YouTuber has close encounter with lone tusker, escapes with injuries

CHIKKAMAGALUR: A YouTuber had a close encounter with a lone tusker near Bidirutala village on Tuesday. He managed to survive with injuries on the face and leg by jumping into a ditch.

Social worker Arif (left) provided emergency treatment to Abhishek and later took him to hospital.

Abhishek, who hails from Channarayapatna, was shooting videos in the forest and had gone in a vehicle. The vehicle was parked where a forest path ended and Abhishek went ahead when he encountered the lone tusker. When the elephant came very close to him, Abhishek jumped into a ditch to save his life. In the process, he sustained a broken nose and injury on the leg.

Arif and Abhishek recalled the encounter with the tusker.

Social worker Arif rescued the YouTuber and, after providing initial medical care, took him to the taluk hospital at Mudigere. “The elephant was right near the vehicle. I sounded the siren of my ambulance and drove away the elephant”.

Abhishek said, “Two people had released a snake in the forest and returned to the ambulance around 5 pm. I too was heading back, but instead of sitting in the vehicle, I moved further down when I tripped and fell. The others raised an alarm and I crouched in the ditch when the elephant crossed me”.