Sun Feb 09 16:03:09 UTC 2025: ## Youth Pays ₹25,000 for Taunting Elephant in Bandipur
**Mysuru, February 9, 2025** – A Gundlupet youth, Shahul Hameed, was fined ₹25,000 on Sunday for repeatedly provoking an elephant in Bandipur National Park. Authorities, alerted by multiple videos showing Hameed’s antics on a highway, apprehended him. S. Prabhakaran, Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, stated the hefty fine served as a deterrent. Hameed issued an apology and was subsequently released with a warning. This incident follows a similar case in February 2024, where a tourist narrowly escaped an elephant encounter and was similarly fined. Despite such penalties, incidents of tourists provoking wildlife for photos and videos persist. Wildlife activists are pressing for stricter penalties, including jail time, to curb this dangerous behavior.
First Piper 