A
post lunch nap underneath a shady tree in a hot summer noon is nothing short of
finding heaven on earth. I rested for almost an hour and then it was time to
leave the comfort of the shady tree and venture out again into the unrelenting heat.
Even as I write, my skin feels the noon heat burning into my skin, drying up
and at the same time heating up the pores in my skin.
As
we reached the gate of the sanctuary, Rajesh informed me that he has some other
guests to attend to and his younger brother would be driving the Gypsy for my
evening trip. As we left in Gypsy with our allotted guide, I saw that I was
given the most undesired (for guides and drivers) “Route A”. I once again briefed them that my primary aim
was to explore the wildlife as a whole and not only the Tiger. This has been my
motto every time I venture into the wilderness, since in my view by being
fixated on only the tiger we lose sight of significant moments with other
beasts/birds.
A Jungle Babbler- My companion during rest hours |
As
we proceeded the Guide suggested a route which is not often taken by the other
groups/teams this seemed to be a good idea since these undisturbed patches of
forests usually would be frequented by more variety of birds and animals.
My
theory was vindicated as we went further into the jungle. This was an infrequently
used route and thegrass was ankle height even at the tyre trails left by the
gypsy vehicles. We had to frequently take evasive action to avoid the vines and
foliage which seemed to envelope the trail. As we had chosen an unconventional
route the weather also started to behave a bit unconventionally. All of a
sudden clouds covered the sun and the temperature dropped a few degrees. The
omnipresent buzz of the cicadas echoing all around added to the eerie
atmosphere.
A Female Nilgai |
As we moved ahead a herd of female Nilgai
crossed the trail and vanished in to bushes. As we reached a dense and
distinctly greener patch of the forest, our first delight of the evening appeared,a
herd of 3 Indian Gaurs well spread out, were silently chewing over the green
leaves from the trees. Often mistaken
for the Bison, the Indian Gaur is one of the largest animals of the cow
family. It is regarded as possibly the most dangerous animal in the
Indian jungle, and with good reason. Gaurs are normally safely viewed from the
confines of a Safari vehicle. When in herds, there is at least one member of
the herd keeping a close watch on the vehicle at any given point in time.
However, when they feel threatened, especially if they sense a threat to their
young, they can simply lower their strong heads charge at the vehicle without
even the slightest hesitation. When this happens, there is little that one can
do, for a few thousand kilograms ofmoving hard muscle, coming in contact with
metal or bone is bound to cause serious damage. Unlike elephants, there are not
too many warning signs or mock charges that can prepare us for the lethal
attack. The few signs that indicate a serious confrontation are a strong snort,
the foot scraping the ground, the stiffening of the tail, throwing up of dirt
and the head shaking furiously up and down. Possibilities of a potential charge
increases at the peak of summer as heat and insects add to the annoyance of the
bovine.
Indian Gaur- Having a meal |
Not
trying our luck for too long and to avoid stressing the feeding Gaurs we moved
ahead slowly and just a few meters in to drive we came across another mammal the
Indian wild boar. Here was a classic specimen of a young Indian Wild Boar, with
the signature large canines protruding out of its Jaws. The Indian Wild Boar is
one of the most versatile, intelligent and abundant of all ungulates. This
prolific breeder is the main source of food for majority of the predator
population across this range. The Indian Wild Boar is omnivorous and feeds on
roots, grubs, tubers and carrion. The wild Boar is also known to kill whenever
possible. They are fierce and powerful animals and present a formidable
challenge even to predators like the Tiger.
Indian Wild Boar |
Being
in a dense forest patch meant that we were not sure of the light conditions out
in the open and hence to maximize our distance coverage in good light we
decided to quickly move ahead with as least stops as possible. Our driver told
me that we would need to reach a canal which runs through the meadows and this
patch is frequented by many mammals in the evening. On the way I observed that
there were no artificial water bodies in the entire trail and this entire route
was much greener than the forest which I had explored in the morning.
