An elephant hired for a Hindu wedding ran amuck in New Delhi for 6 hours

A male elephant hired for a lavish Hindu wedding in India caused £200,000 worth of damage after he went on the rampage, tearing through the streets, in pursuit of a female elephant who was in-heat.

Animals are especially important in the Hindu religion. The elephant in particular, is a symbol which is connected to the important deity known as Ganesha. This deity is symbolised with the head of an elephant and is known as the Lord of success. Elephants are popular with Hindu marriage ceremonies as it is believed to bring good fortune to the new union.

The elephant was hired for a high profile wedding ceremony between the children of two politicians in New Delhi. The animal is reported to have charged through a lawn full of wedding guests, turned over several cars, smashed through a shopping centre, mounted a truck, and crashed into a police vehicle during the 6-hour long ordeal. Two police officers narrowly avoided serious injury when the elephant attempted to overturn their car.

After running amuck in the city for over 6-hours, the elephant was finally brought under control with the use of a tranquiliser gun. Animal experts said the elephant was in “mast” also known as the rutting-stage, which happens once a year.