They are huge, they are friendly, they are loyal and compassionate to the core. One of the most spectacular species of the jungle, the elephants never cease to mesmerize us with their gigantic size and almost human-like empathy. There are several stories depicting the bond between humans and elephants. The recent Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ is the latest addition to the list that tells the saga of a loving relationship between Raghu, the elephant, and its human friends. Based on the real-life account of the filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves, the film offers a stunning visual safari of Tamil Nadu where the trees change color and the river gets replenished. Sceneries coupled with a heart-touching story took me to the heart of Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the landscape, one of the largest undisturbed spaces for Asian Elephants.
The film began with the journey of a baby elephant named Raghu, who was abandoned by the herd after his mother was electrocuted as they wandered into a village searching for water. The climate change has led to water supplies in the region drying up and the elephants had to go searching for water in areas of human habitation. The film points out the menace of climate change which is one of the reasons the Asian elephants are losing their habitat at a rapid pace and we humans are directly responsible for tampering with nature and putting our exotic wildlife in danger.
It was a really sad moment when the forest department found Raghu in a bad shape. He had been attacked by some dogs and had maggots in his open wounds and despite repeated attempts, the forest department was unsuccessful in reuniting Raghu with his family. No one thought Raghu would survive until they gave him to Bellie and Bomman, who belonged to a tribal group, the Kattunayakan community. It left me awestruck to see how Bellie, who had never taken care of elephants, and Raghu who has not known a life around humans, are now sharing their life in the same forest.
For Bomman, taking care of Raghu was the first baby step he re-took into continuing his grandfather’s and father’s legacy of taking care of animals in the forest. It showed how beautifully we could create a bond with nature and animals and build our happy world together.
Bellie’s and Bomman’s unconditional love and care for Raghu and their efforts to give him the best and a brand new life took my heart. And as days passed, the bond between Bellie, Bomman, and Raghu grew stronger. Watching the bond between them grow into genuine affection was a heartwarming experience for me.
It left me with joy to find how beautifully Raghu built that emotional attachment with his caregivers. It made me realize that there was still so much goodness left in the world when I discovered how beautifully the Elephant Whisperers, Bomman, and Bellie took care of not only Raghu but also another abandoned calf called Ammu. Special moments between these four never ceased to make me smile.
However the part that followed, left us all in tears. The forest department took Raghu away from Bomman and Bellie to give him to another caretaker. The reason behind this is that when elephants reach adolescence, they go through a phase when they become stubborn and they don’t tend to listen. If this behavior continues, it does not end well in the long run. So, they are sent to caregivers more experienced in handling adolescent elephants.
But no matter how reasonable it sounded, I was left numb thinking about the pain of separation between Raghu, Bellie and Bomman. I could nearly feel the anxiety they were experiencing. The intense pain and the extent to which Bomman and Bellie were missing their most loving Raghu left me with tears. Animals indeed show the greatest of emotions on separation just like their human counterpart’s.
Scenes that particularly moved me included the one where Ammu wiped away Bellie’s tears as she was heartbroken and another where Ammu curled her trunk around Bomman’s hands. The spontaneous moments presented the true meaning of love. The documentation showed the beauty of the exotic wildlife, the unforgettable natural regions, and the shared lives of people and animals in South India’s wild.
As an animal lover, I feel that everyone should understand that animals are one of us, a part of our life. Just like Bellie and Bomman, we need to adapt and co-exist with animals around us. The film reiterated the learning in me that we need to focus on and embrace the co-existence of every animal on our planet. I was touched by the beautiful selfless cooperation that existed between the humans and animals, as we humans are the only beam of hope for these animals. The kindness and devotion of the caregivers Bomman and Bellie to help raise their two little kids Raghu and Ammu left a lasting impact on my heart.
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