Panic gripped Thrissur city on Saturday morning after a captive elephant Sivam Lakshmi Ayyappan turned violent and ran amok through several busy areas, causing widespread damage.

The elephant, which was brought near the Eastern Gopura Nada of Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple, turned violent around 8 a.m. The agitated elephant broke free and ran through the Thekkinkadu Maidan. It moved past the Pooram exhibition ground and reached the busy Swaraj Round, sending pedestrians and motorists fleeing. People ran helter-skelter on crowded roads as panic spread, while vehicles were diverted to other routes. Many abandoned their vehicles and fled.

The elephant ran along key locations including the Korappath Lane, Palace Road, and Town Hall area in the city before entering residential localities in Chembukkavu and Cherur. During its rampage, several two-wheelers and cars were damaged. Compound walls were knocked down, and in multiple instances, the elephant entered house premises, damaging tin roofs, uprooting trees, and destroying vehicles parked within compounds.

Residents were left terrified as the elephant charged through narrow roads and residential compounds. Inside their homes, families watched helpless as the rampage unfolded just beyond their doors. A woman trapped inside one of the cars attacked by the elephant had a miraculous escape. The elephant also sustained multiple injuries during the rampage.

The elephant squad and mahouts eventually brought the animal under control around 10 a.m. No casualties have been reported so far, but the incident has raised concerns over the safety measures adopted while handling captive elephants in urban areas.

Forum’s allegation

Meanwhile, the Heritage Animal Task Force, an organisation working for captive elephants, lodged a complaint with the intelligence wing of Kerala Forest department regarding the incident. In its complaint, the task force alleged that the elephant was in musth. “The elephant, which was in musth, was illegally brought outside the Eastern Gopura Nada of the Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple on Saturday morning. Earlier, it had been taken to the Thiruvambadi temple and Paramekkavu temple as well,” alleged V.K. Venkitachalam, its secretary, in his complaint.

The organisation urged the Forest department to confiscate the severely injured elephant, alleging that it had been illegally transported from Kollam to Thrissur by contractors. “It was subjected to cruelty and forced to go from one temple to another. Criminal cases should be registered against all those responsible,” the organisation said. The elephant had been taken to the Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy Temple on Friday, it alleged.