Wild jungle, domesticated elephants..

We only got to spend one full day in Thekkady, but it was quite the day. We woke up early to visit the Periyar Tiger Reserve a jungle reserve that holds around 50 wild tigers and about 150 wild elephants, as well as many other flora and fauna. We didn’t run into any tigers, nor any elephants, but the walk was absolutely beautiful, and we did get to see giant squirrels, deer, and monkeys all over the place. Because where I live is mostly desert, being surrounded by that much life was really wonderful. 

In the afternoon, after eating lunch and hanging out at our hotel for awhile, we went to visit an elephant sanctuary. They had several elephants there that had previously been domesticated, which is a very brutal and abusive process, but as I understand it, these elephants had been rescued from slavery situations, such as being used for illegal logging operations. Elephant domestication and slavery is a very complicated and deep rooted issue, and our visit left me in a weird place, but I think it was an important and singular experience, and there are several reasons why: Hearing about animal abuse is one thing, but seeing the effects of it is another. Witnessing an elephant follow orders tranquilly, even lifelessly, when I’ve been near a wild elephant that nearly charged me because I got a bit too close, had some type of effect on me. Elephants are massive, intelligent, and naturally territorial animals, and to see one that had lost all of those traits (though it could follow orders impressively well) seemed very unnatural. Seeing that in person made me naturally react and seriously think about the situation, in a way that hearing about it simply can’t do. On another note, and I’ve decided I’ll never do it again, but having the opportunity to bathe, be bathed by, and feed an elephant was a once in a lifetime experience, and I do not regret taking it. I wish with all my heart that no elephants in the future be taken out of the wild, beaten, used, or commercialized, and I’ll help to prevent that in any way possible if able. I’m not sure I felt so strongly before.