Tuesday, February 21, 2010 - Masinagudi
We took a private minibus from Mysore to Masinagudi, arriving at 11 a.m. at the Jungle Retreat in the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains), a range of mountains with 24 peaks above 6,560 feet in the westernmost part of Tamil Nadu and part of the larger Western Ghats mountain chain. It was hot in the sun, but there was a very nice breeze. The Jungle Retreat was a charming “resort” spread over 35 acres and made entirely of natural materials, such as rocks, mud and bamboo. All 13 people I was traveling with shared a large dormitory room – it was really neat (as in “cool”). There was a very nice and refreshing looking pool that was built to look like a watering hole; but, alas, I didn’t have a bathing suit with me. As I was writing in my journal, I sat in the open air and tropical-feel bar waiting for lunch to be served at 1:30 p.m.
(Click on the images below to view.)
(Click on the images below to view.)
We had a delicious buffet lunch in the open dining room. There was even spaghetti with meat sauce.
After we finished lunch, we all loaded into three open jeeps and drove down to the Moyar River to watch the locals bathe the work elephants. It was fascinating watching these giants lying contentedly on their sides while their mahouts scrubbed them. After awhile, I was asked if I would like to give it a try. I jumped at the chance, so I waded into the water to give one of the juvenile elephants a scrub. The brush that I used was very bristly and sharp. The elephant hide was very thick and tough, scattered with long, stiff hairs.
After we finished lunch, we all loaded into three open jeeps and drove down to the Moyar River to watch the locals bathe the work elephants. It was fascinating watching these giants lying contentedly on their sides while their mahouts scrubbed them. After awhile, I was asked if I would like to give it a try. I jumped at the chance, so I waded into the water to give one of the juvenile elephants a scrub. The brush that I used was very bristly and sharp. The elephant hide was very thick and tough, scattered with long, stiff hairs.
(Click on the images below to view.)
Also at the river were people from the nearby village bathing, washing their clothes and washing their cooking utensils. There were a few people “fishing” – a stick with a piece of fishing twine tied to the end served as a fishing pole.
(Click on the images below to view.)
(Click on the images below to view.)
On our way to the elephant feeding camp, we heard that some wild elephants had been spotted, so we quickly turned around and drove to find them. We came upon a herd of about 15 elephants crossing the road going toward the river. They stopped just inside the brush and we could see several of them very clearly. Our guide started making mating calls, and then one of the elephants charged right at MY jeep. I was standing up in the jeep when this happened and all I could think of was the charging elephant in Africa.* I was freakin’ terrified and yelled, “go, go, GO,” but our driver just sat there. However, Susan’s and Debbie’s jeep, which was stopped behind mine, started to reverse really fast and backed-up right into a car that had stopped behind them. CRASH! Thank goodness the elephant only mock charged, or my jeep would have been crashed into as well, not to mention tossed, turned and crushed. The rogue elephant rejoined the rest of its herd in the thicket, and we continued to watch the herd a little while longer.
Here is an amusing article on how to avoid a charging elephant by Paul Morrison.
How to Avoid Charging Elephants
(Something You Really Want To Get Right First Time )
Most of us are aware of the dangers of being charged at by an elephant [1], or any large African mammal for that matter. It is not an experience that you would like to endure on a regular basis. In fact, it is not an experience that you would like to experience at all. The usual symptoms of an elephant charge are intense body shape reconfiguration and/or death.
The best way to avoid being chased by an elephant is of course to avoid elephant inhabited areas at all costs. The easiest way to do this is of course to avoid going to Africa. In fact, with the poaching that has been going on, there are even vast areas of Africa which are completely elephant free. Other elephant areas are zoos and circuses. Elephants in these two areas are very likely to be a tad miffed at their confinement, and so might wish to take out their frustrations on the surrounding human population. This results in some promising elephant charge situations in the comfort of your own neighbourhood.
If, however, you are one of those intrepid folks who has to go and see an elephant for yourself in the glory of its natural habitat, then there are certain steps which can be taken to avoid a nasty gory death. Turning around and going straight home would be my first advice, but obviously that is not too practical.
