And he wasn’t too pleased!
My thesis on human-elephant conflict had taken me to remote corners of Malaysia, but encountering an Asian elephant trumps all other experiences.
One of the 13 countries in Asia with Asian elephant population Malaysia has a good number of wild elephants. But forest fragmentation and easy access to palm oil plantations bring them closer to human habitation. Quite often these flagship species are found loitering on highways and close to forest fringes either in a herd or solitary. The solitary ones are usually the bulls (male elephant). Though luck does play a part in spotting them.
I had covered Belum Temangor Highway at least 4-5 times without spotting any wild elephant. In fact, we had heard about a herd that had passed that way but Lady Luck did not favor our trip.
During the last leg of my data collection in Perak, we decided to head there again to take a few pictures and unwind at the famous photo spot – that’s when it finally happened. On our way back, one of the guys spotted a tusker (hopefully male because it was all alone, and females are usually found in a herd). As soon as we heard the guy blurt out “Gajah” which means elephant in Malay, we literally took a ‘Fast & Furious’ turn and zoomed back. It was my first time looking at a wild elephant in its natural habitat and doing the most naturally thing – munching on some yummy long grass!!! Staring at someone eating is considered rude in any culture – it was no different in the animal culture too. The elephant seemed offended as he tried to chase us away.
Yes!! That’s what exactly happened.
He charged at our car as we accelerated. But we stopped a few feet ahead and kept observing him (mind you all were conservationists in the car, we just wanted to observe), while he stared right back at us, waiting for us to leave. When we didn’t leave, he charged again. Finally we left but took a turn from ahead and stopped a little ahead on the other side of the highway (unabashed!!!!) to avoid detection.
Their olfactory receptors which are sharper than dogs’, make up for their poor eyesight – while research has proven this, I have witnessed the miracle. The elephant could sniff out our scent among scores of cars, from the other side and crossed the busy highway (while we were frantically yelling at the trucks and other vehicles to stop so that the elephant remains unharmed) and started searching for us. It was time for us to leave because there was absolutely no point causing unwanted stress to this majestic beast.
As we drove back to our base we were blessed with 2 more tusker sightings. While one was simply strolling, the other one preoccupied with eating. However, when we stopped and I looked towards my right, his (he was a tusker!!) tiny piercing eyes looked right at me (the highway was elevated whereas his “food plate” was at a lower height and perhaps extreme excitement was contradicting my sense of reality, but I am certain he looked right AT ME!!!) where we halted. “Aankhon aakhon mein ishara hua” which I don’t think played well, as he simply left his meal and swayed off (that felt humiliating!!) but he wasn’t an aggressive one. Just thought it better to leave in order to avoid any human interaction!!
This just goes on to show how smart they are. And its always interesting to know the unique characteristics of these enigmatic Asian elephants!
Interesting Facts About Asian Elephants
- With their ability to recall waterholes, recounting interactions with other elephants and humans and having the largest brain among all land mammals to do all the heavy work of remembering – their memory is truly legendary!
- Their society is matriarchal – decisions are taken by the ladies!! There is one head matriarch, and everyone follows her.
- Bulls or males are usually solitary beings, they stray from the herd after they come of age and sometimes join other herbs or remain a maverick (moody)!!
- Elephants being mega-herbivores, need to fulfill their daily food requirement – approximately 150 – 300 kg which is 10% of their body weight!!
- Since they have to maintain their weight, they end up not being picky eaters and evolved into generalist herbivores (kuch bhi veg kha jao – we really need to learn from them and stop bothering our moms).
- They possess deeper understanding of languages and can differentiate between them!
- With enlarged ears and sensitive nerve endings in their feet and trunk, they have the ability to pick up infrasonic messages and seismic vibrations. They specialize in detecting low rumbles over long distances.
- They are phenomenal swimmers!
- They can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in case they witness their family members being killed by poachers or a calf (baby elephant) being orphaned by poachers. This is natural because of their strong familial bonds and excellent memory.
- They are far more conscious than us when it comes to their skin!! They use dirt as sunscreen and douse themselves and the calves in dust to prevent from sunburn!!
- Asian elephants are known as “Mega Gardeners” because of their ability to disperse large forest seeds over long distances which would otherwise be impossible to disperse by bees, bats, birds and other smaller animals!
- They dig waterholes which eventually enables a micro-ecosystem!
Measures to Avoid Wildlife Accidents on the Highway
- Signboards are usually present at the onset of highway corridors that indicates you have to drive slower in those areas.
- If you see an elephant or any wildlife crossing, stop your car and let them pass.
- Do not honk or flash lights on them. That might irritate and agitate them which might lead to an attack or an unpleasant experience.
- Avoid using high-intensity discharge lights. It causes unpleasantness not only to other drivers but also to wildlife.
While we love our travel and our drives, it is equally important to be mindful of other beings that share this earth with us. So next time we drive through forests or forest corridors let’s be respectful of their presence and give them an opportunity to thrive!!
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