M.P Gajab Hai...Satpura National Park...

 M.P Gajab Hai...Satpura National Park...

 

After months of planning and hours of telephonic conversations 4 of us decided on our final travel plan and after doing all the bookings, lining up all the contacts and arranging all the road maps “Wilderness Explorers” as we called our group met in Bhopal on to accomplish our dream tour of “exploring M.P.’s Wilderness”, the most exciting part of this tour was the fact that although I being a native of M.P. state, I for no reason had never explored any forest or Sanctuaries of M.P. Whatever little I had seen forests of M.P. was either by being a passenger in a bus or a train via passing through the woods.

After having a sumptuous Bhopali food of fish fry and the most coveted “ Jameel’s Biryani” in the night, we decided to leave Bhopal early by 2 AM in the night so that we could reach the approaching road of Satpura National Park by 4 AM and this road with dense forest cover on both sides has a tremendous potential to surprise the passengers passing through its wilderness. People passing through this road early mornings or during the nights have spotted Tigers, Leopards, Sloth Bear and even Honey Badgers.

Our idea literally hit a road block when we found that due to a stone on the road both the tyres of our car got punctured. In a midnight conference on the sideways of a highway it was decided to not only to go ahead with the trip but also with the same car by getting the tubeless tyres repaired via inserting make shift tubes.. It took us over 3 hours to get the tyres repaired and move ahead.

After a highly turbulent and unexpected start to the trip we finally reached the road which leads from Hoshangabad to Sohagpur, besides the road the paddy fields were covered by a dense blanket of fog, Mynas and Parakeets were having gatherings besides the road, a flock of cattle egrets just took off from the road side fields and lead our way for a few meters it was a mesmerizing experience seeing the egret flock leading our car. Amidst all this drama we reached the right turn for Satpura National park and  just a few kilometers more we reached at the road which will take us to the Satpura National Park. It was already 9 AM and chirping of birds in the dense woody patches adjoining the road was in full swing and so was the winter. Now, instead of looking for big mammals we were looking for birds in these woods. It didn’t took us long to uncover the avian potential of this place. 

Conspicuous by its big body and long tail we spotted a Racket tailed Drongo doing sorties from one tree to another and as expected near “The Knight of the avian world” was lot of birds like lesser flameback wood peckers, Great Tits and Ioras hopping and looking for insects in to every nooks and crevices of branches for a good breakfast. Spending some time for a good click of the Racket tailed Drongo proved to be futile as it moved from one branch to other and continued to remain in extremely dark and shady patches.

Greater Racket Tailed Drongo

As we moved ahead and reached the serene backwaters of Tawa dam, it proved out to be a view to withhold for eternity. Calm Serene Blue ripple free waters, on the other side was pristine beauty of Satpura Biosphere Reserve. Unending Mountains covered with teak and sal trees. The combination of blue and green makes the scene worthy of a photograph. Just a view of forest from far away and one realizes that this park is a naturally gifted park with hills of panchmadi surrounding 3 sides of the park and backwaters of Tawa reservoir making the remaining border. 

Satpura Landscapes

ABOUT THE PLACE:

The Satpura National Park takes its name from the Satpura hills that range across central India. Satpura hill range is the southern mountain range of Narmada River valley, the northern mountain range is known as Vindhyachal.  The Satpura National Park covers 524 sq.km of protected forests. In 1999, the Madhya Pradesh Government created the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, a protected region with an area of 4926.28 sq. km, covering three conservation units: Bori Wildlife Sanctuary (518.00 sq. km),

Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary (461.37 sq. km), and Satpura National Park. This Reserve has a designated core zone which is the Satpura National Park. The remaining area is described as the Buffer Zone—a sprawling 4501.91 sq km area spread across the districts of Betul, Hoshangabad and Chhindwara that is slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. I have a distinct memory of sighting a huge tiger while travelling from Parasiya to Pipariya beside a Ghat road on forest slope while travelling in a bus. I was 16 years old then. It was such a spectacle then as well, as all the passengers of bus move towards one side of the bus to view the wild majesty and poor conductor and cleaner had to shout that bus may turn turtle with all the weight on one side.

