A Kingly Encounter

A Kingly Encounter

- Katie Bagli 

A Kingly Encounter Yuhina and Kadambo, best friends and wildlife enthusiasts, along with Mr. Kiran, Yuhina’s father, were glued to the windows of their jeep, which was making its way through the narrow, rough roads of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. They feasted their eyes on brightly colored birds and butterflies that fluttered by.

“The dense forest here easily conceals the birds and butterflies from their predators, so they don’t have dull camouflaging,” said their guide and driver, Ali, as soon as they reached the sanctuary.

They had spent three joyous days exploring the different parts of the sanctuary, which was said to be populated by elephants. During their treks, they saw clear-cut signs of the pachyderms—trampled vegetation and elephant droppings—but still hadn’t caught a glimpse of them.

Yuhina and Kadambo crossed their fingers, fervently hoping that today, their last day, would be lucky. Their jeep halted at a point where the passable road ended. From there onwards, the four of them explored the terrain on foot. The girls’ spirits rose; walking was always more fun. Mr. Kiran took a deep breath in. “I can smell adventure in the air!” he joked.