Odisha Youths Harassing Elephants in Simlipal for Social Media Content

A series of viral videos has sparked social media outrage, allegedly showing a group of men disturbing wild elephants in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district near Simlipal. According to posts shared on X, five individuals have been regularly tracking elephant herds and creating content by approaching the animals dangerously close while filming for Instagram Reels.

The videos document instances of men riding motorcycles through forest areas to locate elephants, then recording themselves at close range to the animals. In some clips, individuals are seen standing just feet away from adult elephants, while another purportedly shows a man poking an elephant with a stick. Wildlife conservationists have warned that such harassment can stress the animals and provoke aggressive responses.