scene of the accident as soon as he saw Pal's body outside the hospital. Bus driver Ramesh Kumar, who was still at the accident site, was taken aback with the elephant approached him and tried to hide under the seat. But the angry elephant spotted him and almost pulled him out of the window with his trunk. Kripa Shanker Tiwari, the owner of the elephant, rushed to the scene in an attempt to bring the situation under control.

"I reached the spot with another mahout and tried to control the elephant and take him home. But after walking for about 300 metres, it remembered something and ran towards the bus again. It broke the glasses of the bus and almost pulled the driver out again. Kumar somehow managed to escape. We then chained the elephant to a tree trying to control him," Tiwari said.

He added that they have now sought the help of veterinary doctors and forest department officials. Dr Rakesh Singh, a veterinary doctor who was deployed to ensure that the animal doesn't hurt itself, said: "Elephants have an incredible memory. We have suggested to the owner that the elephant should be taken far away from this place so that he gets time to forget the unpleasant incident and doesn't try to harm himself or anybody else."