Wild Elephants - Myths of the Musth

The elephant is a pet obsession of every Malayali. It would be difficult to imagine a temple festival without an array of caparisoned elephants. From a single tusker to as many as thirty, depending on the size of the temple's coffers, these decked up pachyderms are one of the attractions of God's own Country!

(As usual Pinks are Links!)

Unfortunately for most, if not all, of these elephants the period of musth, is a torture. During musth these normally gentle creatures become masses of seething anger and viciousness. The captive elephants are chained, isolated, and starved or tranquillized with the idea that it will curb their killer instincts. Nothing can be farther than the truth. I read an interesting chapter from the book 'Practical Elephant Management; A handbook for Mahouts, which mentions the ways to handle a captive elephant in musth! For a true elephant lover it reads like a horror story!

Sometime in March this year, Gajendra, a tusker belonging to the Karnataka Forest Department, killed its mahout and fatally injured another tusker Sri Rama. Both these elephants were stationed in K Gudi, B R Hills and were regulars during the Dasara festivities in Mysuru. Like all tuskers, Gajendra too went through cycles of musth but had never attacked anyone so far. When I went to B R Hills this year, I saw a forlorn Gajendra, perhaps filled with remorse at his action that resulted in the death of two of his closest associates; his mahout and fellow pachyderm. It was two months after the tragedy but it seems, the elephant's emotional upheavals had not subsided yet.

A remorseful Gajendra

I know I must be right because this has been mentioned in an article by A.Rajaram, published in Resonance, a journal of the Indian Academy of Science, Bengluru.

Looking like he lost his best chums

27th September, 2015

Turning the clock forward to Onam vacation 2015. We were in Bandipur for three days and on the first trip out into the forest, going down the Mysuru-Ooty highway, we ran into a herd of elephants. There were seven of them, grazing on either side of the road. Two tuskers with females, sub adults and a calf were feeding in the succulent grass growing on roadside after the rains.

One young tusker was on the right side of the road walking parallel to our vehicle. He broke into a hurried run to overtake us.

This male was separated by the road from the highway

 Once past us he turned towards a gap in the impenetrable wall of lantana, perhaps going towards the large pond a little further off inside the forest. It was quite a warm afternoon and a leisurely soak was in order.

We had halted just before reaching the main herd of six elephants, including the other magnificent male who appeared to be in musth.

The rest of the herd

The tusker in musth.

 All the elephants looked in prime health unlike the ones we saw in Nagarahole in May. The only aberration was this big male, who had the obvious patch of wetness between his eyes and ears, the secretion from his musth gland. The sight of a tusker in musth is sufficient to sent an average human being into a tizzy. That is because of the disrepute captive tuskers have earned with their behaviour during periods of musth. I hope the brief description that follows, at the end of this post, about the mating behaviour in elephants, will help dispel a few myths about elephants in musth. 

Meanwhile, we were watching the younger male on the right of the road. He abruptly turned back, strode purposefully onto the road and proceeded to cross it. Obviously, the females had communicated with him, either by means of infrasonic rumbles which the human ears cannot hear, or by seismic vibrations. 

The young tusker crossing to rejoin the herd

He seemed to be reassuring them to remain calm

He walked unhurriedly to where the herd was gathered....

....and joined them.

As we were watching this peaceful scene one chap on a motorcycle decided that it was safe to go, but the matriarch wasn't to pleased. She gave a mock charge to hurry the rider on his way

"Get away you moron!"

Then she started to cross the road.

All this action, meanwhile, had made us lose attention of the bull in musth that had actually been nearest to us earlier. When we looked for him he wasn't there! Then suddenly the lantana parted a few meters from us and the bull emerged silently!

The bull emerging from the lantana

 He wasn't interested in testing out the sharpness of his tusks on us. He was probably observing us from the cover of the lantana to assess whether we were a threat to himself or the herd! He walked towards the road in front of us in a very dignified manner.

