In the tea Fields of India, villages are in constant battle of keeping elephants away from their crops, not their tea but the food that will feed their family. However the Indian villages refuse to kill the animals (I wouldn't kill them either) due to the deity Ganesha. So every night, the shoot fire works, run and shout at the elephants. This usually works though highly dangerous.
Elephants live in family groups and are highly protective of calfs, if separated from the family or feels that the baby is threatened they will become afraid, anxious, and will charge. And that is what happened countless times to a mother elephant and her baby.
With the stress of being separate from her family for days and protection of her baby it was mentally draining. Until one day the worst thing that could happen to her happened. Her baby was accidental killed. The mother snapped. That one night she killed 1 person. Later she attacked a village and killed 5 people. Her count got up to 17 people were gone due to her rage and sadness until she got the order to be executed. Upon her autopsy, doctors found traces of digested human flesh in her system.
Though I was shocked and saddened for the 17 people that had died, I also felt sorry for the mother elephant. Elephants take care of their babies up to their teenage years so there is a strong motherly bond between baby and mom. Just like a human mother and her baby. She was sad, angry, and just went crazy over the lost of her baby and not being able to find her family.
If the people of the villages were educated about elephant behavior and actually got some aid maybe for the tea companies they are growing tea for, this didn't need to happen. But even today the Indian villages have to battle against the elephants every night, all year. They need some help. So I made this drawing to honor the mama elephant as well as to inform.
