A British tourist has been trampled to death by an elephant while on holiday in India.
The man — identified as Colin Manvell, a retired teacher from Havant in Hampshire — died at the Masinagudi National Park, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. He is said to have gone into the park accompanied by a guide and a jungle escort.
Neighbours said the keen wildlife photographer had a large collection of photographs taken on excursions abroad. Mr Manvell was divorced and lived alone.
Neighbour Liam Hutchings said: “He was very alert and a good neighbour. He travelled to India about once a year. He was very keen on tennis and was involved in the LTA and ran a little gardening business for a small group of clients.”
Witness accounts suggest the attack took place as Mr Manvell, 67, was taking photos. His guides managed to escape and are now reported to be in police custody.
Other accounts suggest he failed to hear warnings that the animal was approaching him from behind.
Police and forest department officials said details are unclear but they suspect that the elephant was irritated by the flash light from his camera and charged.
Mr Manvell was struck by the elephant’s trunk and trampled on, sustaining injuries to his head, legs and abdomen. He was taken to the local Masinagudi hospital and later transferred to the Gudalur Government hospital.
According to police, Mr Manvell had arrived in the port city of Kochi in the state of Kerala last Friday.
Several resorts near the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Masinagudi and neighbouring villages lure tourists with the promise of night safaris to sight elephants, tigers and leopards.
Wildlife activists allege that jeeps drive into the jungles with these tourists in violation of forest department rules, disturbing the wildlife and putting the tourists at risk.
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was investigating.