If you are observing an elephant at either a zoo or circus, then my advice to you is to keep note of all emergency exits, and to ensure that there is always a group of young children between you and the large grey beast. If you are on a visit to see an elephant in it's natural habitat, then there are slightly more precautions you need to take into consideration.
Firstly, despite popular opinion, brandishing a mouse at an elephant in the same way as one brandishes a cross at a vampire will have no effect. In the same vein of thought, having a bag of peanuts in your pocket will not incite an elephant to carve a hole in your vehicle and/or you in an attempt to get them. It would much rather have some of that yummy bark from a nearby Acacia tree.
The most important way to remain safe is to stay inside your vehicle. Except for the occasional incident where an elephant attempts to get romantic with your 4 by 4, you are quite safe.
Despite this knowledge, many people still insist on abandoning the relative safety of their vehicles to get closer to an elephant. The reason for this is often an attempt to get a better photo or video of the elephant, but in reality it will most probably allow someone else to get their photo/video of you on the evening news, as you attempt to break land speed records when running away.
Up to now, all of the situations described (except for leaving your vehicle) are unlikely to result in an elephant charge. It is those people who venture into elephant territory on foot who are most at risk.
Most of the places that you can travel on foot in elephant territory are game reserves. This is a good thing as this usually means that you can hire someone to show you the way, as well as make sure that you do not die, which is always a nice bonus. The guides that you can hire for these trips are vastly experienced, and well versed in the ways of the African wilderness. They also carry big guns. The fact that the guide would rather lose a tourist or two than shoot an elephant should not worry you. Really.
If, after all of the previous advice fails you, or you failed to pay attention to the advice, and you do find yourself being charged by an elephant, there are a few things you can do.
If after even this advice fails and you get caught by the elephant you can do two things: you can scream and try to beat the elephant away, or you can play dead. If you attempt the former, chances are you will merely make the evening news video even more exciting. If you attempt the latter, you must just hope that the elephant does not step on something important like your head, or even more important, your camera. Eventually the elephant should grow bored, and move away to brag of his achievement to his buddies at the water hole.
I am not too sure what you should do after an elephant has successfully charged you, but I am fairly certain that a visit to the local emergency ward is a good place to start, followed by several months in traction and rehabilitation.
If you have successfully avoided the elephant charge, all you have to do is learn how to avoid attacks by: lion; hippo; rhino; cape buffalo; crocodile; and possibly most importantly, tourist shops.
DISCLAIMER: The author of this article has not actually been on the receiving end of an elephant charge. Thus he must not be held responsible for any damage resulting from the adhering to of his advice. Instead the author recommends that you stay at home and watch the evening news to see elephant charges. Not only is this much safer, but it is much more entertaining.
[1] As you know (I hope) there are two species of elephant, the Indian and African. The African version is considered the nastier of the two, and so for the purposes of this article, every reference to an elephant should be seen as a reference to the African elephant.
How to Avoid Charging Elephants
(Something You Really Want To Get Right First Time )
Most of us are aware of the dangers of being charged at by an elephant [1], or any large African mammal for that matter. It is not an experience that you would like to endure on a regular basis. In fact, it is not an experience that you would like to experience at all. The usual symptoms of an elephant charge are intense body shape reconfiguration and/or death.
The best way to avoid being chased by an elephant is of course to avoid elephant inhabited areas at all costs. The easiest way to do this is of course to avoid going to Africa. In fact, with the poaching that has been going on, there are even vast areas of Africa which are completely elephant free. Other elephant areas are zoos and circuses. Elephants in these two areas are very likely to be a tad miffed at their confinement, and so might wish to take out their frustrations on the surrounding human population. This results in some promising elephant charge situations in the comfort of your own neighbourhood.
If, however, you are one of those intrepid folks who has to go and see an elephant for yourself in the glory of its natural habitat, then there are certain steps which can be taken to avoid a nasty gory death. Turning around and going straight home would be my first advice, but obviously that is not too practical.
