Saturday, March 10, 2012

Annai

Thadagam is at the outskirts of coimbatore and 21 kms away from annaikatti which is supposedly the largest natural habitat for elephants in tamil nadu. 'Annai' in tamil means elephant. Today I finally saw them.
I was sitting in my opd room as usual when around ten I heard shouts outside. Suddenly my pharmacist burst in... " Madam annai annai". I ran outside to see a herd of not three but seven magnificent elephants walk by the hospital. The three larger tuskers with the smaller following.
Elephants are usually benign creatures who do damage jus because of their sheer size. When a herd comes to a human habitation, the menfolk usually gather as a group and with shouting, drums and firecrackers chase them back into the forest. They usually comply but a  problem comes if one suddenly turns and charges back at the puny humans. Death is certain then.
So back to my story... we just followed them, me being the only woman in the group. Men with drums and firecrackers in front and us just watching the show. I wish I had pictures to show, but it was too dark to see anything. After around 100ms on the road, the herd took a detour to the left and headed back into the mountains. The humans cheered and applauded and headed back to our homes.

1 comment:

  1. Doc, I've read a few of your posts and I've got to say that you certainly have your way with words. The way you weave stories... those words and expressions .... in an easy yet captivating way and those candid stories are a treat to read...

    Keep up the good work... these experiences will count down the line. Keep the light burning and the passion flowing!

    xianlibertarian@gmail.com

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