One Aftercare Safari

A government meeting turns impromptu safari when the official takes us off-roading in search of 22 wild elephants!

Our office secretary read about 22 elephants on the loose in the morning's paper before we left on our trip.  Story here: http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/14/stories/2011031452960700.htm Little did we know we'd get to meet them later that day.

We met with the DFO to discuss a village watershed project we are implimenting in partnership with Intel, but the meeting was cut short when he asked "Do you want to see 22 wild elephants?"

Following the Department of Forestry Officer. Our little sedan struggled some when we got to the unpaved  mountain roads but there was no way we were going to miss this!

A view of the surrounding area. I love indian mountains. They look so different from the ones at home. Most of them rise abruptly from the landscape.  

We piled out of the car and continued on foot.  Neenu giddy with excitement!

You can see the elephants on the top of the ridge in the right hand corner. Follow the lightly colored dots (villagers) through the next few pictures as they trail the elephants from a distance. Seems the city folks weren't the only ones excited by this!

The elephants carefully picking their path down the mountain. Villagers watching from the ridge. The pictures are a little hazy because Forest Department Officers were using firecrackers to drive the elephants back to the forest.

The first of the elephants makes it down. Villagers streaming down the mountain after them.

Wow. Pinch me!

 I love how close we were allowed to get to them! None of this: "Elephants are wild animals and potentially dangerous, you should stay in the car girls."

My face was like this the whole time. That's the DFO on the left.

He's my favourite government official. Hands down. Looking forward to working on the watershed project with him!