As stories of death and desperation flow in from Kerala’s landslide-ravaged Wayanad, one woman’s escape from tragedy, along with her young granddaughter, is spreading relief. And, she has an unusual companion to thank for guarding them through that fateful night of rain and calamity – an elephant.
Sujatha was asleep in her house in Chooralmala on the night of July 30, when she heard unfamiliar noises. As she woke up, she could see mud and gravel pushing through cracks in the floor, and within minutes, the ceiling of the house collapsed, leaving her in chest-deep rubble. When she managed to prop herself up, she could hear her granddaughter Mridula crying for help.
“I somehow pulled her up, pushing against a huge tree bark that came charging at me. We crawled out and I swam, hugging my child tight. When we finally touched land and climbed up, I thought we were safe. We had reached a coffee plantation, and we tried to wade through the heavy downpour to find help. But to my horror, three mammoth elephants stood in front of us, one of them right before my eyes,” Sujatha told the media. Her relief turned into helpless dread as she pleaded before the giant for mercy.
As she took shelter under a palm tree with Mridula, Sujatha said she appealed to the elephant, “We have escaped death and gotten here. Please let us be.” To her surprise, she said, the tusker stood guard as she and her grandchild rested under the tree until rescue workers found them early next morning. There were two more elephants in the vicinity, munching on palm leaves. But the one before them, Sujatha said, stood still throughout the night.
Chooralmala is one of the most badly devastated areas in Wayanad by the recent landslides. Sujatha recalled that when she jumped out of her collapsed house, holding on to Mridula, there were no neighbours to help or people to call. Everything had merged into one big river, tearing away houses and vegetation.
Sujatha’s son, his wife, and their son were in another house nearby. Her son was able to help two other older residents of the place as they swam behind Sujatha and Mridula, who are now at a relief camp in Meppadi. The rest of her family is being treated at the hospital for multiple injuries.