Interview with Bullet Senadhi
Udawalawe National Park
Fun Facts
Q: Bullet is a very interesting name. Did you get it whilst sprinting in the Pachyderm Olympics?
A: (snort laughing) No no, although I can run fast, the name actually has a tragic origin. When I was a wee calf, I was on a ramble with my mum and we chanced upon a village. The people got startled and fired a gun in the air to scare us away, but unfortunately the bullet ricocheted off a lamp post and hit my leg. The humans felt terrible and immediately took me for treatment and it was there that I got the name; because of the bullet lodged in my leg. It basically stuck with me for the rest of my life. The name, I mean, not the bullet.
Did you know?
Q: You are a member of a very rare club. Would you care to elaborate on that?
A: I presume that you are talking about the Big Tusker Club? You are quite correct, Less than 5% of us males are blessed with the big ones. Mine are 5 feet long at the moment and I’m hoping they will get a bit longer. After all, I’m only 18 so I think I can hit maybe 7 or 8 feet in my lifetime.
Whereabouts
Q: So what made you migrate from your hometown of Anuradhapura?
A: Initially I had no choice in the matter, the humans brought me to Udawalawe for treatment. But during my recovery, I fell in love with the place so I decided to stay on. Also, the humans have been very nice to me ever since I arrived, especially the ones near the Mahoora campsite, so I don’t want to leave this place.
