for the elephants

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I wish you could have been here to experience the exhilarating tour we took of “the land.” Hiking the forest, we found wild elephant dung and massive foot prints near a large pond, and a deep ditch designed to keep the wandering tuskers out.

As the sun began to descend we were driven to the top of a rock mountain. It was spectacular. The view was endless, the horizon hidden behind multiple layers of sprawling mountains. In the valley below, tiny billows of smoke spiraled up into the soft blue sky from fires set by villagers along the periphery of the park boundary, a sad reminder of the challenges of survival faced by humans and wildlife who reside so close together.

Nearby stood a towering metal observation platform with the perfect impression of a wild elephant’s head in the steel upright support. Without doing further damage the bull left his mark, an “I was here” signature.

Lizards scurried over the massive rock mountain top where stone graves remain, mostly intact, from an earlier time. From this vantage point the entire property could be viewed, giving a greater comprehension of the layout of the land. Then it started to rain — so very refreshing. As we left the forest I began to see it from the elephant’s perspective, vast, wild and private — home.

As we sat on the veranda talking, the sun set, the birds quieted and the glorious storm continued. We spoke of a wonderful project to create a safe and healthy place for captive elephants, a care center that will benefit a few individuals and serve as a model for improved elephant welfare for India’s precious elephants living in captivity.

Comments

5 responses to “for the elephants”

February 23, 2011

Hrimati Dasi

Wow! it sounds like you landed in heaven…

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February 23, 2011

Cora

Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure with us.

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February 23, 2011

sherryheim

It is encouraging to learn of so many people who are looking out for the welfare of the elephants. Perhaps with so many great minds coming together, there can be a greater impact on the masses. Perhaps all of you will get the message to all of us about the need to save the precious, few elephants we have left. Perhaps we will all come to understand that elephants deserve privacy and freedom in order to rebuild their herds and create new families. Perhaps we will come to understand that if we and the elephants are going to live in harmony, the elephants are going to require space; the type of space that will allow them to thrive. Thank you for this uplifting update. I really enjoyed the read. Be well.

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February 24, 2011

Sandra G

Really loving your blog. I’m wondering why the fires? Is it to protect the village or crops? In Africa, they found that planting hot peppers around the garden edges was a deterent and the elephants left the rest of the crops alone. I like the idea of natural barriers.

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1. February 27, 2011
  
  Carol
  
  Unfortunately the fires are set along the periphery of the forest to clear the land for agriculture.
  
  Reply