Rolling
ahead we entered a serpentine road and just at the bend of the road we saw a
small mammal rapidly moving through the woods . Considering the size of this
deer I assumed that it must be a barking deer I asked my driver to move slowly
towards the next bend which presented the best opportunity to get in proximity
with this Deer. The Jeep moved smoothly negotiating the next 2 bends and at
just at the end of second bend we spotted our prized catch. This was a four
horned Antelope, unique for being the only one of the antelope family with four
horns. The four horned Antelope has a liking for hilly terrain and is usually
solitary in nature. Being my first sighting of this Animal in the wild and
considering the rarity of it I was highly elated. The Four Horned antelope swiftly
disappeared in to the woods.
The
variety of Nagzira is such that it has both Asia’s smallest Bovine (Four horned
Antelop), as well as World's largest Bovin, the Indian Gaur.
A Four Horned Antelope |
Moving
ahead we reached a road which was going alongside a Nullah with long grass on
both sides. This was the perfect set up a predatory waiting to prey on any
animal thirsty for a sip of water.We carefully scanned the meadows but finding
nothing untoward and with the shadows elongating at a rapid pace, we moved
ahead.
We
reached our next stop which was next to a small dam like structure with steep
slopes shouldered by long trees on both sides. This played to my advantage as a
crested serpent eagle perched on a tree right at my eye level. It had all the
makings of a perfect shot, dark clouds in the back drop, a barren perch and a
majestic raptor sitting on it. We crossed the dam wall and took a U turn and began
our return journey. As we looked ahead the sun was bathing the mountainside in crimson
which signaled to us that we do not have much light left for the day to end. It
also signified that this is the time for the crepuscular apex predator to come
out into the open.
A Crested Serpent Eagle |
Thunder
rumbled and lightning streaked across an increasingly darkening sky. It was
6:45 PM and the muscular dark of the night started exerting its will on the
fleeting remains of the day. We were still about8 KMs away from the exit gate
of Nagzira Wildlife sanctuary. My guide and driver
both knew that it was going to be difficult to get out in time.
I
kept my eyes wide open, alert for any movement in the bushes or on the path. As a drop of rain hit my cheek, I looked upwards to the dense clouds, which was
snorting and fuming like a bull before the charge. I quickly shut my camera and
packed it safely away. As we navigated the uneven Jungle roads with its
undulating curves, all of a sudden my eyes lit up. There was a dark shadow
sitting in the water body... “Thamb I whispered... Tiger...!” We came to a screeching
stop and my guide and driver gasped where..? About twenty feet away the
handsome hunk of Nagzira, “Viru", sat in shallow waters cooling off ...Time
stood still.
A Stare with Killer eyes |
" Viru" in Night- Dismissing us of our presence |
" Viru" the Handsome Hunk of Nagzira |
Observing
the sheer size of Viru, we suddenly became aware of his proximity to us. In the
exuberance of sighting a magnificent animal its innate ferocity and the
potential life threatening danger that he posed to us was forgotten. Viru
sloshed about in the pool dismissing our presence and continued to enjoy the
relative comfort of the water.. In between sips of water he would fix us with a
stare which clearly communicated his disdain for our presence in his playground.
We could clearly hear Virus’s panting and this particular patch had a weird
smell of popcorn in cauliflower flavor. For once I was blank as to how to
respond to this situation. Viru was clearly aware of us though not seemingly threatened.
Before we could decide our course of action, all of a sudden the Monarch of the
jungle stood up from the water body, shook its back legs one by one and leisurely
strolled towards the opposite side of the Jeep. My eyes followed Viru till he
vanished in the gloom .I was in absolute rapture ,a feeling which was tinged
both with regret of not having more time with this
elusive beast relief that Viru was in a good mood today..
Monarch on the move |
A
night sighting of the tiger is a totally different one to the guided safari
sightings which really never makes us aware of the thin line that probably
stops an attack by the beast.. I have always believed that whenever wild
animals and Humans are in close contact with each other, both are subject to a
common danger of being attacked or killed. From the animals point of view we
are intruders into their territory and inherently the nature of any being, be
it animal or human, is to defend its home and family. Sadly the animals no
longer can fight on equal terms, which all the more make it our responsibility
to defend their homes.
A
Final thought that came to my mind is “Route
A or Route B”, holds no significance for animals, Routes are for our understanding and animals
are the righteous owners of the forest and can roam around anywhere at any time.
With
my mind full of memories, I bid adieu to this wild adobe called Nagzira; with a
promise to keep coming back for more.
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