Credit: Special arrangement
An elephant kavadi (assistant caretaker) at the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) drowned in Seegekatte Lake on Wednesday.
Gopal (20), who had recently joined the BBP's elephant care centre, was responsible for a 10-year-old elephant named Sampath.
Gopal had taken the elephant to the lake's edge to clean him when the animal suddenly moved into deeper waters, causing Gopal, who was seated on the elephant, to drown.
Despite efforts by other kavadis at the scene to save him, they were unsuccessful. Fire and emergency personnel recovered Gopal's body after a two-hour search.
The body was later sent to Victoria Hospital for post-mortem.
A BBP official noted that the state zoo authority's member secretary visited the site to assess the situation. "The BBP has submitted a request for ex gratia and additional support for Gopal's family," the official added.