Video: Wild Elephant Blocks Kerala Highway, Vehicles Stuck For 18 Hours

Local government officials in Kerala's Palakkad district have urged the forest department to move a wild elephant, locally named Kabali, back into the forests after multiple incidents of road blockage and attacks on vehicles by the lone tusker were reported along an inter-state highway. 

According to reports, traffic on the Athirappilly-Malakkappara interstate highway came to a halt for nearly 18 hours after the elephant entered the road on Sunday. The tusker came around 3.30 pm and knocked down a palm tree. 

A video of the tusker showed it standing on the road, leisurely feeding on the tree and then trampling on its trunk. Tourists, including several inter-state travellers, were reportedly forced to wait while forest officials narrowly escaped an attack as they tried to drive the elephant back to the forest.  

Kabali strikes again! On the Malakkappara road in Thrissur district, wild elephant “Kabali” blocked traffic, refusing to budge despite continuous honking. The incident caused a major 18-hour-long Trafic jam and the video is now going viral online. #Kerala pic.twitter.com/RJaxaFxbJw

— Ashish (@KP_Aashish) October 23, 2025

It was only late in the night that 'Kabali' finally moved back into the forest, after walking nearly 16 km. The traffic jam had left several tourists stranded for hours without food and water, The Hindu reported. 

However, the elephant soon returned, leaving over 100 vehicles stranded until around 7 am on Monday.

'Kabali' is known for its 'notorious' behaviour. Last year it had blocked an ambulance, and injured a biker. In 2022, it attacked a jeep. 

The 33-year-old tusker, who was named after actor Rajinikanth's 2016 movie, 'Kabali', is said to go through its 'musth' period, an annual cycle that lasts from a few weeks to several months where male elephants show erratic behavior.

Local government officials said the elephant has become a constant threat for commuters, often halting traffic on the busy Anamalai road for hours. "Either measures should be taken to prevent the animal from straying onto the road, or it should be relocated to another forest area," the Athirappilly Panchayat president, KK Ritesh, said while speaking to reporters.

The demand comes amid growing concern over public safety.

Meanwhile, the forest officials have warned that strict action will be taken against people who deliberately provoke elephants in the region. "We have stepped up surveillance and launched inquiries into recent cases where travellers were found agitating wild elephants," Vazhachal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Suresh Babu said. 

The authorities maintain that protecting lives remains top priority, but any decision on the elephant's relocation will have to weigh both safety concerns and ecological considerations.