Debasis Bose
15-09-2016, 11:16 PM
While going through my archive came across this which would like to share with you all.
It was the 8th of April 2013, when we had an head on encounter with the one and half tooth tusker, well known for his temperament, at the bend of descending steep slope of Khabdi on the sambar road. Reversing the jeep on the steep slope of Khabdi was not at all a good option as the engine roar with raise in accelerator would have irritated the tusker and would have left us at the mercy of his charge. The only option was switch off the ignition of the gypsy, sit motionless, hoping he gives way. To give an idea of the location of the encounter, one side was a steep fall of about 6 m to 8 m and other side was steep slope of about 65 degree inclination with dense lantana growth, sambar road at that point is max 3 m wide, with pebbles scattered. My son who was @ 9 years and daughter 11 years both of them froze, as human survival instinct took over. Without any word by slow motion actions told them to slide under the seats of Gypsy. My 73 year old mother was seated next to driver, told her to close her eyes. We sat motionless with the tusker hardly about 10-12 m away from us, flapping his huge ears and moving his trunk. Every minute seemed like an hour, after about 15 minutes of predicament, better side of the jungle law prevailed; the tusker slowly went up the inclined slope to his left, climbed about 15m or so pushing through the dense lantana growth and stood still staring at us. The driver switched on the ignition and we just zoomed pass the tusker and stopped about 25 m away with engine idling, waited to see what he does next. The bull slowly descended back on the road and majestically walked away from us towards Dhikala. It was a nail biting experience for all of us, and should acknowledge that my family member including my mother, guide and driver all held on to their nerve without displaying any anxiety or fear.
I could click two record shots in seated condition with windshield frame obstructing; the ignition of the engine was still on at the first sight of the tusker, so the click of the camera was lost in the engine hum.
Nikon, Nikor 70-200 F 2.8, Shot @ 70 mm F 10, ISO 6400, 1/1600s – Corbett Tiger Reserve
It was the 8th of April 2013, when we had an head on encounter with the one and half tooth tusker, well known for his temperament, at the bend of descending steep slope of Khabdi on the sambar road. Reversing the jeep on the steep slope of Khabdi was not at all a good option as the engine roar with raise in accelerator would have irritated the tusker and would have left us at the mercy of his charge. The only option was switch off the ignition of the gypsy, sit motionless, hoping he gives way. To give an idea of the location of the encounter, one side was a steep fall of about 6 m to 8 m and other side was steep slope of about 65 degree inclination with dense lantana growth, sambar road at that point is max 3 m wide, with pebbles scattered. My son who was @ 9 years and daughter 11 years both of them froze, as human survival instinct took over. Without any word by slow motion actions told them to slide under the seats of Gypsy. My 73 year old mother was seated next to driver, told her to close her eyes. We sat motionless with the tusker hardly about 10-12 m away from us, flapping his huge ears and moving his trunk. Every minute seemed like an hour, after about 15 minutes of predicament, better side of the jungle law prevailed; the tusker slowly went up the inclined slope to his left, climbed about 15m or so pushing through the dense lantana growth and stood still staring at us. The driver switched on the ignition and we just zoomed pass the tusker and stopped about 25 m away with engine idling, waited to see what he does next. The bull slowly descended back on the road and majestically walked away from us towards Dhikala. It was a nail biting experience for all of us, and should acknowledge that my family member including my mother, guide and driver all held on to their nerve without displaying any anxiety or fear.
I could click two record shots in seated condition with windshield frame obstructing; the ignition of the engine was still on at the first sight of the tusker, so the click of the camera was lost in the engine hum.
Nikon, Nikor 70-200 F 2.8, Shot @ 70 mm F 10, ISO 6400, 1/1600s – Corbett Tiger Reserve