Elephant with riders

This elephant, apparently being ridden into combat, has attacked a warrior by grasping him in its trunk. The riders carry a flag and an elephant goad, an implement with a curving prong used by an elephant keeper (mahout) to direct the animal's movements. Elephants are often thought of as gentle creatures, but they can be trained to be violent, and their size and strength make them potentially very dangerous. In addition to being used in combat, elephants were sometimes used to execute criminals by stepping on them.