Sreedhar Vijayakrishnan

Some beautiful memories from the enchanting Anamalais, a landscape so close to my heart, the one that I called home for many years, one where I learnt most about these wonderful beings.

@aneesh_sankarankutty and I were out on field, early that morning, five summers ago, looking for elephants as usual, to do observations and collect samples, as part of my PhD. This small hillock, an old plantation that’s been cleared, surrounded by Ochlandra is a regular spot where we almost regularly find one of the herds we were studying back then. And as expected, as we drove up to this patch, we could hear their ear flaps and episodic vocalisations from a distance itself. So we decided to pull up the vehicle and walk as soon as we crossed the Ochlandra patch and got into the open area. As we got there, the sight that welcomes us was magical and something that will stay in our minds etched forever. The grassland covered in mist, and elephants, some huddled, some sparring, and some dusting, standing against the beautiful morning light that pierced through the canopy and the mist. The video or the images that we recorded that day perhaps do no justice to the actual scene.

In addition to your passion for the species and the landscapes and the excitement of learning a new thing every now and then, it is also moments like these that often keep you going.
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