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Motorists’ narrow escape from charging elephant Sumesh Rajan 25 November 2021 With widespread human expansion into the far reaches of jungles in the name of development, and wildlife facing shrinking habitats, man-animal conflicts are on the rise.  This endangers both the wildlife and human beings alike. Roads passing through forest areas are prone to such encounters.   In one such instance, a motorist driving on a road on the forest stretch near Athirappilly in Kerala state of India, in the night had a scare when a tusker came charging at his vehicle. The video taken by the person accompanying the vehicle driver presents a scary picture. As the vehicle passes through the unlit road, vehicles coming from the opposite side speed off in a hurry sending alarm bells in the car’s occupants, one of whom shouts at the driver to back down as a tusker comes charging at them.   The driver slows down, and immediately reverses the vehicle even as the elephant comes charging. Luckily, though it was

  Forest officials rescue woman and her infant from raging waterfall Sumesh Rajan Mumbai: 28 October 20211   In a heroic rescue operation, without giving a thought to their own safety or life, forest department staff in the state of Tamil Nadu rescued a woman and her infant from a waterfall whose water level suddenly increased due to inclement weather.   The incident took place at Aanaivari Muttal waterfalls, a popular tourist spot in Atur Taluka of Salem district in Tamil Nadu on October 25.   The whole nail-biting rescue operation was captured on video by a bystander.   The video shows a woman clutching her baby, balancing on a rocky mountain ledge on one side and the raging and surging waterfall on the other side, making it impossible for her to climb up.   The nearby forest department staff who had been alerted to her plight rushed to her aid, and descended the hill to rescue the precariously clutching mother and infant duo. While a couple of officials grab hold of the baby and tak

Woman slips off moving bus, succumbs to injuries   Sumesh Rajan Mumbai: October 22, 2021   A 45-year-old woman died on October 21, a day after she fell off a moving bus in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.   The incident took place between Kazhugumalai and Ramalingapuram in Tenkasi district.   45-year-old Mageshwari of Kuruviluam near Ramalingapuran was returning home in a private mini-bus after shopping at Kazhugumalai for her daughter’s upcoming wedding.   The unfortunate incident was captured in the CCTVs installed in the interior and exterior of the mini-bus.   The visuals show Mageshwari sitting in the window seat, and the lady occupying the next seat getting up to make way for her, as the bus nears her destination. But, in a flash of movement, as the bus was negotiating a bend, Mageshwari lost her balance and got thrown out of the exit door which was next to the seat.   As she falls off the bus, the other passengers raise the alarm and the driver applies the brake. Immediately, the

  Lesson from Kerala floods : Human activities, climate change has disastrous effects on environment   Sagaya Fernando Mumbai: 19 October 2021   Overexploitation of natural resources and haphazard development by humans has led to climate change, resulting in long-lasting consequences on the environment. This is increasing health hazards and natural disasters, and more, day by day. The torrential flooding being witnessed recently in the state of Kerala in India is a prime example of this, say many experts.   This is not the first time that Kerala, a state of 34 million people, has been devastated by floods. It saw the worst floods in a century in 2018 when severe rains caused flash floods and landslides, killing nearly 500 people and leaving a million homeless. The following year, more than 125 people were killed in flash floods and landslides across the state. More than 50 were killed in August last year after landslides struck the hilly Munnar region.   The latest spell of torrential

Torrential flood washes away house in Kerala

Elderly woman escapes the deadly claws of crouching, hidden leopard   Sumesh Rajan Mumbai: 30 September 2021   An elderly woman in India, survived a deadly attack by a crouching and hidden leopard.   The incident took place at the wooded Aarey Milk Colony area of Mumbai, on September 29 night.   CCTV captured the entire event that unfolded outside 55-year-old Nirmaladevi Rambadan Singh’s house at around 7.45 pm.   Just like the movie name ‘ Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ’ which in itself is a literal translation of a Chinese idiom which describes a place or situation that is full of unnoticed masters, the leopard saunters in the bushes near the woman’s home.   It crouches and lays in wait. In a few minutes, the woman using a walking stick comes out of her home to get a breath of fresh air and sits on a ledge without knowing the lurking danger.   In a few seconds, the crouching leopard pounces on her. Panic stricken, the elderly woman falls back, but tries to stave off the attack with