A Narrow Escape
From a vantage point across the road, not selected but got by chance, I spotted this fluorescent pink shirt first, and saw him with his pillion rider on the bike, overtaking the car. I had seen this elephant herd reaching close to the road and get ready to cross it. The car stopped, and I waved at the bike, asking them to stop. The people in the car also probably did the same, asking them not to go closer. Either they were in a hurry or just didn’t care. The elephant saw the riders, colour could’ve got her attention or probably the smell, as soon as she stepped on the road, she charged in an abrupt manner and the riders were least prepared for it. They immediately took a U-turn but couldn’t get back on track and had no option but to drop the bike and run for their lives. The elephant paused when she reached close to the bike and let off a rumble, and a small grunt, she went back to the safety of her family. Beyond the shadow of any doubt it was the mistake or rather utter carelessness of the bike riders, but if something would’ve happened to them, then it would’ve been sad, but more than that, the elephant would’ve been blamed. Thankfully it didn’t come to that.
Respecting each other
A Wild Tusker walking along the road and people moving away from his path knowing that it is the path of wild elephant and one man calmly taking video of the situation without provacating the animal.
Through the Paddy Fields
When the driving operation continued, these two wild tuskers had no option but to run through the paddy fields in broad daylight. Two of them travelled more than 30kms and reached this place where no wild elephant was seen in recent past at least for a century.
Elephants in the Tea Garden
A herd of wild elephants making their way through the tea estates of Anamalais which was one pristine evergreen forest later converted into tea and coffee plantations.
A Tusker Crossing road
Observing Elephants
A Field Biologist observing elephants in the Aanamalai hills. As you put in more time watching them, they will also get accustomed to us and approaching the elephants and maintaining a safe distance will indeed help in observing the characteristic and behaviour of every individual.
Minding Their own business
An elephant feeds on the lush grass on the swamps of a tea estate when the laborers go for having their lunch. The elephant is not alarmed by the presence of passing people and the people also don't want to interrupt the feeding elephant.
Back To the safety of the forest
Two wild tuskers crsossing the railytrack into the safety of the forest.These railway tracks are needed for development, needed for business. Indian railways are the largest railway network in the world and they transport millions of people, hence it cannot be regulated beyond a certain limit. Deforestation and encroachments have pushed these gentle giants out of the forests into the nearby farmlands and to reach these places they tend to take such risks, either knowingly or unknowingly.
Friends Forever
They travelled over 50 kilometers away from forest. Crossed numerous paddy fields and house premises. Crossed one of the busiest railway lines of the state and river Nila. Hundreds of crackers burst to drive them off. Thousands of people came to get a glimpse of them.No other wild elephant in Kerala has travelled this far from the forest, at least not in recent times.They had many sleepless nights.Where ever they went they were not welcomed. They had their days spent in the midst of a forest patch and the rest in the middle of the river. But in all these hardships they were together.........
An Elephant and the Elephant Express
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is one of the country’s oldest state-run public bus transport services.In Kerala people call the ksrtc bus ‘aanavandi’ ,which means elephant express.
Face-Off with the Giant
Don’t think those people are brave enough to stand in front of the charging young tusker, there is a deep trench separating both of them... 😁 Hundreds of such encounters happen in various parts of our country every day or the other. Most of them end up quietly but some not. We just have to keep in mind that elephants are not the animals to show our courage to.
She was about to vanish into the thick foliage but she wanted to make sure that no one was following her and then came the rider....
When Elephants walk through the farm lands .....
Two children sit and watch an approaching wild elephant infront of their home.
Temple Elephant
A Lone wild tusker walking across the steps which lead to a temple.
Millions of people visit hill stations every year and what they leave behind is nothing but plastic? Hundreds of kilos of plastic waste get accumulated everywhere and many animals eat these unintentionally and some of them end up losing their lives. Postmortem reports of many elephant carcasses have revealed this hard truth. And we see many elephant dung in which you see empty carry bags and biscuit packets which came out undigested.