The ripple less serene Denwa Backwaters are formed due to the tawa dam. The Tawa dam has been built at the confluence of Tawa & Denwa River. Denwa River is a lifeline river of Satpura National Park. This river originates from south-eastern part of the Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh State and flows from east to west direction before joining the Tawa river at south of Rainpur.

THE SAFARI EXPERIENCE:

After realizing that we were late for entering in to Jungle and taking a jeep safari would have been futile as most of Jungle folks would have got settled now and by 10 AM in the morning chances of sighting mammals become very remote. We quickly decided to have a boat ride in the back waters which is famous for size of its Mugger Crocodiles and plethora of Migratory birds that come in the winters. Indian Skimmer, Ruddy Shell Ducks, Bar headed geese, Greater cormorants, along with other 2 varieties of cormorants and many more make these waters their base camp for winters. Looking at the pristine water of Denwa I wished former one clean shot of an animal or a bird near water with its clean reflection in the water. 

Greater Cormorant

   
As our motor boat went in to the waters we came across Osprey and with this one of the birds on my wish list for this trip got ticked. We first went in to a patch of backwaters which had less open spaces and small islands and forest embankments nearby. River Terns were sitting on smaller rocks and islands, on the slope of the banks were spotted deer scouting for fresh green grass for eating. Watching an ungulate on a slope near a water body filled with Crocodiles is a fabulous experience. They come to these slopes as they offer water and most soft grass, but in doing so they get themselves exposed on two fronts, one they lose sight of any predator approaching from uphill and two the ever present risk of a sudden attack by a Crocodile. Only one though came across my mind, Can we humans think of facing such predicament for food and water?

Double Jeopardy- A spotted deer on the embankment slope

An oriental pied hornbill took a flight from one part of embankment to other, An Indian Golden oriole also took off, and my eyes were constantly looking for any bird of prey specifically Grey Headed fish eagle or Brown fish owl.

The Denwa Backwaters have a lot of small islands. These islands act as nesting as well as resting spots for birds and crocodiles. On one such island we spotted lime like white patches on stones and were quite sure that this is a frequented seat of some carnivore bird. The droppings of carnivorous bird’s looks like white patches of lime on rocks and perches, these droppings are so white because they are extremely rich in calcium as they excrete out the bones of their prey. Watching a perch closely can give you a clue where a bird would come and sit. The hypothesis got proved as a river tern came flying and sat on that particular rock itself. It was sitting in such a great sun light that it called for a photograph.

A river tern sitting on a frequented seat

An Asian open billed stork was standing patiently for its first meal of the day. As soon as we moved ahead without disturbing the stork we came in to more open zone of backwaters and could see the slopes facing the rising sun.   

 As Asian Open billed Stork

As we ventured further in to backwaters in search of Mugger Crocodiles we knew that weather was on our side. It was extremely cold and Crocodiles cannot remain in water for long. To increase their body temperature they will come out to bask in Sun. Shortly in to the trip we came across our first glimpse of the biggest danger of the backwaters and although this specimen was not big enough to put us in any awe but viewing the first crocodile in Satpura was an experience in itself.

This was just the start as more was in store for us. Almost on every curve and bend of the backwaters we could see crocodiles basking in Sun. The sheer size of crocodiles was mind boggling as they all had huge heads and long tails. Due to winter we could reach very near to crocodiles without them taking a plunge in water as a plunge in water would have meant loosing on the heat accumulated in the body. 

Ready to plunge- A mugger Crocodile in Satpura

Enjoying Sunshine

Back Waters of Denwa appear to be so calm and serene that no one could ever imagine that they could be home biggest of crocodiles in central India. Water remains ripple less till the time a boat enters in the water and moves ahead, but water remains ripple less even when a huge crocodile takes a plunge in the water. 

No i do not need a dentist

In about One and half hour in to the boat safari we could come across so many crocodiles and could learn so much about Satpura, considering the boat safari is just a starter to Satpura National Park, I now cannot wait for the main course and have made a promise to myself to come back to Satpura for a minimum of 4 to 5 days of wilderness exploration of Satpura. 

It’s the most pristine form of wilderness that one can come across..

Go..Explore…You will never regret…..

Call of the Wild- Nagzira- Part 2

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.

