An elephant chased a group of men down a road in northwestern Sri Lanka on August 14 after they got to close the wild animal.

Footage filmed in Chilaw in the Puttalam district showed the elephant emerging from the leafy side of the road and charging the pedestrians.

The animal later blocked the road.

The forest department was informed of the incident.

Due to negligent behavior by humans, several got threatened by an elephant in Sri Lanka's North Western Province on August 14. The incident took place in Chilaw in Puttalam district.

Visuals feature the elephant emerging from the forest cover on the sidelines of the road. Alarmed by the presence of the passers-by on the street, the jumbo charges at them and ensues panic among the locals. Later, it strolls across the road and lingers on the sidelines for a while before getting back to chasing the onlookers.

The elephants in the region are known for relocating across the forest covers in search of food. These jumbos cross the Deduru Oya to look for a meal and enter the villages, ensuing fear among them. They often stray onto the roads and chase the passer-by, making the locals familiar with such incidents. However, the forest department was alerted to control and manage the situation in these areas.