Tips for camping in the territory of elephants

I've been through a couple of mammalian surveys in the south Indian forests known for elephants. Here are my few suggestions (Disclaimer: These were told to me by forest officials. I cannot vouch for the validity of these).

1. Avoid anything that has a strong odor. (Deos, soaps et al).
2. Avoid bright coloured clothes. (It was told to me that bright coloured clothes can attract unwanted attention and possible aggression from elephants who are very protective of their young).
3. Avoid watering holes. (These are frequented by elephants and it is best to not camp near to one)
4. Look for signs of broken branches/trees, elephant dung(trust me you wont miss this!) and stay away from those paths which are frequented by elephants.
5. Never get too close to one in case you do find an elephant. Climbing up a tree or running up a mountain won't help either. For elephants can tear down a tree and use their trunk as a fifth limb.
6. Bamboo is a delicacy. You might want to stay away from heavily bambooed forest areas.
7. Last but not the least, keep a fire up all night at your camp and never intrude the personal space of an elephant.

PS: As an afterthought, in case you have information regarding a tusker roaming around in musth, you might altogether want to avoid the route. Tuskers in musk are unpredictable and no amount of precautions can help.

posted almost 10 years ago

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