Moonlit Nights And Sleeping On A Rock: Saranya Shares Her Experiences In The Jungle

Kozhikode: A day after being rescued from the deep jungles in the Madikeri forests in Kodagu in Karnataka, Saranya says that it was her courage that helped her to endure the four days and nights she lost her way while trekking. She walked through the forests, looking for a path along which a wild stream flowed. She spent her days alone in the dense forest by travelling during the day and sleeping on rocks at night, Saranya told ETV Bharat.

G S Saranya (36), a software engineer and an original resident of Iyyankode, Nadapuram in Kozhikode district in Kerala, got lost and got stuck in the forest during a forest trip in Madikeri a few days ago.

Survival tips

When it got dark, she would climb onto a rock and sleep, and when it got light, she would start her journey again. When she reached an open area, she would walk looking up to catch the attention of drones' cameras. She would find the approximate route by looking at the trekking guide she had in her hands. She would find a safe place before sunset. The biggest disaster she faced in the forest was being bitten by leeches below the knees. The bag containing her phone and camera was lost during the journey. This bag was later returned to her relatives by forest department officials, said Saranya.

Experiences in the forest

"On the first day of being trapped in the forest, I felt severe pain when I woke up. The next day, I had planned to climb the hill and go up, but that plan was abandoned when it started to rain. Although I was in the middle of the dense forest, I did not see any wild animals. However, I felt the scent of a wild elephant once. As dusk fell, the forest was full of lightning bugs. It was a relief that the night was clear as the white clouds had passed. Everything was visible as clearly as day. Since there were no fruits in the forest for food, I survived by drinking water from the stream. I drank more than three litres of water every day," she said.

Fearless nights

After midnight, whenever she heard any sound, she would grab the stick in her hand and stand ready to defend herself. But there was no attack from the animals. The forest was very peaceful. She said this was an unforgettable experience in her life and that she would go on similar trips again after the summer. Saranya was very confident even as she shared her experiences of wandering in the dense forest for four days with just half a litre of water in her hand.

Emotional welcome

Saranya got lost in the forests on April 2. After days of worries, the young woman reached her home in Nadapuram in Kozhikode at 1 am on Sunday under the guidance of Karnataka Forest Department officials. Relatives and locals, happy to have her beloved back, gave Saranya an emotional welcome.

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