Elephants at Periyar

Finally a rare sight. A family of elephants had come down by the lake side for water. Generally during December it is rare as the forests are full with water sources and animals rarely come by the lake side. I tried to zoom in as close to get something. Strangely the baby was wondering away from the parents. We had to keep mumb as any little noise would attract their senses. Periyar has about 1000 elephants spread out on an are of 777 sq. kms. I would say we were lucky to get a glimpse of this magnificient beast. But as the local guide told us, "always maintain a safe distance especially when they are with their family". I guess it made sense as we humans are stange creatures for them as in the wild they would be more comfortable with their own kind. The poaching has now reduced significantly, yet the forest department conducts night patrols to keep a check on intruders. Even we as tourists can take part in the night patrols which are operated by the forest department and are available in 2-3 slots starting from 7pm I believe that this is a unique experience as if not anything else, one can enjoy and know more about the forest at night with all the nocturnal animals and their strange sounds and sights.