Vintage Monday

~ The Elephant Escapade Ensues ~

ELEPHANT BACK SAFARI
On January 17, an unusual expedition was flagged off from the town of Trichur in Kerala: the Kerala Elephant Expedition 1990. Said to be the first of its kind of undertaken in India in recent memory, the elephant-back expedition has been organized to spread the spirit of adventure among Indian youth, to create an awareness of environmental issues through publicity generated by the project and to "emphasize some basic human values: the pursuit of courage, commitment and cooperation," as the organizers put it. The expedition hopes to cover some 200 Kms through two wildlife sanctuaries over about two weeks to conclude in Tamil Nadu. The launch yesterday was timed to coincide with The Great Elephant March arranged by the Kerala Tourism department of the state government as part of their Tourist festival.

Leading the expedition is 32-year-old Mandip Singh Soin, an internationally experienced mountaineer, chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and an elected Fellow in Britain's Royal Geographical Society. In addition, he has taken part in a cycling expedition from Delhi to Kathmandu covering 1,500 Kms, rafted down he Rogue River of Oregon in the US, led the first Camel Safari across 450 Kms of Rajasthan's Thar desert and has trained in Mountain Rescue in Scotland to subsequently set up the Himalayan Evacuation & Life Saving Project in India. Last year, in 1989, Soin was an instructor and an Escort in the Icewalk international Students' Expedition to the Arctic near the North pole. Currently, Soin runs a rock climbing school, and his company, Ibex Equipment, manufactures camping and mountaineering equipment. Apart from Mandip Singh Soin, the present Kerala Expedition has 14 members in its team, including women, all outdoor enthusiasts drawn from professions including photography, writing, designing, etc. Of the four foreign members of the team, two come from the UK and two from Hong Kong.

The expedition received enthusiastic support from the Kerala government and also from several industrial houses and enterprises. The project hopes to result in an audio-visual which will cover aspects of local culture, folklore, wildlife and will, at the same time, highlight various ecological issues.

ELEPHANTINE ADVENTURE
It was an expedition only the gutsy could undertake: a 1--day trip in January atop elephants in the Parambikulam wildlife reserve.

Said Mandip Singh Soin, the leader of the group: "By riding on elephant back in a wild area, we have recorded an interesting story which will be used to promote the spirit of adventure in India and overseas. Photographs and useful video footage were taken and will be used by the members to create awareness on environmental issues."

He hit upon the idea when he learnt that the Kerala tourism department was exploring possibilities of tourism in wildlife areas with a stress on environmental protection. "It was the first attempt through an unknown and potentially dangerous terrain," said Mandip. However, he should not be too concerned: Mandip has trekkend through wilderness and climbed difficult mountains in the world; last year he even made it to the Arctic. But the safety of his group (people from different backgrounds who were selected on the basis of their outdoor experience and commitment to environmental protection) was uppermost in his mind, "The Kerala tourism department provided us guides, jeeps, and a stun gun."