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| Saturday, 1 May 2004 |
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Safari on foot - Real life experience by Sarath C. Jayawardana 'There are some events of which each circumstance and surrounding detail seem to be graven on the memory in such fashion that we cannot forget them."- H. Rider Haggard
The silhouetted jungle at the far end of the tank and the mountains beyond with the backdrop of the brightly hued evening sky presented a beautiful sight. A large flock of black bitterns flew across in 'V' formation. A solitary fisherman in a canoe was casting his net for the final catch of the day. The place came alive with the arrival of the vehicles numbering about ten carrying a party of nearly thirty-five. They were there to visit the wilderness on the far side of the tank that had been earmarked for development as a wildlife park. Couple of motorboats were moored close to the bungalow ready to ferry the visitors across the tank. After a hurried welcome the party got into the motorboats eager to see wildlife. There were a few enthusiastic photographers and video cameramen in the group. There were also two policemen armed with rifles. In a few minutes the group landed safely on the far side of the tank. Scrub and brushwood The journey on foot began with enthusiasm and the party edged forward cautiously. The jungle was mainly scrub and brushwood interspersed with medium and tall tress and with no tracks to follow. In between were patches of open grassland. The tank to the left was the only landmark. Occasionally a beautiful bird flew across, but the interest was in seeing wildlife, mainly elephants. After a few minutes walk the party came across a wide expanse of grassland. At the far end of it about seventy to eighty metres away was a solitary wild elephant. It was an opportunity that could not be missed. TV cameras began to roll. The photographer, amateurs all, began clicking their cameras even though the distance was too much for a good photograph in the fading light. But that did not deter them. Rest of the group stood savouring the rare experience of seeing a wild jumbo standing on the same ground separated only by less than a hundred metres. Disturbed by the unexpected crowd The elephant stood still at the sight of the group of strangers. It was swaying from side to side apparently disturbed by the unexpected crowd, swinging its trunk and looking uncomfortable. It seemed to dislike the strangers blocking its path, but the onlookers remained nonchalant. After a few anxious moments the elephant retreated into the thicket. Cameramen shouldered their equipment having to end their task abruptly and the party thrilled at the sight of a wild elephant resumed their trek. A few metres away was another grassy patch. The elephant was seen once again at the far end of that stretch. It was the same elephant trying to cross another corridor to get to the tank. The animal halted seeing the crowd and its restlessness was discernible from its movements. Obviously the visitors were a hindrance to the lonely pachyderm trying to get to the tank to quench its thirst. They had once again disturbed its freedom, which it did not seem to appreciate. The crowd remained a barrier blocking its path and preventing access to the reservoir. Highly charged atmosphere It took less time this instance for the jumbo to retreat. However, its intentions seemed different for the elephant was seen moving stealthily at a distance through the scrub towards the tank. Its high back and the top of the head could be seen above the thicket. In a matter of minutes it had come between the party and the tank narrowing the distance separating them to about thirty metres. Everyone sensed danger and that could be seen on their faces. The party, now separated into two sections on either side of the elephant, stood frozen in their tracks silently observing its movements. The atmosphere was highly charged. Meanwhile the elephant approached a dead tree trunk standing close by and wound its trunk round the tree. It leant its forehead on the trunk and remained so for a few seconds as if in a trance. With a sudden jerk it darted up and started chasing the group that was in front trumpeting and with its tail raised. The group ran helter-skelter. There was one person in that crowd who had been a keeper of elephants and with some knowledge of elephant behaviour. He had the common sense to act fast. Removing his shirt he threw it towards the charging elephant. The elephant almost plucked it off of his hand and tore it to shreds. That retarded its chase and the group had time to run further away. The elephant did not pursue, instead turned towards the other section of the group. The charging elephant It was now the turn of that group to fend themselves. They all yelled loudly to frighten the animal. The pachyderm was least concerned and started chasing the group. All hell broke loose. In the ensuing melee some tried to climb trees; others tried to hide behind them; and the hapless stood forlorn leaving things to destiny. One who tried to climb a tree fell down when the branch gave way. There could not have been a single person who did not utter a prayer. It was so frightening. One policeman fired a shot in the air. The charging elephant stood still to the relief of all, but the respite was only short lived. It started to move again when a second shot was fired in the air. That would have given some warning to the elephant as it stopped charging and started walking backwards still facing the crowd. It slowly moved into the bushes and remained hiding there probably to waylay the group when it resumed the walk. If the elephant had not heeded the second rifle shot the outcome could have been disastrous. It was a matter of few yards before the elephant could have caught someone in the crowd. If that happened the fate of the shirt could have befallen the unfortunate soul. The thought still sends shivers down the spine. It did not take more than a couple of minutes for all this to happen, but it seemed like hours. Although the animal was hiding, its back could be seen above the bushes giving an indication where the elephant was. The group started moving further away from the elephant towards the tank and edged forward cautiously. It was getting dark. Only the brightly lit western sky threw some light as the sun was already hiding behind clouds as if frightened by the incident. The group moved forward avoiding thick bushes. They had to take a longer route to avoid the jungle keeping as far as possible to the edge of the tank Visibility was dropping fast. The noise of wild animals heard in the distance sounded eerie. The sight of a few huts bordering the jungle provided some solace. The circuit bungalow It took some time to get to the boats. The wristwatches could not be read in the dark. Normality returned only when the circuit bungalow was reached; yet, none in the wearied party would have savoured the refreshments served. A night bird flew over the building making a shrill noise. The lake and the distant mountains were immersed in darkness and all the beauty was lost. Slowly the party began to disperse. A letter received a few weeks later from the leader of the group read as follows. 'Thank you for joining me in that eventful visit to the proposed wildlife park. It was learnt a few days later that the elephant was a notorious rogue elephant in that area. We are lucky to have escaped without any serious mishaps.' (This happened about ten years ago. Yet, it still remains vividly etched in the mind, as it was a -brush with destiny.) |
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Produced by Lake House |
Vehicles arrived at the old circuit bungalow on the bund of an ancient
irrigation tank around half past four in the evening. The bungalow built
for the use of irrigation engineers of the colonial era had been renovated
and provided with modern facilities.
