Jr. Kabini: A Tusker to Remember
Among the forests of South India, Kabini holds a special place in my nature enthusiasts’ hearts. It brings memories of lush greenery, tranquil waters, striped and spotted cats, but most of all Elephants – animals who impress by their temperament as much as their presence.
One morning of October 2022, we had started on a safari in the tiger reserve. One of my favourite seasons to visit Kabini, by October torrential rains of Monsoon end, but forest is lush green, with an ideal temperature which is not too hot nor too cold. But on this day it had started to rain overnight, and continued to rain for much of the morning safari. So much so that it was difficult to get our cameras out, and hopes of seeing big cats were low.
After nearly two hours of driving, we found our muddy tracks blocked by a legendary tusker. Well known as Jr. Kabini or Jr. Bhogeshwara, this tusker is known for having tusks that reach the ground, and cross each other near the bottom. While a well-known presence amongst regular visitors to Kabini, he was right on the safari track – we did not dare get too close – one unforgettable rule of safaris is to stay safe from elephants. While tigers and leopards may fear us more, an angry elephant is an irresistible force not to be meddled with.
However, this guy was in the calmest of moods, and grazed on some teak plants while completely ignoring the safari jeeps near him. Slowly he finished off more than one small plant, and moved to a bunch of grass next to the track, opening up the track for vehicles.
While the late monsoon shower washed and cleansed the huge tusker, he continued to graze and gave us some memorable frames. Two special frames that stayed with us are the ones where he stood head-on, calmly posing for portraits, with lush greens as backdrops. Standing against the greens, he seemed an ordinary mortal, not a battle tank weighing a few tonnes.
We left the forests that day wondering if the true miracle is not the size of the elephant, but the fact that such a huge elephant is still such a small presence among towering trees of western ghats.