If you are observing an elephant at either a zoo or circus, then my advice to you is to keep note of all emergency exits, and to ensure that there is always a group of young children between you and the large grey beast. If you are on a visit to see an elephant in it's natural habitat, then there are slightly more precautions you need to take into consideration.
Firstly, despite popular opinion, brandishing a mouse at an elephant in the same way as one brandishes a cross at a vampire will have no effect. In the same vein of thought, having a bag of peanuts in your pocket will not incite an elephant to carve a hole in your vehicle and/or you in an attempt to get them. It would much rather have some of that yummy bark from a nearby Acacia tree.
The most important way to remain safe is to stay inside your vehicle. Except for the occasional incident where an elephant attempts to get romantic with your 4 by 4, you are quite safe.
Despite this knowledge, many people still insist on abandoning the relative safety of their vehicles to get closer to an elephant. The reason for this is often an attempt to get a better photo or video of the elephant, but in reality it will most probably allow someone else to get their photo/video of you on the evening news, as you attempt to break land speed records when running away.
Up to now, all of the situations described (except for leaving your vehicle) are unlikely to result in an elephant charge. It is those people who venture into elephant territory on foot who are most at risk.
Most of the places that you can travel on foot in elephant territory are game reserves. This is a good thing as this usually means that you can hire someone to show you the way, as well as make sure that you do not die, which is always a nice bonus. The guides that you can hire for these trips are vastly experienced, and well versed in the ways of the African wilderness. They also carry big guns. The fact that the guide would rather lose a tourist or two than shoot an elephant should not worry you. Really.
If, after all of the previous advice fails you, or you failed to pay attention to the advice, and you do find yourself being charged by an elephant, there are a few things you can do.
- You can run away at high speed. This would seem to make the most sense at first, but an elephant can move much much faster than you. Trust me on this fact. So if you are moving at a rate which you think would threaten the 100m world record, chances are you will receive a hefty dose of tusk up the rump, leading rapidly to the previously mentioned evening news appearance.
- You can climb a tree. This is a very popular way to escape an elephant. You must exercise ogood judgment when choosing which tree to climb, as many African trees tend to have rather large thorns. You may not care too much about that when you are first climbing the tree, but if you get trapped up there for several hours, you will wish you had chosen a more comfortable piece of real estate. You mush also ensure that the tree you climb is too big for the elephant to push over, for obvious reasons.
- Finally, we have my personal favourite. Run away, making sure that there is someone slower than you running behind you. This might sound cruel, but hey, survival of the fittest. Literally.
If after even this advice fails and you get caught by the elephant you can do two things: you can scream and try to beat the elephant away, or you can play dead. If you attempt the former, chances are you will merely make the evening news video even more exciting. If you attempt the latter, you must just hope that the elephant does not step on something important like your head, or even more important, your camera. Eventually the elephant should grow bored, and move away to brag of his achievement to his buddies at the water hole.
I am not too sure what you should do after an elephant has successfully charged you, but I am fairly certain that a visit to the local emergency ward is a good place to start, followed by several months in traction and rehabilitation.
If you have successfully avoided the elephant charge, all you have to do is learn how to avoid attacks by: lion; hippo; rhino; cape buffalo; crocodile; and possibly most importantly, tourist shops.
DISCLAIMER: The author of this article has not actually been on the receiving end of an elephant charge. Thus he must not be held responsible for any damage resulting from the adhering to of his advice. Instead the author recommends that you stay at home and watch the evening news to see elephant charges. Not only is this much safer, but it is much more entertaining.
[1] As you know (I hope) there are two species of elephant, the Indian and African. The African version is considered the nastier of the two, and so for the purposes of this article, every reference to an elephant should be seen as a reference to the African elephant.
After our close encounter with the elephant, we continued our drive through the forest. I saw lots of monkeys, a wild peacock and two malabar giant squirrels, or, as they are called locally by the Indians, flying squirrels. These flying squirrels are upper-canopy dwelling animals that rarely leave the trees, and they travel from tree to tree with jumps of up to 20 feet.
