Wayanad Survivor Recalls How Wild Elephants Rescued Her From Landslides

Amid the ongoing rescue and search operations due to the devastating landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad, a survivor named Sujatha Aninanchira has revealed how she and her family narrowly escaped a near-death situation when their home was buried in the Chooralmala landslides.

The rescue and search operations have intensified with nearly over 250 people still missing. Moreover, the death toll has reached 341, as the rescue efforts enter the fifth day on Saturday, according to a Manoramaonline report.

In a dramatic turn of events, Aninanchira climbed to a nearby hill but encountered a group of wild elephants. These tuskers are usually known for their aggressive behaviour, but in this case, these animals surprisingly showed their affectionate and caring side.

Tusker's consideration was unhoped by Sujhata

As reported by Asianet news, Sujatha claimed that when they saw the tuskers, she pleaded with them for protection, surprisingly, the elephants took care of the family until rescuers arrived and she felt it was a divine intervention.

The woman, currently staying at a camp at Meppadi GHSS, said, “It was pitch dark and just half a meter away from us was a wild elephant. It too seemed terrified."

She then mumbled a request to the elephant and said,  ‘I had just survived a disaster,’ and asked it to allow her along with her family to lie down for the night and let someone rescue them. However, they were very close to the tusker’s legs, although, it seemed to understand their predicament. They stayed there till 6 am, and the elephants also stood there till the woman and her family were rescued by some people in the morning. "I could see its eyes welling up as the dawn broke", she added.

Aninanchira described the chaos with the water being so high that it looked like the sea, as trees were floating. She also saw heavy floods destroying her neighbour’s two-story building and her own house.

Wherein, amid all these unprecedented circumstances, she heard her granddaughter crying and despite the danger, she managed to pull the child from the debris. She then covered her with a cloth and started swimming in the rising water.

Meanwhile, her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, who were in a nearby house were rescued by her son. They eventually walked through a coffee plantation, where they came face to face with the wild elephants.

After they woke up, rescuers found the family and took them to a safe location, where they received dry clothes, food, water, and other necessary deliverables. Sujatha also shared that most of her community members lost their lives in flood waters and landslides.