elephants....amazing quadruped..

[padmanabha]

It is festival time in Kerala. That means hard times for the elephants ahead!

This write up is an attempt to share my knowledge on elephants- nature’s amazing quadruped. (This info was gathered long back when I attended a seminar on wild life.)

The elephants have always been one of the wonders of the world. Its remarkable degree of intelligence it possesses and its huge size and conformation have won for the elephant as exalted position in the animal kingdom.
ELEPHANTS AND MYTH:-
The Hindu God Ganesa, or Ganapathi is depicted with elephant head. He is invoked at the outset of all ceremonies and enterprises. It is the favorite vahana of Indra, the Lod of all Devas. His vahana called Airavada has four tusks. As such they are regarded as sacred animals. Ancient scripture says that the eight corner of the earth are borne by eight elephants called Ashtdikpalakas. Our temples have exquisite carvings of elephants and in Kerala all processions are lead by caparisoned elephants.
Elephants and history:-
History provides many anecdotes relating to history. Hasdurbal is said to have used elephants driven by Indian mahouts at the battle of Pauormos in 251BC. In th second Punic war, Hannibal and Hasdurbal mad use of them. At the battle of Raphia the Libyan elephants of Ptolemy, failed against the Indian beasts, of Antiochos. Hannibals army which forced its way through mighty Alps, had a number of war elephants. The ancient Carthaginians used war elephants many battles. Greek historians speak of Indians as accomplished masters in the art of capturing elephants and training wild elephants. The miracle of domestication of elephants was first achieved by the people of India.

The two varieties:
We have two types of elephants namely Indian and African. The African elephants are much larger than the Indian ones. Their ears are nearly four times larger than our variety. The African one has fewer enamel plates in its molars and has a rounded skull like that of the ancient mastodon. The Indian elephants have complex teeth. ITS FOREHEAD HAS A DEPRESSION SEPERATING THE TWO ROUNDED KNOB LIKE PROJECTION WHICH PART ALONG THE MIDDLE LINE. Indian elephant is more majestic, than its African counter part.
Elephants of Kerala:-
They are the undisputed master of the forests of Kerala. They move about in large herds, along the cardamom hills of the high ranges. They are seldom seen solitary and such elephants are “ottayan” and are considered dangerous.
Elephants are not killers. But occasionally they turn violent. When an elephant breaks the law of the herd they are banded “rogue” and outcast.
The theory is that some old/cantankerous elephants are driven out of the herd, during the period of musth or rutting by a powerful male and this ill-tempered one gradually becomes “solitary.”

When in herds elephants are easily frightened. They do not remain in one place for a long time, they move in search of food and drink. In the first part of the year, the elephants go in search of cooler regions. During monsoon they graze on bamboo in hill country moving from slope to slope. In the winter they are back in the lower regions. They maintain strict discipline.
At times they set out for a raid in the fields. The farmers erect aana madams elephant huts higher up and sound tom-toms and gongs.
Every herd is led by a hero tusker. He gropes along the way to assure safety for his followers.
They live up to 80 years. Two animals when attracted together graze together, walking trunk in trunk.
Not much has been studied about their state of frenzy called musth. There is a discharge from the glands between eyes and ears. They are chained during this period.
The pregnant cow is taken to a secluded place by other cow elephants. The gestation period is 640 days. During this period the elephants do not go on treks. After the calf is born, it is kept between the mother and a female companion. Bellowing and trumpeting at night may be heard when calves are born. The calf suckles milk after two hours. At five it started collecting fodder.
The mother takes the baby elephant to swim.
How they are captured?

Wild elephants are captured in summer, when they descend in search of water. Pits of 15 feet depth and of same diameter are dug by experienced hands. The excavated earth is deposited at a distance as they are very wary.
The pits are wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. It makes them difficult to climb out. The mouth is covered with dry sticks, leaves, grass, and small shrubs. Elephants do not wander through the same path always. When the elephant tread over a pit, the twigs give way and the animal down with a frightful yell.

This barbaric method some times causes fractures of the limbs. Watchers close the pit by logs of wood. For hours it is left unmolested. Fear, hunger, fatigue grips the beast.

