Tusker Elephant Chase at Bandipur Tiger Reserve ll Dr. Siladitya Ray

It was 19th of October 2021 and we were on an afternoon Jungle Safari in Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) (Karnataka) and it incidentally happened to be my fifth visit to Bandipur.
We entered the forest very close to the Mangala Village, which happens to be near to my all - time favourite jungle lodge, Dholes Den (DD), belonging to my close friend, (Kartick) Davey. Each time, I am in BTR, I always put up at DD, without a second thought ! You got to be there and find out for yourself, how neatly and responsibly Davey has done up this one - of - it's kind' fascinating Eco - Jungle Lodge. The location is mind - boggling and the experience that I get there is simply unmatchable !
Anyway, soon after making our way into the forest, we spotted 4 scattered herds of elephants with cubs and they took guard the moment they saw us. We continued moving further into the forest. Within a few minutes, we spotted a huge male leopard parched on a tree.
As we moved along, we zeroed in on a group of Dholes (Indian Wild Dog) ganging up to launch an attack on a Spotted Deer, which stood unmindfully inside the bush. But somehow, the ambush failed as the Deer fled sensing danger. We stood there for about 15 minutes and took a barrage of photos and then began moving again.
We had driven for hardly another five minutes, when we spotted a massive lone Tusker on our left hand side foraging at a distance of roughly a 100 feet away from our vehicle. The Tusker got infuriated and began trumpeting furiously as the Dholes ran up very close to the Elephant. This enraged the Tusker and it lost it's cool !
I was sitting at the back seat of the Maruti Gypsy, with the young Guide, named Manju sitting next to me.
I sensed trouble immediately once I saw the threatening look on the Tusker's face and his intimidating behaviour ! The Tusker began to straddle up towards our vehicle with nimble small steps initially, then all of a sudden, it began it's murderous charge towards our vehicle. The driver in the nick of time, started moving, while the Tusker continued it's deathly chase as the driver sped ahead, behind another vehicle which was right infront of ours. The Tusker gave us a chase for about 700 metres and then 'fortunately' gave up the run in the middle ! However, since I was sitting at the back of the vehicle, at one point, the trunk of the Tusker almost touched my head !!! But I kept my nerves cool and went on recording the entire flow of the ghastly event which unfolded right infront of us !!
I am a seasoned forester for over 3 decades now and after having been to almost all Wildlife Sanctuaries across the world, and particularly, all the Tiger Reserves in India, a number of times, I had never encountered something like this ever before !!
It was a 'Near - Death Experience' to be honest, and it was a very narrow escape from the 'Jaws of Death' !!
This 'hair - raising' incident and our close shave from an almost inevitable massacre, proves inarguably once for all, the existence of the thing called 'LUCK' !! Yes, we were LUCKY that we are still alive !!
Just imagine at least 5 situations out of multiple probable worst - case scenarios which could have happened on that fateful day, but as LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, things favoured us !
First, suppose the Tusker didn't give up the chase !
Secondly, imagine the Tusker charging up towards us from the front !! In that case, do you think that the driver would have been able to back up at 90 kms per hour ?? Rank impossible, at least, in a rocky uneven terrain of a jungle, like that of BTR !
Thirdly, visualise, the driver either freezing on the wheels out of fright, or the vehicle suddenly loosing it's speed, or konking out abruptly !!!
Fourthly, let's consider that the front road either had an up - climb, or the road had a major curve, or better still, a fallen tree was on the road, and deadlier still, suppose another vehicle was coming from the front !!!
And Fifthly, imagine there were a herd of elephants blocking the road ahead, or there were a number of vehicles lined up infront of our car !!!
Possibilities were and are many, which could have ended up in a major accident !!
Well, if you are daring to go on Jungle Safari, it's obvious that it's fraught with all sorts of risks. Either you take certain degree of risk or you don't ! The choice is yours.
I spoke a lot here, now you all take a look at this 'never - before' kind of an experience and the video, which I had captured myself with my OPPO Reno 2Z.



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