KOCHCHIKADE, SRI LANKA — A traditional Buddhist ceremony in a coastal town of Sri Lanka went horribly wrong when an elephant in a procession suddenly snapped, and turned its anger on a monk standing nearby.

On the night of June 11 in a town just north of Colombo, three elephants were walking together in the procession as part of a religious ceremony, accompanied by monks and worshippers. Something must have spooked one of the elephants, because out of nowhere, the large animal broke with the procession and went berserk.

A 25-year-old Buddhist monk happened to be in the wrong place at the absolute worst time, and was attacked by the elephant. He died hours later in a nearby hospital.

According to ABC News, officials say 127 elephants in Sri Lanka are owned and rented out for festivals or special events, many of whom are kept in inhumane conditions and sometimes deprived of adequate nourishment. Backyard elephants have been long seen as a status symbol, indicating wealth and power.