Without wasting a glance at us he followed the matriarch, obviously his mate for the season, across the road. The tell tale wetness on his hind legs, from the trickle of urine, which is another sign, confirmed that he was in musth.

For a bull in musth he showed no sign of ill temper or aggression. He was only concerned about rejoining his mate on the other side of the road. Why many of us have such a fear complex about bull elephants, especially the ones in musth, is something I cannot fathom!

The young male who had, meanwhile, joined the rest of the herd then proceeded to escort the youngsters and sub adults across the road.

Responsible big brother escorting cousins and others across

The little one was still nervous

Big sister urges her sibling to cross with her

Eventually the entire herd was on the right side of the highway. No drama, except when the matriarch mock charged the motorcyclist. As the big bull went to join the others the younger bull disappeared into the lantana. He wasn't ready for a showdown. His turn would eventually come, a few years from now.

A purposeful walk towards the herd

He dispatched the young bull with a wave of his trunk and perhaps a rumble!

On really big & happy family!

During this entire episode, I did not feel threatened; not even for a moment. As long as our vehicle was parked, with engine running, and we were not getting off it; we were safe. The elephants were looking to cross, and maybe go for a relaxing swim at the pond inside the park. Once the two safari vehicles parked on either side of the herd, blocking the rest of the traffic, the crossing was accomplished without undue stress.

What I'm trying to highlight here is that elephants in the wild are not as aggressive as their captive cousins! It is a misconception that wild elephants are looking to wreak havoc on passing humans. Even a lone tusker, unless it is in musth, rarely attack. They only make threatening gestures but never proceed with a fatal intention. I have encountered, on many occasions, an elephant that came at our vehicle. They will stop short once they know you mean no harm.

Understanding the Musth Mystery

To understand the phenomenon of musth and the sudden change in the behaviour of, what was till then, a placid pachyderm, we have to delve into the details of mating in elephants. Most of us have major misconceptions of a bull elephant in musth. I hope to dispel at least some of that misconceptions and with that, the inherent fear such misconceptions incite in us, by the end of this post.

Elephant Family Structure
Elephants have a highly ordered family structure. Herds in the forests of South India number from 5 to 12 individuals but can swell to upto two dozen or more sometimes. The herds are usually led by a matriarch, the oldest and most experienced female. The rest of the herd mainly consists of the matriarch's sisters and off spring, mostly females and few younger males. Females remain with the herd all their life and help during birth and in bringing up the calves.

If the herd becomes large and food and water sources dwindle in the traditional grazing areas few females may leave to form new herds. These herds will mingle again for  short periods, especially during migration to greener pasteurs. Large congregation of elephants are a regular feature around the Kabini reservoir in summer. Males leave the herd when they are 12-14 years and are usually solitary, or form loose groups of two or three.

Breeding in elephants
The female elephants come into 'heat' once every three or four months. She will be able to conceive only in a brief window of 3-5 days. During this period she is receptive to mating. A female in oestrus attracts males by their behaviour. They raise their head, make rumbling vocalizations and often spend time with the male they have selected, even leaving the herd for short periods.  

The bull, that the female accepts as her mate, stays with the herd for about two weeks. After mating, he then heads off back to his solitary life till the next season. He plays no role during his mate's pregnancy, calving or in the bringing up his off spring! The gestation period of elephants is the longest of all mammals; some 20-22 months. The birth of the calf usually coincides with the end of summer or beginning of the wet season when food and water will not be scarce.

A Bull in Musth
The musth period in an elephant is a physiological phenomenon that occurs once a year in all mature bulls. True, that there is a production excess of testosterone, sometimes in the region of 60 times more than normal, but that is because the bull is ready for procreation. It has been interpreted as "the honest advertising of the male's sexual availability and condition". The smell of the musth secretion and the constant dribbling of urine scent marks their trail and attracts receptive females.  

It has been noted that during musth other males, especially younger ones, avoid contact with the bull in musth. Younger males don't go into musth at the same time as older and bigger males. The males in musth are aggressive and pick fights on a whim so it helps when there is only one male in musth at at time. In the right company, a bull in musth is like any other elephant. It's honest intention is to mate but the condition itself being very uncomfortable makes them behave extraordinarily.

