[fiery enzyme]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Always run uphill when avoiding an elephant. Something about the way their legs or joints are structured makes it difficult for them to run uphill. Added to that, they're not exactly light.

Actually it is the other way around. They can't run downhill. They can do uphill a lot easier and faster than the us.

[deepclutch]

A small doubt team:
Will a Red Colour Car Attract Anger from Elephants ? I knew that Buffalos and Elephants hates this colour.

[discoverwild]

Originally Posted by fiery enzyme

Actually it is the other way around. They can't run downhill. They can do uphill a lot easier and faster than the us.

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Always run uphill when avoiding an elephant. Something about the way their legs or joints are structured makes it difficult for them to run uphill. Added to that, they're not exactly light.

You can't outrun an elephant either way.

It is always better to encounter an elephant head-on than creep behind it. If the elephants knows you are approaching, the most chances are they will avoid direct contact with a human and move off into the undergrowth.

Silence in the jungle is precious and it teaches you a lot. Avoid loud chatter and converse in muted tones. There is no telling when or why an elephant will get excited.

The best way to run around the jungle is to have one knowledgeable about it with you. Local tribals are the best bet. Their senses are far more fine-tuned, so much that even a lifetime in the jungle for us may not get us into sniffing distance of them. The local geography is ingrained in their minds. It is their survival guide day-in and day-out for generations.

I have had my guide travel with me for 17 kms on a broken gypsy (rear leaf-spring) for 5 hours in deep jungle and walk back to his village 35 kms in total darkness (close to midnight when he started to walk back). I offered him to stay with me which he refused and even the torch that I offered. He said he was fine.

Trust their instincts and skills and you will survive the jungle even at its worst.

[fazalaliadil]

Yes, the experience of an intimidating elephant closing in on you is unnerving indeed. There are very few choices then, just hope they are the right ones, as one which works in one situation may flatly fail in the other.

We were lucky to not fail when this matriarch took a hasty left towards our parked car in Bandipur National Park, we had no time to retreat or reverse, two reasons: the elephants hurried approach towards us was in full motion and then as the road behind us was winding there is no way we could out run it.

Forewarned by its flapping ears flinging grass and dirt on herself and direct gaze (at us), told us we could be in trouble. Finally her approach towards did not leave us with any "what next choices".

We decided to hold ground and this time it worked, She changed direction, away from us after coming close to about one car length.

For more pics. the below links:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...garhole-5.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...agarahole.html

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

We decided to hold ground and this time it worked, She changed direction, away from us after coming close to about one car length.

That is the best and only option, in case you see an wild female elephant, other than this turnoff the lights (incase of dark), no honking, no fast movements. Don't kill the engines as some may advise you to do so. If its a male then its not worth taking chances, only option is to maintain safe distance or turn arrond and drive away, they are highly unpredictable, same holds true for female elephants with calfs.


Pramod

[foby.sebastian]

Can you imagine a situation like this , happened at nelliyampathy , Kerala - few kilomerters away from thrissur.

What will you do when you see a cheetah while you drive ?

Thanks to DR. Francis Manavalan for sharing the snaps


2 years before while returning from mysore with ma family , my family had a chance o see a big tiger on the road alive , we stopped the vehicle , it simply sniffed around looked at us and walked away very slowly. dammit I was not having a camera at that time.

[foby.sebastian]

Some of the common scenes in nelliyampathy.

photos by

DR Francis manavalan

[pypkmsrikanth]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Can you imagine a situation like this , happened at nelliyampathy , Kerala - few kilomerters away from thrissur.

What will you do when you see a cheetah while you drive ?

Thanks to DR. Francis Manavalan for sharing the snaps

That's a leopard, there are not cheetahs in India.

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

2 years before while returning from mysore with ma family , my family had a chance o see a big tiger on the road alive , we stopped the vehicle , it simply sniffed around looked at us and walked away very slowly. dammit I was not having a camera at that time.

That must have been an awesome incident, was it on the Bandipur - Mudumalai road or the Bathery road.

[foby.sebastian]

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth

That's a leopard, there are not cheetahs in India.



That must have been an awesome incident, was it on the Bandipur - Mudumalai road or the Bathery road.

I am sorry , that is a Leopard , but the one which I saw at Mudumalai nadukani route is a BIg Tiger.

[RuffRyder]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

Can you imagine a situation like this , happened at nelliyampathy , Kerala - few kilomerters away from thrissur.

What will you do when you see a cheetah while you drive ?

i think that leopard needs to do all the thinking here as he is totally blinded by the headlights of the car. I think the best you can do is turn off the headlights, keep the parking light on, so that the animal is not scared/blinded by the powerful lights and people in the car can also see the beauty of the animal. Taking pics with flash is a big no no.

Was lucky enough to see this Leopard on Bandipur-Mudumalai road. Thank God it was afternoon and i did manage to get a picture. Also a Langur on the road..

[RuffRyder]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

He thinks for a second and says run, its a herd of gaurs. As soon as he says that a fully grown Gaur which is 6 feet in height breaks cover a few feet behind my friend.

Time stops. My feet go weak and see a blur of a human body running towards me. I think i yelled stop, stop dont run, something like that not sure though. He was beyond reasoning.

The Gaur stands there and snorts a little, my friend has reached where i am standing and pulls my hand to run along with him.

I am frozen stiff and staring at the magnificient beast shining in the hot afternoon sun. I can never forget that image. It was huge, muscular and close. It did not appear too bothered with us and was scouting upfront of the herd.

For a couple of minutes it stands there smells the air and as if nothing happened walks back to the herd. Seeing the back of the beast restores the colour back on my face which had gone white.

agree 100% with you there @ spitfire. Gaur's are huge and the amount of bulk/muscles they have on them..they are phenoms. I just cant imagine one running and ramming your car, it would be like being hit by one of them cement/concrete truck that they use for constuction of building and stuff..

this is the closest i got to a Gaur (couple of feet from the road) and the look in its eyes, gave me a feeling that he was not liking me staring at him. This was on bandipur-mudumalai road.

[Wolfheart]

Wow, quite an interesting thread.

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Look closely at that photo. Looks like a regular tree, doesn't it? perhaps looks ulta, a bit upside down with it's roots in the air.

Look again. That colourful creature climbing on the trunk is me. And I'm NO small guy.

@Sam,

I could have sworn that the picture is photoshopped or something. I have heard that Baobabs get really huge but this tree is humongous!!!

Baobab trees are also found in Australia aren't they?

[foby.sebastian]

It happens only in gudalloor battery route
found thus snaps in old news paper

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Wolfheart

@Sam,

I could have sworn that the picture is photoshopped or something. I have heard that Baobabs get really huge but this tree is humongous!!!

Baobab trees are also found in Australia aren't they?

No I promise, no photoshop. Didn't even know how to use a computer back then.

Yes, I think also in Australia. But those are not quite as big as the African ones.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by foby.sebastian

It happens only in gudalloor battery route
found thus snaps in old news paper

This just proves that motor bikes turn off all concious brain activity. Horrific, dreadful, and, sadly, not surprising.


But, hey... those beasts would soon sort out the Chennai traffic!