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| Sharada the star of the camp |
For a hard-core elephant admirer, it is very hard to skip Sakrebyle/Sakrebailu if one is travelling around Shimoga district of Karnataka. Run by the state forest department, Sakrebyle elephant camp is situated on the Shimoga-Thirthahalli road about 14kms from Shimoga. The camp is open for visitors in the morning when the jumbos are given a bath and then fed. The camp strictly closes at 11 am for visitors and hence it is advisable to be there by or before 8:30, especially if interested in the interactive session. Carrying cash handy would be helpful for the entry fee - with or without camera and slightly higher fee for the bathing session. With Shettihalli wildlife sanctuary on one side and the Tunga river on the other, the camp is located on the scenic banks of
Tunga.
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| A jumbo rises after bath |
The inhabitants
of the camp are either rescued captive elephants or tamed wild elephants. They
belong to various age groups - calves, a tusker in musth, a fully blind, a
nursing mother and so on. From few of the mahouts, we learnt that many of the
wild elephants that ended up there, were rescued by the Forest Department
during their HEC (Human Elephant Conflict) mitigation operations. Something
that we keep hearing quite often these days, to our wistful contemplation.
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| A blind jumbo |
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| A nursing mother and calf |
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| Tusker in Musth |
We have been
to other similar camps like the Dubare Elephant Camp in Coorg and Theppakadu
Elephant Camp in Mudumalai but what set Sakrebyle apart was the number of
elephants especially calves that were in the camp. While some of the calves
were rescued from the wild as they got separated from their herd, some were
born in the camp. Pensiveness and mixed emotions engulfed our minds at their
sight. But given the stark reality, it is a fact that the calves have found
their second-best home in the camp. It is evident in how gleefully they enjoy
their morning routine and very importantly get to socialize with other
elephants besides developing a lasting bond with their mahouts.
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| Calves born in the camp |
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| Newest calf in the camp |
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| Jubilant calf in the waters |
Needless
to say, these calves were a huge attraction among the children. Especially the
little Sharadha, Shivu and few other tender calves were so adorable even to the
adult spectators. The way they run to the waters, merrily trumpet and splash
around refusing to come out anytime soon is a sight to behold. The joys of
childhood are universal, aren’t they?! There again, it was paradoxical to see
children accompanied by their parents admiring their orphaned pachyderm peers. One
hopes that this connection, forged at a young age, transforms into enduring
love that urges them to conserve these magnificent beings in their natural
settings.
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| Sharada the star comes for bath |
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| Sharada and Tunga glitter together |
Most
of the villagers in Sakrebailu are mahouts and in some families the skill runs
through generations. Another appreciable aspect of the camp is that after the
bath and feed, these elephants are taken in to the Shettihalli wildlife
sanctuary and left free to roam devoid of human disturbance. The mahouts trace their elephants back with
the chains that are strung around their legs. The experience and commitment of
the mahouts was visible from the way they acted as ambassadors for their
babies. They did not shy away from the numerous curious questions of the
visitors and answered them well in a friendly manner.
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| A Mahout with his tusker |
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| Both the mahouts and the herd are busy |
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| A tusker gets a good scrub |
Sakrebyle is
also great for birdwatching and the lush green ambiance invites quite some
feathery friends too.
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| A green bee eater watches the spectacle |
As always,
bidding adieu to the babies of Sakrebyle was tough. While retreating from wilderness,
getting philosophically perplexed is almost inevitable. The trumpets and the
rumbles linger on...
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| A majestic view with in the backdrop of Tunga |
PC: Kalirajan Subramanian
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