In the wild, these bulls have an outlet, in the form of a very coquettish female. Otherwise they usually keep to themselves away from the herds and other elephants, perhaps unsure of themselves. Considering that elephants are emotional animals, it is safe to assume that somewhere in the recesses of their mind bent on violence, there is a part telling them to avoid confrontation. So when a bull in musth rejoins a herd his only intention is to mate. As I mentioned earlier, he will stay with the herd for a short duration of few weeks and moves back to his solitary existence once he has achieved his purpose.

Captive elephants are, sadly, not so fortunate. Their life is a torture, though elephant owners will disagree! Chained for life, restricted from moving freely and forced to stand in their own excreta, their lives are a nighmare of sorts. To compound the fact, the management policies suggested in the Mahout's Handbook, makes life living hell for an elephant in musth. No wonder most captive elephants show a destructive streak, taking out their suppressed ire on animate and inanimate objects, when they are in musth. Such elephants become unmanageable and turn on their handlers, sometimes resulting in fatalities.

It is alleged that the increasing fatalities are directly related to the cruelty these gentle creatures are put through in the festival season. They are paraded in temples, transported on trucks and made to stand for hours in energy sapping heat. On top of that, drunken mahouts and greedy owners add to the elephant's woes. It is no wonder that the number of human deaths is growing over the years; a staggering 500 plus mahout deaths in 15 years! 

While temple elephants of Kerala in musth are chained, starved of food and water to suppress them the Karnataka Forest Department has a more humane approach. If they are not able to control the animal, it is let loose in the forest, but with chains on. The mahouts and the forest staff constantly follow and monitor the elephant so it does not get into trouble or cause any trouble for others. Wild tuskers in musth have rarely been implicated in such fatalities recently. The tales of rogue elephants from shikar stories probably have something to do with the tusker being in a period of musth.

To those who still are skeptical, let me assure you that in over a decade and a half of woodcrawling I have never been charged by a tusker. All charges that I have been faced with are mock charges by the females with small calves. More of a display of false aggression than with any real intent to hurt. Having said let me also highlight a few points again that should be remembered in the presence of wild elephants.

1. Elephants don't attack unless provoked.
2. Stay in the vehicle if you are faced with a herd or even a lone tusker.
3. Keep the engine running all the time and don't get off. Elephants have poor eyesight your presence is not easily detected when you are in a closed vehicle.
4. If you are on foot, back off slowly if your presence has not been detected.
5. When inside a vehicle don't make noise or sudden moves. If you pop up like a jack-in-the-box you may annoy the elephant.
6. Avoid flash photography. It irritates elephants, both male and female.
7. Don't make noise to attract the animals, it only serves to provoke them.
8. In the presence of a herd with very small calves, don't try to get too close. Female elephants tend to charge if they feel that you are a threat to the little one. 
9. Lone tuskers are also not always dangerous and show less tendency to charge unlike females.
10. If you run into a lone tusker in musth, avoid it at all costs. They behave unpredictably

More about elephant behaviour can be found in a previous post, Thinking like an Elephant.

Wild tuskers, rarely look for an encounter with humans. The prefer disappearing from our presence as quickly as they can. Only females with calves actually give you the charge!

I hope I have given you something to think about and get rid of some misconceptions about wild elephants. They have always been portrayed as villains though the truth is otherwise. It is our attitude and behaviour that makes these gentle creatures act as they sometimes do. Remember, they are herbivores so they don't kill to eat. Unless provoked, they will continue to feed contentedly or go about doing whatever elephants do when they are at peace with the world!

I love our elephants, I hope you start loving them too. 

Happy Woodcrawling!

