The Indian elephant (Elephas maximus ssp. indicus) is commonly seen throughout the open landscape of Corbett National Park, but every now and then you are lucky to encounter them in the forest.
I had many amazing elephant encounters during my stay in this diverse and beautiful park, but this one touched me deeply as the encounter happened not only very surprisingly, but in the dappled morning sunlight amongst the tall tree trunks of the forest, which added an incredibly beautiful setting for these magnificent creatures.
It started with some rustling of leaves from an undetermined location, then one elephant emerged and soon many others followed. They walked to and fro for a bit, then onwards deeper into the forest. The encounter was over much too soon, yet it is one of the most beautiful encounters I’ve experienced in so many ways.
One was the individuals and groups and their behavior, of which this group of young elephants was my favorite – the youngest in the middle is just a few weeks old.
Another was the almost mystical appearance and disappearance of the huge mammals, as they were walking so silently it was a visual encounter more than anything – after the crossing the forest seemed to have magically made them disappear.
Corbett National Park, Kotdwara, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India
Last updated on 21 June 2024
