The rain was coming down hard last September in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. I was on my way back to Gudalur, after a workshop on Integrated Learning for our local NGO team members. The driver had to maintain a slow speed as night was approaching in the forest, and the rain was heavy. My travel companion from a local NGO alerted us to the presence of a male tusker. The mighty elephant was about to cross the road. As a reflex action I grabbed my camera, but was instantly told to stop. The tusker looks angry, my driver told me. The elephant’s right leg was moving as if it was about to charge at us. He had been agitated by the flashes of the camera from the vehicle in front of us. For now, it looked like my phone would have to do. This was the first time I saw an elephant in the wild, and I would have loved a photograph from my camera. But, some adventures come only with memories, and like hazy pictures, are special in a different way.
Photos by Dr. Anish Andheria and Pallavi Gandhalikar
Disclaimer: The author is associated with Wildlife Conservation Trust. The views and opinions expressed in the article are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Wildlife Conservation Trust.
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