Summer in Kabini - Part 1: Routes

April 2015,

(Pinks are links)

Kabini River Lodge of JLR, on the banks of Kabini reservoir, is reputedly their best resort. A jewel in the crown of Jungle Lodges & Resorts and a favourite of many of my photographer friends because the forests of the Rajiv Gandhi National Park ( or Nagarahole NP) was prime leopard country. The resort is located on the southern fringes of the park and my first visit was in 1999. An unforgettable trip because, throughout that visit, I shared a vehicle with Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin!

Routes
Kabini was a temptation that I resisted primarily due to one reason, the route and distance.

The first time I took a route that went almost up to Mysore through Sathyamangalam, Chamarajanagar, Najangud then got onto the Mysore-Manathavady road to reach Kharapur. A distance of more than 310 kilometers and a drive of 7- 8 hours.

Later, after Bandipur Safari Lodge came into existence (from what was the erstwhile KSTDC Mayura) I would drive up through Nilambur, Gudalur, Mudumalai, Bandipur, Gundlupet, Begur, Nugu and H.D Kote. This route was shorter by almost 30 kilometers compared to the previous one. From the last mentioned place I'd get on the Mysore Manathavady road again to reach my destination. This route also needed a 7 hour drive to cover the 280 kilometers.

Those were the days when the Mysore-Manathavady road was a nightmare to drive on. The 20 odd kilometers after the national park gates, would take, not less than a couple of hours; that is, if you did not stop to count the potholes and shoot pictures of the wildlife that would be wandering close to the road. On my last trip to Bandipur in January, whenI happened to break my Zuiko 300 mm f2.8, my friend Mohan Thomas told me that this nightmare road was now a pleasure to drive on. That decided me. I had to give in to my long-standing temptation!

Not only was this a better road but it also cuts some 40 kilometers from the Bandipur route! This road goes through Mannarkad, Pandikad, Manjeri, Mukkom, Thamrassery, Kalpetta and Manathavady. That is the route I followed to reach Nagarhole a few years ago. If you want the distances from Palakkad to Manathavady just check the first post of the Nights in Nagarahole series. The Kalpetta bypass mentioned as unmotorable has since been completed and it takes you onto the Manathavady road quickly. If you take the road through the aforementioned places, it is 205 kilometers from Palakkad to Manathavady.

About 10 kilometers after Manathavady, is Kattikulam (215 kms) where the road divides into two. The left goes to Tholpetty, Kutta and thence to Nagarahole. If Kabini River Lodge is your destination, take the right turn to Bavalli (223 kms), the Kerala-Karnataka border. 15 kilometers from Bavalli you reach the Balle check post. About 4 kilometers after that you have to turn right to Kharapur and Kabini River Lodge (249 kms).

To be continued.....................

The Aftermath of an Elephant Attack - Part 3 : Thinking like an Elephant

Note: This is a really long post, please have patience for the pictures to load. If you have not read the first two parts please click here. 

The Gavi incidence is rare but not unusual. I have run into these gentle giants on my woodcrawling and on more then one occasion, been charged. 

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All these charges have been only an assertion of who is the authority in the jungle, never with any intention to hurt or kill. Just take a look at this video recorded just under a month ago. It gives you an idea how much damage an elephant can do even if the intention was not to kill!

Know the Elephant
Elephants, as a rule, are placid creatures. If a day had 48 hours they'd love nothing more than just crunching on some juicy bark or tearing off tender grass and stuffing them inside their cavernous mouths. They spend 80% of their life feeding. They consume about 150 kilograms of vegetation and drink upto 100 liters of water everyday. Not very surprising, considering that a full grown elephant can weigh as much as 3000 - 5000 kgs! Their shrinking habitats have now ensured that large herds have to be on the move constantly looking for fresh feeding grounds. This brings them into direct conflict with man.

We humans are unreasonable creatures. After encroaching and destroying the elephant's territory we block their movements by building roads and settlements, after which we go about converting vast tracts of forest into agricultural lands! Then, we expect these gentle creatures to understand our superiority and avoid the areas we have usurped from them!

