A screeching din brings the Jeep to halt, its tires rattling against the fallen leaves. Dense trees handshaking with each other, eclipse the sun. “A herd of elephants” I exclaimed. Wildlife had always enticed me and since I landed in this stunning country, famous for its hospitality, I had been anticipating this Safari ride in the most spectacular forest and one of the most common tourist destination named Hikkaduwa situated in the south coast of Sri Lanka. This love for wildlife especially elephants intensified upon visiting the elephant sanctuary in the picturesque town of Tissamaharama in Sri Lanka and adding an amazing photo to my gallery with an elephant elevating me in its trunk.
It was one fine summer afternoon. Our safari for the day had been very alluring. I hung from our Jeep, desperate to jump with the animals around as my wildlife love was sparking that day. While I moved around mesmerized by the animal beauty, I hear another Jeep racing towards mine. Before I could bring my thoughts together, an elephant furiously following the Jeep caught my attention. Its eyes shone in anger as it trumpeted while crushing the autumn leaves scattered all around. The Jeep’s driver tried to dodge the fierce animal as hard as he could but all his efforts could be seen in vain as the elephant fast approached the vehicle. As my group was driving in the same direction, the giant mammal eyed at us too. While it gave us a run for our lives, it raised its trunk and waved in the air. It was perhaps a wild display of its acrimony and frustration signaling it had been disturbed. Suddenly the air turned cold silencing all of us. Our excitement was outclassed by fear as the enraged beast encircled our Jeeps while it stomps the ground. While we panicked to figure out an escape, the driver who was indigenous to such situations, immediately called the patrol service. Fortunately, they came to our rescue within no time and managed to calm down the infuriated mammal. Their whistles sounded homely to the elephant and could pacify it. My eagerness raise as I tried investigating the reason behind the incident. “I reckon elephants are very loving”, I uttered to my companion. However, our experience was against the contemporary belief. “I hope you all are doing alright”, I inquired the group. They narrated their experience while I listened curiously. I found that the tourists in another Jeep instigated the animal turning it into a wild beast. The driver drove the vehicle close to the elephant while the tourists whistled and clicked pictures.
While I headed towards my hotel that afternoon, I recollect the entire incident which left me with a little message to take home. A message highlighting conformance to respect and courtesy towards animals’ personal space and comfort. That afternoon, I vowed to myself to leave positive footprints and return the favour to the affable world we discover while we travel.
