Permit me to digress.
There is a wacky prologue to this jungle tale.
The last time I saw wild elephants to my heart’s content was in 1978 at Thekkady on a college tour. My class mate who I recollect was Indira Devi, screamed hysterically on the boat in the lake “Oh My God!!! A baby elephant”. The forester dryly said “Milady I don’t know your lingo. Over here in our tongue that creature is called a pig.”
After that interl
ude we saw a huge herd of these magnificent animals; around 50, swimming across the lake.
A blissful sight.
From that day I have been addicted to wild life especially wild elephants. All these years I have yearned to see huge herds but alas, never. Even during my years in Wynad, I had come across only small groups. Just to whet my appetite. As they say aperitifs.
On 17 June, Manu called and said “Come immediately. I will show you wild elephants to your hearts content”. My heart took a leap but being a placid banker, I had to arrange to hand over my responsibilities in the form of tyrannical keys to my subordinate.
On the 18th morning from Palakkad to Pollachi & Udmalpet on the Munnar road.
A picturesque ride with vast open spaces and wind mills filling the horizon. Incidentally, on every jungle trip I offer silent prayers to Lord Ganesh. We reached Amravathi around 1pm and visited the Range officer and had lunch. At 3 we had a drive to ‘S’ bend on the Chinnar road to watch elephants crossing the corridor to the dam. Me and my damn luck or lack of it. Only peacocks and other jungle fowl. We returned to the dam lake and there was a small group far away. In my excitement, I fell down and lost my camera pouch.
Next morning again, A trip to ‘S’ bend but no elephants. When the same story repeated at 3 pm Manu asked me if my run of bad luck was still continuing. At 5 we went to the dam bed with the Ranger and waited for 15 mi
nutes. There were 3 cars. Our good friend Mr. Siva from Coimbatore had joined us with his car.
Still no sign of pachyderms. Then came a phone calling us to another side of the lake and VOILA! There was Amravathi. On the lake bed were 6 tuskers. Full grown & juveniles and sub adults. I could see elephants everywhere. Mature matriarchs leading aunts and young teenagers. Baby Ganeshas clinging to moms. Young tuskers pawing the ground on getting our scent. One youngster screamed a seemingly un-parliamentary word at us and rushed to the jungle to hide his face. Around 40 elephants with many more following suit. A few shy chitals in the background. The light was fading. My camera did a fabulous Janet Jackson malfunction.
Manu got a lot of great snaps and Siva got lovely videos. I kissed the ground, intoxicated. Truly Lord Indra had blessed me with the sight of Airavata’s family.
On returning we saw grey mongooses prowling for bird eggs. That whole night I couldn’t sleep. The moment I close my eyes only elephants and elephants. The damn dam was maximized with Elephas Maximus
We returned the next day. We were truly blessed by Gods in Amravathi.
- Revi Unni K.
For Jungle-Lens
(image courtesy - Manu Menon, Jungle Lens)
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Nilgiris Biosphere comprising of sixteen thousand square kilometers, is the last stand of the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus). A creature that has survived millions of years is fighting for its survival. Poaching, Habitat Loss, Human – Animal Conflict are a few reasons. The Nilgiri area is thought to house around 8000 Asian Elephants, the last viable population of these animals. The conservation of this critical habitat will benefit other rare species and vital eco-systems.
There are voices for every cause. Please join us, to protect this great creation from its doom at the hands of human beings. Stand up and let our voices be counted.