Call of the Wild- Nagzira

Call of the Wild- Nagzira

My long awaited journey to the tiger heartland of India was taking final shape. The process of gathering information and names of useful contacts from my fellow naturalists and birders on the best ways to explore Nagzira was so exciting, that I could not wait to be at Nagzira, to see the Jungle and its drama unfold before my senses.

I am using word “senses” instead of “eyes” as, in the Jungles, far away from urban cacophony gives one an opportunity to use all the senses. The rustles of branches and leaves, the crackle of dry leaves, makes you pause and try decipher the cause of it. Is it caused by a Jungle fowl moving behind the bushes or did a Wild boar just roll over while sleeping in a shade or was it just the wind doing as usual. The heady whiff of the blossoming Mahua flowers intermingle with the rancid stench of a rotting carcass adding further to the mystery of the Jungle. In the jungle if you sense a creature crawling besides you, you should react differently than you normally would. Most of the times it is best to avoid sudden reactions unless you can see the creature. The various edible berries and flowers have been assigned different properties, from healing to rejuvenation all as per the local lore.

   

With all these anticipations I boarded the train from Nagpur to Bhandara which is around an hour’s route for a fast train. Again benevolent Indian Railways was the reason behind a swift and economical journey.

I reached Bhandara station at around 1 AM in the night. Nagzira is about 40 KMs from Bhandara, so I decided to take a Nap at Bhandara railway station before leaving for Nagzira. I left for Nagzira at around 3:30 AM in night. Asking directions to reach the highway was not easy as the entire city was deserted during the night and I had to request a Police patrol vehicle to guide me to the highway.

Once on the highway I was alert for signs of any movement of Owls or other mammals crossing my way. As soon as I reached the cross road to Nagzira and took a left turn, the entire landscape changed so rapidly that I was caught unawares, and as an alert herd of spotted deer raised an alarm call after my vehicle crossing, I realized that I should keep my camera ready as during this time Jungle folks can turn up unannounced and surprise you.

The fact that there was no traffic during the night hours on these roads there was a high probability of coming across Indian nightjars sitting on the road, and I was right in my anticipation as came across t a Nightjar sitting right in middle of the road.

Sighting the Nightjar is one thing, but leaving the relative safety of car at around 4:30 AM alone, in darkness of the jungle is a different scenario. Though we descend from the cave man with all the related wildness, we of the present day are essentially the children of day light. As the daylight fades and night takes away from us the sense of sight, which we are totally dependent on, we are at the mercy of our imagination.

The mind given the right settings can play strange tricks. it was with extreme caution that I had a look all around  for any signs or  unusual movements or even the glitter of nocturnal eyes. Satisfied at my precautions I gathered my courage and stepped out of my car. I kept the engine running and headlights on as a precaution. As I stepped out and carried out my usual surveillance rituals and being satisfied   I approached the resting spot of the Nightjar. Enveloped by darkness with Night jar in focus I took a few shots quickly and jumped back into my car before my imagined fears turned into reality.

Indian Nightjar on the road at 4:30 AM in the morning

I drove at a slow pace till I reached the Nagzira village anticipating some more sightings, however nothing came my way. As I reached I called up my tour guide/ driver Rajesh, who promptly arrived by 5:30 AM as the gate to the sanctuary opens at 6 AM. The process of getting in to sanctuary is very simple, there are 2 routes; Route A and Route B. Route B is considered to be more fruitful as it has more tiger sightings. Till 6 AM forms were given of route A, and as  I was getting restless, I told Rajesh that I was not specifically there for only tiger sightings but more in Birds and wildlife as a whole. Rajesh wanted us to wait for Route B forms to start. After a lot of push from my restless self Rajesh went along with me to the form counter. I deposited the money along with details required and form was stamped and given back to me with “Route B”. I was happy as I was allowed to go in to sanctuary irrespective of the route and Rajesh was happier as he got his desired “route B”, a win –win for both.

It is mandatory to appoint an approved guide to accompany one into the forest. I informed the guide that rather than tiger sightings I would be more interested in birds and would also be very happy if he could help me trace Dholes of Nagzira. To my request he informed me that Dholes are difficult to trace as they are crepuscular and being the peak of summer hardly venture out except for hunting for food.