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On the way back to the Jungle Retreat, we passed through a couple villages and saw the requisite cows roaming the streets and dogs laying in the middle of the pavement. We even came across a herd of cattle blocking our way as they slowly ambled across the road, apparently in no great hurry to get to the other side.
Dinner was at 8:30 p.m. It was buffet-style and very good. Rick and Kevin went to play snooker, otherwise know as pool by us Yankees, while Betty, Susan, Debbie and I yakked away inside. By the time we finally made it to the campfire, it had pretty much petered out, so the four of us girls went back to the dorm to sleep. We were the first ones to bed. I had drank two gin and tonics, so I spent the next hour running to the bathroom, where a very large spider had set up housekeeping. Betty fell asleep pretty quickly and promptly started snoring. Debbie, who had some kind of respiratory infection, was hacking so bad that she used a couple seat cushions from the chairs in the dorm’s sitting area to prop herself up in bed.
(Click on the images below to view. Sorry about odd size of some of them.)
Dinner was at 8:30 p.m. It was buffet-style and very good. Rick and Kevin went to play snooker, otherwise know as pool by us Yankees, while Betty, Susan, Debbie and I yakked away inside. By the time we finally made it to the campfire, it had pretty much petered out, so the four of us girls went back to the dorm to sleep. We were the first ones to bed. I had drank two gin and tonics, so I spent the next hour running to the bathroom, where a very large spider had set up housekeeping. Betty fell asleep pretty quickly and promptly started snoring. Debbie, who had some kind of respiratory infection, was hacking so bad that she used a couple seat cushions from the chairs in the dorm’s sitting area to prop herself up in bed.
(Click on the images below to view. Sorry about odd size of some of them.)
About an hour later, everyone else came to bed. For some, it was going to be an early morning, but not me; I was sleeping in.
*In 2003, my traveling companions and I were driving along a dirt path in Katavi National Park in Tanzania, Africa, when we spotted a solitary large bull elephant in the bush walking diagonally in the direction of the dirt trail on which we were traveling. We whipped out our cameras and started shooting as we kept pace with the elephant as he slowly made his way toward the trail and us. As he got closer, we could tell he was getting agitated because our Land Rover was blocking his ability to cross the trail. Finally, when he was about 20 feet from our vehicle, he started flapping his ears wildly, raised his trunk, trumpeted loudly, lowered his trunk and then raced toward the Land Rover. Eddie, our excellent guide and driver, quickly stepped on the gas; however, being on a dirt trail, our wheels just started spinning. I was sitting at the back of the vehicle with the large window wide open as I saw one of the elephant’s long, white tusks about to enter through the window at which I was sitting when the wheels at last “caught” and the vehicle suddenly lurched forward. I opened my eyes, which I had clenched shut when I thought death by impalement of an elephant tusk was imminent, just in time to look behind me out the rear window to see the elephant bolt across the trail only inches from the back of our vehicle. Whew! Death averted, this time at least!
*In 2003, my traveling companions and I were driving along a dirt path in Katavi National Park in Tanzania, Africa, when we spotted a solitary large bull elephant in the bush walking diagonally in the direction of the dirt trail on which we were traveling. We whipped out our cameras and started shooting as we kept pace with the elephant as he slowly made his way toward the trail and us. As he got closer, we could tell he was getting agitated because our Land Rover was blocking his ability to cross the trail. Finally, when he was about 20 feet from our vehicle, he started flapping his ears wildly, raised his trunk, trumpeted loudly, lowered his trunk and then raced toward the Land Rover. Eddie, our excellent guide and driver, quickly stepped on the gas; however, being on a dirt trail, our wheels just started spinning. I was sitting at the back of the vehicle with the large window wide open as I saw one of the elephant’s long, white tusks about to enter through the window at which I was sitting when the wheels at last “caught” and the vehicle suddenly lurched forward. I opened my eyes, which I had clenched shut when I thought death by impalement of an elephant tusk was imminent, just in time to look behind me out the rear window to see the elephant bolt across the trail only inches from the back of our vehicle. Whew! Death averted, this time at least!
NEXT: UDHAGAMANDALAM