Why, then, do these gentle giants turn killers sometimes? I quote from Vivek Menon's book 'Tusker'. "A large number of elephants captured in Kodagu district and near Bandipur had multiple bullet wounds on them, caused by .12 bore and .22 bore shots sprayed on them by resisting farmers. In adjoining Kerala, two elephants of the Guruvayoor temple had bullet wounds with small lead pellets when the temple acquired them". Further, he also writes, "In Wayanad, Kerala, a large tusker was captured in 1995 because of crop raiding problems. It had over 25 bullet wounds on various parts of its body". No wonder some elephants, especially those that live near human habitations or come into contact with humans, behave aggressively. They are simply being defensive.

This is not meant to be a treatise on elephant behaviour but I though a small introduction will give you an idea why we should not take these creatures lightly.


Elephant senses
Elephants have small eyes and their range is limited, approximately 25 meters. They see better in low light and are slightly handicapped in very bright light. Due to their location on the sides of the head they afford a better peripheral vision than binocular vision. To compensate for this anomaly, nature has provided the elephant with very powerful hearing and the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom. Their large ears help to gather sounds well beyond the range of our small ones.            (More about elephant senses here.)

The versatile trunk of an elephant is the best smelling organ of all animals. It is five times more sensitive than the humans. It is so powerful that the African elephant can smell water 12 kilometers away! (More about the fascinating trunk here.) The elephant keeps feeling the air every now and then with the trunk. 

When you are in the forest especially on foot you can smell the elephant's presence easily. It also means that the elephant can know you have arrived much before you. For an animal that weighs a few tonnes it moves very silently so the human ear or nose is incapable of detecting it before it has detected you. The strategy is to always be downwind of the elephant. It means that the wind should blow from the elephant towards you and not the other way around.

Elephant behaviour
Most often elephants go about their business of eating and caring for the young very quietly. On occasions they show an aggression that is expected from an animal of that size. If you know a little bit about how elephants display their aggression you can judge if the animal you encountered is really a threat to you.

Elephants, as I mentioned before are generally peaceful animals. Females show aggressive intent when the herd has very young calves. Bulls are solitary and become extraordinarily aggressive when in musth. All elephants are aggressive when they are harassed, injured or sick.

Reaction to threats by the elephants differ. Most often they put on a dominance display to scare of the intruders by raising their heads and tusks with the ears pushed forward to appear larger than they are. This maybe accompanied by much shaking of the head swishing of the trunk.

This young bull was about to cross the track when we surprised it.

Beginning of the dominance display, the head raising

Tusks thrust forward and the ears spread out

It took a couple of steps out of the lantana....

... but realized that, though we were not a serious threat, we were not budging.....

...... and so, retreated into the lantana again!

The other reaction is the charge. They are most often they are mock charges and are broken off before any actual contact is made. The intention is to drive of the threat with a display of aggression. Female elephants are more prone to give you the charge.

In the presence of a herd with small calves you are better off keeping a safe distance. The matriarch is very protective and will charge without any provocation.  Once the threat has been dealt with the herd forms a protective ring of adults and sub-adults around the calves.

Very small calves are under the care of the entire herd

If they perceive a threat they close rank around the little ones

If the matriarch decides that the intruders are harmless they break off to feed again....

... but the smallest calves are led away from danger by the mothers with gentle nudges and pushes!

Sometimes the herd itself moves away if they are not comfortable in the situation.

Occasionally the mock charge can become converted to a real life threatening charge. This video was recorded in Kruger National Park on 15th January, 2015. It was being streamed LIVE!

You can see how incredibly strong even the small tusks of the female African elephant is. Imagine how much damage a full grown bull can do if it decides to really handle the threat!

When you happen to encounter a solitary bull in the wild leave him alone. They are much maligned because they are solitary (termed 'ottyaan' or single one in Malayalam) and very unpredictable when they are in musth. Every solitary bull is viewed as a trouble maker though in actual fact, they are not. Solitary males in musth are best avoided at all cost.

The opening of the musth gland can be seen inside the green circle. 

