It was another of those wonderful misty mornings at Masinagudi. My childhood buddy Kannan and I had driven out from Coimbatore to a friend’s (Nizam’s) sprawling bungalow the previous night, and were rewarded with quite a few sightings during the night drive. Elephants and Gaur were all over the place that night and after spending a long time watching them, got back, planning a morning drive. The next day morning was as eventful as well. As we drove down the Masinagudi – Theppakadu stretch,   Deer, Elephants, Gaur and even an elusive sloth bear made its appearance, as we were getting shutter happy. It was around 8:00 AM, when we were returning for a hot cup of tea. Just past Theppakad, the i10 ahead of our car suddenly veered to the right. The driver initially braked hard and was in a quandary whether to reverse or speed ahead. Fortunately, for him, the Qualis from the other side was far away. Out of the thick undergrowth, emerged this elephant, with a shrill trumpet. As it mis...