A Gentle Giant’s Lesson to Humankind on Mindfulness
#intothewildwithrufus #birding #wilding
There are memorable moments in nature that make you stop, catch your breath, and completely re-evaluate the way you see the world.
Today was one such memorable day, when we saw first-hand, a cute and lovely elephant offering us all a memorable lesson in mindfulness.
We were moving through the quiet, dense forest in our safari jeep, ardently looking out for possible sightings, when, to our surprise we saw a magnificent elephant emerging gracefully from the shadows of the thicket on to the road in front of us.
But wait! it isn’t just the sight of this gentle giant that is so moving; it is where and how it chose to cross the road.
As I’ve captured in the photograph, the elephant didn’t just emerge at a random, blind curve. It stepped onto the road precisely at the place where the speed breaker was, right next to the warning sign, crossing with a calm, deliberate grace.
This sight so moved me to bits today!
A wild animal understanding the safest place to cross a human highway is indeed something that is quite awe-inspiring, by all means!
And elephants are said to be some of the most incredibly intelligent creatures with deep, generational memories and survival instincts. While this majestic animal might not have read the traffic sign, I personally feel that, it certainly understands the rhythm of its environment. It could have observed where the loud, fast-moving, loud-honking vehicles are forced to slow down, and it has then recognised the safest place to step out of the sanctuary of the trees!
Interestingly, there is yet another poignant reality here! Probably the speed breaker was almost certainly built in that exact spot because this is an ancient elephant corridor! In all probability yes! And so, hats off to the forest dept for so thoughtfully erecting this speed breaker at the right place!
Long before this “road”way was laid, and the signs were erected, this “path”way originally belonged to the forest, and to all the animals dwelling therein.
And on that vein, this elephant’s graceful crossing asks something very simple yet vital of us! Respect!
Whenever we see signs warning of a speed bump or animal crossing in these forested areas, it is not just a suggestion for our vehicles to slow down…
It is also a fervent plea to be a “mindful guest” in someone else’s home!
PS: You may want to watch a YouTube shorts that I had posted almost year ago, on a herd of deer crossing one such forest road, and people gracefully making way for them, HERE
