On our first safari into Bandipur National Park on this trip we were welcomed by unexpected summer showers. The thunderstorm lasted for almost an hour and it not only brought some welcome relief from the afternoon heat, but also cleared the air of haze and dust. The clear skies, post rains, coupled with the lovely evening light saturated the forest hues. Now all that we wanted was a willing subject. And that is what we found in this huge Tusker standing next to a fallen tree.
At first, when the Tusker saw the approaching vehicle it got a little tensed. But once we switched off the engine and remained quiet, it realized that we meant no harm and went back to feeding on the bark from the fallen tree. It was amazing to see the Elephant put its dextrous trunk to use to skillfully peel off the bark from the tree. The Elephant was so engrossed in its feeding routine that we got some beautiful photo opportunities.
At one point, the Elephant went behind the fallen tree and was partially hidden, leaving only its tusks visible, making for a powerful composition.
Soon it was time to exit the sanctuary and while we exited, we paused to catch the Bandipur sunset that was so gorgeous post the flash showers.
