'Elephants to the rescue': Wayanad survivor's moving tale of how elephants saved her family

Over 300 have been reported dead in the slew of landslides that struck Wayanad on August 1.

Amid rescue and relief efforts in Kerala's Wayanad following the catastrophic landslide, a survivor, Sujatha Aninanchira, has shared a moving tale of survival.

After her home was buried in the Chooralmala landslides, Sujatha Aninanchira and her family managed to escape to a nearby hill, only to encounter a group of wild elephants. In a remarkable turn of events, the elephants approached and stood silently by the family, offering them comfort during the harrowing night. Sujatha observed what appeared to be tears rolling down the tusker's face as they waited for rescue.

Sujatha shared that in the pitch dark, a wild elephant was only half a meter away from them. "The elephant looked frightened too. I quietly pleaded, 'I had just survived a disaster,' asking it to allow us to rest until we could be rescued. Even though we were so close to the elephant’s legs, it seemed to understand our plight. We stayed there until 6 am, with the elephant watching over us until rescuers arrived. As dawn came, I noticed what looked like tears in the elephant’s eyes", she noted.

Sujatha and her family, now staying at a camp in Meppadi GHSS, described the chaos of the disaster. "The rising water was so high it resembled the sea, with floating trees and destroyed buildings," she said.

Amid the turmoil, Sujatha heard her granddaughter's cries and, despite the peril, managed to pull the child from the debris. She covered her with a cloth and began swimming through the rising water. Meanwhile, her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, who were in a nearby house, were rescued by her son. They then navigated through a coffee plantation, where they encountered the wild elephants.

After they were discovered, rescuers took the family to a safe location, providing them with dry clothes, food, and water. Sujatha also said that many community members lost their lives in the floods and landslides.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor shared this poignant story on X, highlighting the emotional support the elephants provided during the night.