 It is not difficult to identify a bull in musth. Look for the opening of the gland located about halfway between the eye and the ear hole.

A cropped version of the above picture. The red arrow shows the opening of the gland.

If an elephant is in musth there is a trickle of fluid from this hole towards the mouth. It leaves a very distinct wet patch of skin between the mouth and ears.

You can see the wet track of the secretion, temporin, as a darker patch. (blue arrow)

Temple elephants of Guruvayur are chained up and isolated during the cycle as they pose a danger to their handlers, other elephants and anything that they take a fancy to including vehicles and electric or telephone posts!

 Asian elephants can attain sexual maturity by 15 years but the musth period is not intense till they are 20-25 years old. (More about musth here.)  The African counterparts go into cycles about 5 years later.

This old bull was estimated to be over 70 years and is one of the oldest in Punnathoor Kota, Guruvayur. It was in musth but wasn't behaving as aggressively as the younger males.

There is no clarity on the upper age for musth or if the intensity reduces over time but it lasts throughout life as observed in captive elephants.

In the wild it might not be always easy to identify an elephant in musth because they tend to be hidden by the vegetation and suddenly pop out on you without warning! It has happened more than once especially after a good monsoon. The vegetation is rich and dense. Even a very large tusker will be invisible till you almost knock into it!

As we rounded a turn this large bull was feeding on the foliage on the side of the track.

Mature bulls are generally calm and just want to be left alone with their feeding

They will move slowly feeding as they go along............

.......... before going off into the bush eventually. 

Younger and inexperienced bulls are more demonstrative and put up the dominance display more often and accompanied sometimes, by a half charge. This young bull was about to cross the Campanmutti Circle in Bandipur National Park. It appeared that it had just crossed the highway from the eastern part of the park into the western part. The bull and our vehicle reached the junction almost simultaneously.

The young bull ambling along peacefully

It realizes that there are others waiting to cross its path.

Walks forward with the trunk casually wrapped on its magnificent tusk.

Continues to walk towards the track nonchalantly, trying to ignore our presence 

Decides to show its superiority; ears forward, trunk swishing and tail up!

For good measure it threw some mud and grass onto its back.

After all that belligerent display............

....... it decided, enough was enough.......

............ and ran away squealing in protest!!

Occasionally turning to see if we were following.........

......before eventually disappearing into the lantana on the opposite side of the track!

Recognizing a dangerous charge
As I mentioned earlier an occasional charge can be genuinely dangerous. You have to learn to differentiate a mock charge from a real killer charge. When an elephant charges there are a few signs that can forewarn you if it is going to end unhappily for you. Each elephant is a distinct individual with its own distinct behaviour therefore all of them may not behave predictably but in most instances they do. Although it may not be perfect it is useful to know these signs as they can be the difference between life and death.

When it is a mock charge the elephant is more demonstrative. It trumpets, opens the ears and flap them, lifts its head and twists it from side to side. It may pluck grass or mud and throw it in your direction. If it is a mock charge you can hold your ground, that is if you really have the nerve to face up to a few tons of solid bone and muscles bearing down at you at trumpeting loudly! It might just halt as abruptly, wheel around and retreat.

On the contrary if the charge is truly with malicious intent the animal curls up its trunk, lowers its head and charges with the ears laid back. Then it is time to take flight. The only intention the elephant has is to catch you, trample you, impale you with its tusk and probably dismember you! A very painful death is the only possible result if it gets to you.

Running from an elephant is a challenging affair especially if your fitness levels are suspect and the terrain and forest favours a bigger animal. We can run at about 15-20 kmph on level ground. Usain Bolt is clocked at 37 kmph over 100 meters! The elephant has been known to run at about 25 kmph but has been clocked at 40 kmph on one occasion! The idea is not to outrun a genuinely angry animal. Try to find something to climb onto or keep between you and the elephant. If there is a deep trench or ditch, jump in.

