Majestic kombans of Guruvayur

Gigantic, mammoth, fearsome – yet gentle  affable Kombans (tuskers) of Kerala (Guruvaryur the one pictured here) 

Changala kilukkam kellkkumbol

Chankilakathoru peda pedappu

When she hears the jingling of (elephant) chains,  Her heart beats too fast

( a film song) 

One need not travel to Tsavo,Kenya – just a trip to Malainadu is satisfying !  

There are few places on Earth where you can glimpse one of the Super Tuskers – the remnants of the world’s most majestic megafauna.  Tsavo, situated in the south and eastern section of Kenya, nestled almost equidistant from Nairobi and Mombasa, two of Kenya’s largest cities and the current and former capital respectively, is just one of these places.  

A Super Tusker is a male bull elephant with tusks that weigh over 100lbs (45kgs) each. Tusks of that size are usually so long that they scrape along the ground when the elephant walks. Only bulls can be Super Tuskers, but there are female elephants with huge tusks that don’t quite reach 100lbs.  They are called Iconic Cows.  

While almost all the temple elephants in Tamil Nadu are cow elephants, one can see gigantic tuskers in Kerala, especially Thrissur and Guruvayur.  

With regards – S Sampathkumar
21.1.2024