The Periyar Tiger Reserve is famous for its elephant population. According to the 2010 Forest Department census, there are about 1279 wild elephants in the reserve. The world population of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) is estimated to be around 60,000, about a tenth of the number of African elephants.

More precisely, it is estimated that there are between 38,000 and 53,000 wild elephants and between 14,500 and 15,300 domesticated elephants in Asia, with perhaps another 1000 scattered in zoos worldwide. The estimated elephant population of Kerala state in the year 2010 was 6026.

Elephants are very social, frequently touching and caressing one another and entwining their trunks. Elephants express their emotions in many different ways. They show great joy for the following reasons: in the greeting of a friend or family member (even a human friend), after the birth of a baby elephant and when playing games.

Elephants are generally gregarious and form small family groups consisting of an older matriarch and three or four offsprings, along with their young ones. It was once thought that family groups were led by old bull elephants, however, these males are most often solitary. An elephant family is ruled by a matriarch (older female), and generally consists of her female offspring and their young ones. When the matriarch dies, one of the oldest offspring takes her place.

These strong animals can swim long distances even between islands nearly twelve miles apart.

I took these photographs on 5th Nov 2011 in the Periyar inner corridor near Manakkavala.