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A video of a man repeatedly teasing and provoking an elephant has led to a massive outrage on social media, with many people demanding strict action against him. The over-a-minute-long video was shared by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan on X, formerly Twitter, on January 12.

It shows a man being chased by an elephant on a road, in what appears to be a tourist spot. Amid loud noises being heard in the background, the man is seen persistently teasing the animal and provoking it to attack him.

As the video progresses, the elephant is visibly upset and angry over the man’s behaviour. Towards the end of the video, the man tries to provoke a baby elephant, which later runs away.

Sharing the video on X, Parveen Kaswan wrote, “Identify the animal in this video. Maybe you are young and you can outrun the elephants. But these irritated animals don’t behave peacefully if they see another human for the next few days. Don’t irritate wild animals for fun."

His post has received more than 1.2 million views on X, with many taking to the comments section to criticise the person in the video for his act.

One person said that the only animal seen in the video “is on two legs".

“Arrest him immediately," another person commented.

In another comment, a person asked why such people were not detained.

Meanwhile, Praveen Kaswan, in a subsequent post, discussed in detail the behavioural pattern of elephants, calling them “highly intelligent and social animals".

He noted that the interactions of elephants with humans can “significantly influence their behaviour".

“Harassment or irritation by humans can lead to several behavioural changes in elephants in the subsequent days," he added.

Some of the behavioural changes he discussed included increased stress and aggression; disruption of normal movement patterns, and ethical responsibility.

Besides being “unethical," harassing elephants can have tangible consequences on their well-being and behaviour, thereby posing significant risks to both animals and humans, he noted.

“So maybe it is fun for some but because of this behaviour others are in danger," Kaswan concluded.