The gradual appearance of light in the east, a precursor to the awakening of the jungle with the accompanying crowing of the perennial early riser, the Grey Jungle fowl, awakening all and sundry from their slumber and encouraging them to join ,in welcoming the new day. Conversely it was the time for the Indian Scoops owl to come back to its tree hole and sign off for the rest of the day. Just as my Jeep passed by the tree the scratch marks near the tree hole confirmed the landing of the Owl confirming the presence of the owl. The Indian scoops owl is so very well camouflaged that to an untrained eye it would appear as a part of the tree trunk only. This is a nocturnal bird, which spends most of the day time lurking in some dark corner of the dense foliage standing upright and motionless,  to all appearance the extension of its perch. The disguise is further enhanced if it is in its tree hole, since the colour and texture of face matches exactly with that of the tree It is the most vocal bird in the Jungle during night time with calls of ‘wut ...wut...wut’ ...pronounced at 5 second intervals. It was my first sighting of this bird, since previously I could identify its call but couldn’t spot it.

Indian Scops Owl

As we ventured further into the jungle a herd of spotted deer was having its morning sip of water at the artificial water body. Not too far away from them a Neelgai in its prime was evaluating us as a potential threat. We continued our drive through the serpentine roads of the forest. Our drive took us to an extremely shady patch of the forest with very tall trees all around. We sighted Lesser flame backed Woodpeckers  moving from one tree to other when all of a sudden I saw a Rufous woodpecker in the party, which was an  extremely pleasing  as it is a rarity even in the best of the forests. As we reached the first beat house for reporting, as my Guide and Rajesh went inside for necessary reporting; all of a sudden a Changeable Hawk Eagle swooped in and alighted over a barren tree over the beat house. I was overjoyed since just an hour into the exploration and the Jungle had already offered so much. As we left the beat house, Rajesh suggested that we should take the route which had a high chance of Tiger sighting, adding at the same time that we may also come across raptors on the route.

A Lesser Golden Flame backed Woodpecker

Rufous Woodpecker

Changeable Hawk Eagle

 As we were negotiating a steep slant I suddenly observed a raptor sitting on a tree just above our head this was a juvenile Shikra sitting pretty in the morning sunlight. Luckily for us the Shikra didn’t get spooked and gave us good number of picture perfect shots. Just a few meters away a racket tailed Drongo was playing its role as the guardian of the woods. A group of Yellow footed pigeons and an Orange headed thrush were the beneficiaries of the protection offered by the Racket Tailed Drongo. To bird lovers the Racket Tailed Drongo is a bird which is a never ending source of pleasure and interest, for in addition to being most courageous of birds in our jungle, he can imitate to perfection the calls of most of the birds and one animal, the Cheetal. 

Shikra

Greater Racket Tailed Drongo

Further into the drive, metallic calls of the Rufuos Treepie and piercing calls of the Hawk Cuckoo were becoming clearer and all of a sudden a Changeable Hawk Eagle flew over our head. As we reached another man made and man filled water body the calls of Treepies and hawk cuckoo became louder. A Rufous treepie couple were having their usual bit of domestic communication and it was very evident from the pitch of one and the silence of the other who was male and who was female.

Changeable Hawk Eagle- Flight

 Hawk Cuckoo

Rufous Treepie Pair

Langur Family

Just nearby a troop of Langurs were sitting, with the females holding the new born close to them. The extent of heat of the season was evident from the fact that every Langur was sitting in the shade of the tree and it was not even 8 AM in the morning.  As we moved ahead towards a nullah which was heavily covered with Lantana bushes, we saw imprints of pug marks of a male tiger. Alarm calls of spotted deer and Langur’s nearby confirmed the presence of the king of predators. It was just 8 O’ Clock in the morning but the heat was already stifling and it felt like 2 in the noon.  Taking a cue from the heat we started carefully looking in to Lantana bushes since the big cats would be lurking among them We were maintaining utmost silence as a surprised tiger can be a very injurious idea. Suddenly our guide pointed us to a white patch deep in the Lantana bushes, and lo behold it was a tiger sleeping in the bushes. We quietly waited for more than half an hour for carefully awaiting the awakening the Tiger but to no avail, indeed it was deep asleep in all its languorous glory. 