Click here for the link on 'How to Survive a Charging Elephant'

Mature bulls, unless in musth, are rarely very demonstrative. The observe you with quite dignity and once they have assessed your threat potential the simply ignore you and walk off unhurriedly.

A slight lifting of the ears and a careful sniff with the trunk.....

..... and he knows we are no threat. A few seconds of eye balling to let us know he is not alarmed.....

......he crosses the track with no care in the world. "Wait till I'm gone" is the message!

Without a backward glance the majestic tusker disappears into the jungle.

Some bulls will just ignore you and get about their business. While waiting at the Subbarayankatte waterhole in Bandipur, late in the evening on a safari, this bull came down to the water, drank its fill, had a shower, then went and scratched itself on a low tree. All the while it seemed oblivious to our presence!

Pleasurable itch!

More often than not, an elephant in the wild would prefer to avoid a confrontation. Most killing happen in areas where we humans have encroached into its territories or and places where domesticated elephants have been ill treated by drunk mahouts. There is no need to panic in the presence of these gentle pachyderms if you adhere to the guidelines mentioned in my previous blog.

The same rules apply to the gaur, the largest wild cattle in the world. They are found in large herds and in the morning come out onto the safari track to warm up in the morning sun. They will move off at their own time and remember gaurs don't charge like elephants. When a herd stampedes, just keep out of the way.

Road block

Even large bulls are very benign

They would rather herd the calves off rather than charge at a human

More road blocks!

I have, on one trek in Chinnar, crossed the path of a gaur. The guide and me had smelt elephant and were scouring the forest on either side of the tracks for the herd. Suddenly, out of the trees the head of a young gaur pops up!

If the gaur was not right in the middle of the frame it would have been difficult to spot it in the dense vegetation! 

 That was the first time I had taken Skanda on a real trek in the wild because he was growing up into a real Woodcrawler! I wasn't sure who was more surprised, the gaur or us!

So if you are out in the wilderness, either on a vehicle or on foot, if you adhere to some simple rules you can ensure that you won't have any unhappy encounters.

1. Stay in your vehicle at all times. Getting out makes you an isolated target and even with poor eye sight an elephant can pick you out for showing its irritation.
2. Start your trip after at dawn and finish it off before sunset.
3. Don't switch off the engine and light of the vehicle. The vehicle is seen as a larger 'creature' and the people sitting inside are not perceived as separate from the vehicle.  
4. Don't drive too fast. Animals crossing suddenly maybe knocked down and killed unintentionally. Keep to the speed limits; usually 30-40 kmph. 
5. Animal crossing areas are marked with boards. Slow down and drive carefully.
6. Don't make noise or speak excitedly. Some people have the annoying habit of trying to attract the attention of wild animals by making loud noises. Loud noises can alarm the herd. What happened in Gavi was a result of an alarmed sambar running out of forest into the herd's presence.
7. Don't attempt to get too close to an elephant. They will misread your intention as a threat and react accordingly.
8. Photography is encouraged but keep your flash switched off. Elephants hate the sudden flashes of light. Remember, the see poorly in very bright light. 
9. If you are trekking on foot ensure that you are fit for the trip. 
10. Follow the guide's instructions and don't wander off the track. Stick to the route designated by the forest department.
11. Ensure that the guide has instruments or avoiding attacks by wild animals. They usually carry fire  crackers, a large bush knife and sticks. Some places have guides with firearms.
12. Carry maps or handheld GPS especially while on foot.
13. Carry water and food sufficient for the trip. Ensure you carry your litter back with you. 
14. Wear clothing and footwear suited to the place you are trekking in. Avoid loud colours and flimsy street footwear.
15. Consider getting travel insurance!

This is one of my longest posts and is a direct result of the Gavi elephant attack. I call myself a Woodcrawler and encourage others to try woodcrawling. I felt it is my responsibility to also share with you some tips for safe woodcrawling. 

Part 1 of this series is here

Part 2 of this series is here

If you found this series useful please share the link to this blog with others who might also like to travel or trek in wilderness areas. 

Happy Woodcrawling!