Wayanad Landslide: A woman and her family receive support from elephant, say 'tears rolled down its eyes'

In a heart-wrenching account of one of Kerala's most devastating landslide and flooding incidents, a group of elephants played an unexpected role in rescuing a woman and her family. The disaster, which has claimed hundreds of lives and left many missing, saw Sujatha Aninachira and her family among the fortunate few to escape.

As floodwaters surged and her neighbouring two-story house collapsed, Sujatha and her family found themselves trapped under the rubble of their home. With quick thinking, Sujatha managed to free herself and her granddaughter, Mridula, who was crying for help. "I grabbed hold of her little finger, pulled her out of the rubble, covered her with a cloth, and began swimming through the flooding water,” she told the Indian Express.

Once they reached safety on a nearby hilltop, the family encountered a wild tusker and two female elephants standing just inches away. Overcome with emotion, Sujatha pleaded with the elephants for mercy. “It was pitch dark, and just half a meter away from us stood a wild tusker. It, too, seemed terrified. I mumbled a plea to the elephant, saying we had just survived a disaster and asked it to lie down for the night and let someone rescue us,” she told the Times of India.

In an astonishing turn of events, the elephants approached and stood silently by the family, providing a sense of comfort during the terrifying night. Sujatha noted that tears appeared to roll down the tusker's face as they waited for help to arrive.

“We were very close to the tusker’s legs, but it seemed to understand our plight. We stayed there until 6 a.m., and the elephants remained with us until we were rescued by some kind-hearted individuals in the morning,” Sujatha added, reflecting on the emotional bond formed in those harrowing hours.