Giants of the Jungle

In India, it is not unusual to see herds of elephants moving about in the open. Back in 2015, on a day when the monsoon rains were in full force, roughly 60 of these incredible animals were spotted making their way down a road in eastern India.

The high-elevation forests around there also shelter plenty of other impressive wildlife, including top predators like the golden leopard cat and the legendary Royal Bengal Tiger. Still, the elephants had a special kind of status with the locals. People watched the herd with that mix of awe and affection, until something odd pulled everyone’s focus. One elephant drifted away from the group and began digging at the ground, and suddenly the crowd was equal parts curious and worried.