A 35 year old elephant, gave birth to a male calf in the wild under the cover of beautiful landscapes, green hills, steep gradients, white morning mists rising from river valleys, rocks and bush on the roadside as her ‘herd’ members stood guard to see the mother and calf are fine and not prey to any predators. There was a mile tailback of traffic on both sides of the road. Seethathodu is a remote village at the heart of the Kerala rubber belt with 90 per cent dense forest, rubber plantations creeping out of the valleys, and whisps of cloud hanging in the folds of the distant mountains. Rubber thrives in mild range temperatures cooler than the plains, but warmer and dryer then the High range tea plantation areas.
KSEB employees, who were on duty at the spot, witnessed the unexpected delivery of the baby elephant, who subsequently informed the local forest officials, who controlled the traffic on this stunning scenic route.
Although the mom seemed very much tired after the delivery, the newborn waited to learn to take his first steps. Both remained on the road for hours. Meanwhile, a herd of elephants led by a tusker, emerged from the forest and stood guard and the newborn continued his efforts to set his steps the right way. The mother elephant was seen displaying parental care and started pampering the calf with her trunk, and took a few hours rest. The tusker on guard duty, moved closer to the mom and baby. Finally, when the mom pushed the baby towards the woods, the tusker trumpeted as a signal ensuring their safety. The herd slowly vanished into the dense forest.