It gives up all attempts to escape and patiently waits for things to happen.

Tames elephants called decoys are brought to the rescue of this poor hapless elephant. A strong rope is dexterously put round the neck of the elephant in the pit. This is the toughest part of the operation. Another rope noose is thrown round its hind leg. Dry boughs, undergrowth of the forests, and loose earth are thrown little by little into the pit. The wild elephant tramples on the materials, and when enough material is accumulated, to level the pit, the victim appears at the top. It finds itself to its awe and despair, a team of decoys.
The ends of the ropes are held by the decoys. They pull the elephant and lead it to the cage.

Keddah:-It is another method of trapping elephants. Huge stockades of massive teak stumps are erected. Stout logs of timber are driven deep into the ground very close to one another forming an unassailable palisade. Sugar cane is grown in clusters. There is a big gate which can be opened and closed easily. The animals are attracted by dainty canes, and eat their way into the keddah. Agile watchers barricade the entrance. They run hither thither, and realizes that they are trapped.
Roping of the elephants is the dangerous operation. Decoy elephants armed with iron chains and mahouts dressed in green and black, enter the stockade. The decoys chose the elephants to be roped. With their trunks and tusks they corner the victim. The mahout creeps under the feet of the tamed elephant and approaches the wild one unnoticed passes a noose and disappears. Jostled by the tamed elephants and pricked by the goads the pachyderms make terrific noise and follows the decoys.
Training: It is a perilous task. The wild elephants are led into the cages. The mahouts approach them with sugar canes. The wild takes the lower chamber of the cage and the mahout positions in the berth. It takes three-six months to train them.

On an auspicious day, it is taken to the open accompanied by decoys, and then to a bath which it relishes immensely.

Tit bits:
White elephants are albinos. They were common on the banks of the river irrawwady in Burma. The river is named after the legendary Iravatham of Indra.

A white elephant was captured in the forests of Travancore when Swati Tirunal and Chithira Tirunal were born in 1813 and 1913 respectively.

The elephant protection act was passed in 1870.

Bubaneswar, Mahabalipuram, and Karle are known for elephant sculptures. The hall of 1000 pillars practically stands on the back of an elephant. Elephants carved on the basements walls of the kailasnath temple at ellora lend grandeur.
Gajasatra is a treatise on elephants. Hastyayurveda deals with the medical treatment of elephants. Hastividyarnava sea of elephant lore is profusely illustrated.
There are many more,
Like a gentleman residing near Balaramapuram designed footwear for elephants.
Reflectors are attached to the tail of the elephants at night in the cities.
Festivals and elephants:_ Festival periods are really a torture for them. They are supposed to stand for long hours in the festival grounds.
Thrissur poorams and gajamela are very famous in Kerala.

[crazy]

Great info ..........................
....................poor elephants

[Braandan]

I had a chance to see the African variety at 'Dubbo' Western Plains wildlife sanctuary (NSW, Australia). Yes, they do not look as beautiful as the Asian variety. (What we call as 'Indian' variety is not given that name,the world over, they are called 'Asian', as Thailand, Mynmar, SrLanka, Malaysia also have a lot of elephants). The african variety has a depression at the back with a hump at the hind side which is taller than the head part.

With all the these concerns, we still tame them and use them, and also 'respect' people who own elephants ('aana uLLa tharawadaaNu!!)

[podalangai]

Elephants are also amongst the few animals who can recognise themselves in a mirror. Humans, the great apes and dolphins are the only other ones who can do so. You can see a little video here:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...he-mirror.html

They're truly awesome in the wild. In my opinion, the sound of a herd of elephants trumpetting in the middle of a forest at night can reduce anyone to a quivering jelly. It had that effect on me, at any rate

[temporary sori-Observer]

Podal Sir,
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[Braandan]

heard of a book called "maathanga leela", is it Sanskrit or malayalam.. it is all about elephants!

[padmanabha]

today Asianet news telecast a news about elephants. it is festival time in kerala and elephants are all on the receiving end. no festival takes palce without elephants and for that they are transported from one palce to another in lorries. Today, an elephant turned violent and turned the lorry upside down.