02/28/2007, Udawalawe - - -

     Followed Deepa in the morning. This is fairly open space, with acres of tall grass. We can see quite easily. She's with her calf and a regular companion, [065], who may be her adult daughter. Also present is [866], [065]'s female calf. She has grown in the two years since I've seen her, almost sub-adult size. She's most easily identifiable by the two little spots of de-pigmentation (pink areas without skin pigment) on her earlobes, like earrings. But [065] isn't always with Deepa, so I haven't named her yet - usual practice would be to give all related individuals (or individuals from the same social group) names beginning with the same letter.

     It turns out to be a drizzly day later in the afternoon. Perfect weather for elephants - they come out to mud bathe, and drink the clean water collecting in the rocks. [469] and two calves are doing just that as we come accross them on Nuga (Fig tree) Road. Her calf squirts water out of his trunk. It's a season of plenty, he's not worried about thirst. Behind them about thirty meters away, another small group emerges against the scrub. The habitat here is short grass interspersed with trees and bushes. The elephants troop by in a straight line, and among them is a tiny baby just bigger than a coconut.

     We hear that there are some elephants up the road from a circuit bungalow and head that way. We find one subadult. She stares at us, shakes her head, and runs away, disappearing off the side of the road and into the thick jungle. We move up slowly, and out she pops again. She tosses her trunk at us and takes off, moving up the road several meters then out of view again around a bend. We decide to follow, hoping she'll lead us to the group. Once again we come up on her...she leads, disappears, we follow. It's turning into a bit of a game. Eventually we pull up next to her, and as we hang around trying to photograph her, she growls. This is a soft-sounding contact call that sounds like a dog growl. And then, from all around, come growls in reply. So, the group is here!

     We pass her by, hoping to catch up with the group. Just a few meters up, at the intersection, there they are. Around the corner is a big rock, named Thali Gala (gala =rock). We're surrounded by the continuous growls of elephants as they eat. Some are grazing, one is working on stripping branches. Two adult females and their calves cross the road. They are [217] - LongEar, and [214].

     As they disappear into the forest, it starts to pour again. We're watching from the gap beneath the roll-down tent of the jeep. We turn towards Thali gala at the junction, and we see our subadult female on silhouetted on top of the rock, against the rain. Down below is a large male, emerging from the gloom.

     He lifts his trunk calmly and sniffs us as we move off.