The Tusk That Did the Damage

by Tania James

  Babu O. S., a true encyclopedia of pachydermal knowledge.

  Surendra Varma, one of India’s leading elephant researchers, who generously organized my own research trip to Wayanad and put me in touch with several warm, intelligent hosts—Mr. Gangadharan Mangalassery, Vinayan P. A., Aparnadevi P. A., Sujin N. S., and Sabitha C.

  The Periyar Tiger Reserve, especially Sanjay Kumar Ayyappan, deputy director; Binoy C. Thomas; Manu Sathyan; and Shashi Kumar. By employing former poachers, Periyar has cultivated a small army of expert forest watchers, many of whom gave me their time and knowledge, including Malaichami, P. Deivam, Mahamaya, and C. Pandyan.

  Additional thanks for the guidance of the following individuals: R. V. Lakshmi Ammu, Devna Arora, Dr. Jacob V. Cheeran, Carol Buckley, Dilip Deori, Suparna Ganguly, Laban Gogoi, Dinesh K. J. and K. M. Javanayyan Gowda, Bulu Imam, Justin Imam, Divisional Range Officer Shajana Karim, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Manju Menon, Mahesh Rangarajan, P. V. Subramanian, Subramanyam C. K., and Susheela Varasyar.

  These publications were important to the writing of this book:

  Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us About Humanity, by Gay Bradshaw

  The Elephant Graveyard, by Tarquin Hall

  Deeper Roots of Historical Injustice: Trends and Challenges in the Forests of India, in particular the chapter by Ashish Kothari and Neema Pathak: “Conservation and Rights in India”

  Elephant Days and Nights, by Raman Sukumar

  “Elephant Poaching in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Southern India,” by Surendra Varma

  Thank you to the extraordinary Nicole Aragi, for her generosity and faith and elephant-shaped gifts; to Jordan Pavlin, for lending this book her brilliance. To Duvall Osteen. To Caroline Bleeke, Brittany Morrongiello, Ellen Feldman, Annette Szlachta-McGinn, and the wonderful team at Knopf. To Jenny Assef, Peter Hlinka, and Karen Thompson Walker, kindly readers and friends.

  To the Maru family and the James family, to whom I owe a debt beyond words.

  To Vivek Maru, who infused every page of this book with his insight and care.

  And to Luka, who arrived with perfect timing.

  A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Tania James is the author of the novel Atlas of Unknowns and the short-story collection Aerogrammes. Her fiction has appeared in Boston Review, Granta, Guernica, One Story, A Public Space, and the Kenyon Review. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and son.