A decade-old video that recently went viral on social media shows a disturbing scene: a tiger restrained on an elephant's back while two men twist its ears. The incident has sparked renewed outrage among social media users and animal rights activists.
In the footage, the elephant moves slowly along a crowded road while surrounded by onlookers. Some bystanders can be seen pulling at the tiger's legs, adding to the animal's distress.
The video was recently shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user named Guru, who has over 14,000 followers. The post incorrectly claimed the incident occurred in Bihar, stating: "This is Bihar, my friend! Here, even a flying bird is sprinkled with turmeric! Such amazing sights can only be witnessed in Bihar!"
However, fact-checking revealed that the incident actually took place in January 2011 in Nainital, Uttarakhand. The tiger in question was reportedly a man-eater that was later killed by forest officials. According to reports, it took a team using seven elephants and 32 rounds of ammunition to take down the big cat.
The resurfaced footage has drawn strong criticism from various quarters, including television actress Kavita Kaushik, who condemned the treatment of the tiger. "Beyond cruel, Evil actually! And isn't this illegal to say the least?" she wrote, tagging PETA India, PETA, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in her post, urging them to take action to protect animals from human cruelty.
Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan responded to the viral video, saying, "It’s an old video from 2011, taken in Ramnagar, Uttarakhand. The tiger killed six people and was later hunted down by the authorities. It was transported on an elephant, possibly because vehicles couldn’t access the location."
