We were on an evening safari and I was the Naturalist guiding it. Interestingly, the vehicle was full of guests. We were on the Mananthavadi high road inside the Nagarhole national park and were fortunate enough to sight a huge tusker strolling towards us! I asked Chandra, the jeep driver, to stop and switch off the engine for a better view of this fascinating creature.

A Tusker Raising its Trunk. Picture Courtesy: Vineeth M

The tusker approached the vehicle hesitantly. It was interesting to watch it raise its trunk to sense our presence once in a while. I kept telling the guests to stay still and not to make sudden movements. I also told them not to have loud conversations as this could distract the big bull.

Ever the Gentle Giant. Picture Courtesy: TNA Perumal

Surprisingly, the tusker came frighteningly close to the vehicle. Fortunately, the driver, the human object closest to him, was safely inside the cabin. After watching the tusker’s behaviour, I decided not move the vehicle. The bull kept his cool and came very close to the cabin. Strangely, however, he took a last minute decision to walk away from us. This, however, came as a great relief for some of our guests. Just as the bull passed the vehicle, he turned once to check whether we were following him.

Elephants are short-sighted and have a strong sense of smell and hearing; the slightest sound and movement hence alert them. We were still stationed at the same place, and adoring the bull elephant’s gentle march towards the horizon, as he proceeded with the march as calmly as he could.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 4:16 pm and is filed under Herbivores, Mammals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.