Although only about 26 sq km of out of the nearly 1,000 that make up the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the lake is the nucleus of the national park. During summer, elephants are commonly sighted crossing the lake. This video was taken by senior Forest watcher Mr.Kannan near Mullaperiyar dam on 1st February 2012.

Elephants can cross rivers and lakes completely submerged, with only the tips of their trunks above the water, like built-in snorkel tubes. In the Andaman islands in the Indian Ocean, elephants actually swim from one island to the island.

Elephant’s trunks have many different functions including breathing, feeding, sucking up water, mud or dust, picking up, holding and throwing items, gathering olfactory and tactile information, as well as visual and tactile communication.