Watch: Kerala man holds onto dear life, sits on a tree to escape wild elephants

You are alone, walking along a hillside track and are suddenly being charged by a herd of wild elephants. Such a situation is more than adequate to make most people’s heart stop. However, a man from Chinnakanal village in Kerala’s scenic and hilly Idukki district maintained his composure and presence of mind to not just escape, but also climb onto and remain atop a nearby eucalyptus tree for more than an hour and a half. 

Saji, the 40-year-old man was walking to his agricultural land when he came up close to the elephant herd. When a tusker in the herd charged at him, he ran to the safety of a nearby grassy tract and climbed atop what looked like a eucalyptus tree. 

Videos of the incident show that the elephant herd was barely few meters away from the tree and Saji was watching them from atop. While Saji held on to the tree for more than 90 minutes, villagers and forest staff managed to move away the herd by bursting firecrackers and screaming loudly. 

According to Saji, he lived a short distance downhill from the place where the elephants chased him from. He also added that there were three elephants in the herd and two baby elephants. Extremely protective of their little ones, elephants tend to get provoked and agitated when approached in the presence of their babies. 

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