Sleeping Giant- Tiger taking a nap

A tiger’s life is not an easy one. With so many vigilant eyes and ears around tracking its every movement it is extremely difficult for it to hunt in broad daylight. Birds like the Lapwing and the peacock raise alarms even if the tiger changes its stance. Mammals like the langur and the spotted dear act as public announcers for the Jungle folks warning all and sundry of the presence of the King of the jungle. An alarm call of the pattern “Kheech-kheech” of a langur still remains one of the best methods of tracking a tiger, but after this call normally we stop watching the langur and shift focus to the tigers around. What we miss is the meticulous method attached to this calling. Whenever any langur irrespective of age/ sex and status in the troop observes a tiger or any other predator it starts the alarm call, the leader of the troop gets warned by this call and after the visual confirmation of the tiger/ predator, takes up the mantle of raising the formal alarm call ,post which the  initiator stops its call. But for me charisma  of tiger lies in the fact that it still manages to keep a low profile and with its predatory instincts survives and successfully keeps on hunting in its own solitary grace.

Two hours in to the trip and I was overwhelmed by the call of the wild emanating from the heart of the dense Nagzira jungle. . As our jeep moved crossed other topographies we heard the  piercing call of  the Crested Serpent Eagle. One of the most vocal members of Eagle family the Crested Serpent Eagle, while still a mere speck in the blue sky is capable of sending its piercing cry back on to earth. High in the heavens above the CSE was circling and screaming with increasing frequency. As we moved ahead, a Sambhar walked across the road and daintily hid a tree. The camouflage of the Sambhar Deer alongside the dry forest worked so well and it raised a point in my head. , often when we go on a wildlife trip we talk about most popular species like lions, tigers, and leopards or we talk about a little lesser popular species like crocodiles, snakes, etc. But, we hardly share information about Herbivores like, Sambhar, Cheetal etc. Is it because they exist in large numbers or is it because they do not produce action oriented, fascinating shots for us? Or, is it because we do not know much about them? These deer are equally beautiful animals, though not powerful. They too possess wild skills to survive in the jungle like camouflaging, living in herds or groups, sharp eyesight, signalling during any external threats etc. and they use these techniques to increase their chances of survival against all odds. When in danger, they run in groups. They make bursts of high-speed running and then soon tire and dive into heavy cover to hide. These herbivores are exemplary and perhaps more suited to their environs and this is the precise reason they are in more abundance than the animals above them in the food chain. 

A Sambhar Deer- Camouflage 

A few upward sharp turns and we reached in a patch of forest where temperature was considerably low and bamboo grass were all around and very soon we were at a lake besides the Nilayam forest bungalow. Rajesh told me that a crested serpent Eagle and a Grey Headed Fish Eagle are residents of this lake, on hearing name of Grey Headed Fish Eagle, I turned my head towards Rajesh and asked him again, are you sure it Grey Headed Fish Eagle? Rajesh said sir, wait it will be in front of us shortly. And as a pair of crested serpent Eagle made a display of fist fight with claws mid air all of a sudden a big raptor landed on a tree on the opposite bank.  Looking closely I found out that Rajesh was damn right and it was a majestic Grey Headed fish Eagle sitting right in front of me, caressing its wings with its beak.

Grey Headed Fish Eagle

This was it…Rajesh told me that we should start heading back to reach at the gate within prescribed time limit. We started heading back and reached the exit gate in time. Nagzira in first 4 hours fulfiiled its promise for natural amusement to the fullest.  

I reached my rest house and took a bath before heading for food. As I reached out on my balcony for drying my clothes I saw a white bellied drongo sitting nearby in tree and panting. Many of us don’t know but Birds also do Panting just like dogs. It’s a bird's way to stay cool. It was so hot in Nagzira that I observed this White bellied Drongo Panting for a very long time. I sprinkled my drinking water on a nearby patch on ground and as soon as I did this, Mr. Drongo gratified me with an up close picture.

White Bellied Drongo- Panting 

After a bit of rest, I headed to take my lunch. My lunch was arranged in a small hut opposite to the gate of the sanctuary, as I sat and started having my lunch, I saw a leopard crossing the pathway inside the sanctuary gate and getting vanished in to the bushes. In just a few hours the call of wild of Nagzira managed to mesmerize me to the fullest. Smiling I went back to my room wondering what else can come my way in the second session?