Kanha –The Jungle Book - Author - Swamini Kanade

Kanha –The Jungle Book

The summer we all were waiting for was finally here. Bidding goodbyes to our school for the last time ,the ex-spmites were pumped for this trip.


April 14 2018, the day to leave.

The group chats filled with conversations by all the enthusiastic folks. Our train was at 6pm but all of us were present at the station at 4pm itself. Apart from the school gang we also had a little group of the ‘bacha party’. We all together were a group of 30 people. Before starting the journey we all were sorted into groups of 6. Some of my friends and I were sorted to Chitra maushi's group which also had her son, Omkar…the lucky pair, good for us. Total 5 groups with their adrenalines full started the journey late evening.


It was a splendid overnight train experience. After having our dinner in the train we all were tired and full. We were instructed to sleep but we didn’t. Although we were threatened by our neighbors we stayed awake for quite a long time. I remember falling asleep around 12am over gossips and horror stories which were not so fun.

We reached Nagpur the next morning at 9:30am. And then we started our bus journey to Kanha.  Jamming to songs on the way we stopped for our lunch. The way ahead we experienced a refreshing rainfall while entering Kanha. Fallen trees and small settlements welcomed us in. we reached our hotel resort at around 6pm. Enjoying the comforts we  freshened up for our dinner. Fell asleep being tiered and ready for our first safari the next morning. Not to forget that the wakeup call was at 4 am .

April 15,

To my surprise we all were up at sharp 4. All of us were going to different zones .  Our group was going to the mukki zone. Kanha is divided in zones namely kanha, mukki, and surri. The gate opened sharp at 5:45am. All of our groups entered different zones. Abhijit kaka’s group accompanied us. Freezing and half awake we all started spotting different birds. Some of them I noted are;


Brain fever

Spotted owlet

Jungle babbler

Red wattled lapwing

Racket tailed drongo

Serpent eagle

Brown cheeked fulvetta

Wood pecker

Cuckoo

Plum headed parakeets

Saw many langurs ; monkeys (the eyes of the jungle) which till the end remained interesting unlike the deers. The baby langurs were the major attraction. The barking deer was a rare scene.
We also spotted many spotted deers and sambhars. Barasingha was also a major sighting.

barking deer

langur with its baby

Exactly after half an hour of our ride we started hearing calls from these deers .  And then at exact 6:45 we spotted the prince! ‘Chotta munna’. With the most Bollywood entry possible,the tiger walked from the trees towards the pathway. We experienced him marking his territory. Huge , built , and gracefull at the same time, he accompanied us for a complete hour before going back to the woods with indeed a Bollywood exit. We had our breakfast in the jungle itself at a meeting central point. Our safari finished  at 10:30. All of us  shared our experiences. Reshma maushi's group had a wonderful sighting of Neelam the tigress. A marvelous experience. Apart from tigers, we also spotted wild dogs aswell. A rare sighting!

chotta munna

Our afternoon safari was at 4pm This time it was Kanha zone. Reading about Mowgli and imagining the jungle stated by Rudyard Kipling was different and actually being in the jungle book itself from where the Sherkhan had emerged is different. This time we were here for our own jungle book. Kanha has a majority of meadows and hills as well. The striking heat this time made it harder to spot tigers as all of them were probably inside the wood enjoying their meals in the shadows. Later in the evening it started to turn gloomy with a bit of rainfall.Peacocks with their beautiful feathers were a fantastic view.

We also experienced a perfect kill by the jackal. So fast, not even more than 3 seconds, but a sight to remember.

We arrived back to our hotel almost half asleep and tired. After freshening up and having a little snack a show was organized for us. A short movie about the famous tigress of Kanha, ‘Lakshmi’.

Amazing experience and a lot of information was learned by us.

We also had an opportunity to experience a clear sky full of stars which is hard to see in cities such days.



April 17

The safari for the next day was filled with a lot of hopes. As we had no luck last time all of us had our fingers crossed to spot the tigers. Kanha having many meadows with tall grass and sal tress..we couldn’t really spot them easily even if they were just in front of our eyes. Especially with the leopards it was very hard to find them. Being a perfect camouflage it tricked us all.

Around 6:50 when all of us had given up on seeing any tigers or leopards we spotted 3 gypsys gathered by a pond surrounded by tall grass. To our surprise we saw a cub of Neelam..which was not as small to be called as a cub was hidden in the grass. One after other many gypsys started gathering there as well. The cub being shy walked back being not seen at all. We were not able to see him for almost an hour ahead.

Something I learned from this experience was ‘patience’. Patience is one of the most important things in the jungle. For eg. If the predator looses his patience the prey is no more in hands,and if the deer has no enough patience to stay in the hide he is dead to the hands of the beast. We in this place had to be patient enough for the tiger to show a better appearance. We decided to have our breakfast and come back to the same spot. Which I think was a wise decision.

Coming back we saw all of the 4 cubs walking back to woods from the meadow.





the cubs going back to the woods



Even though it was a quick sighting, it was worth it.


Coming back to the hotel we all decided to sleep being tired. All of us were ready for our last safari. Hoping the best. But we did not see any tigers for our last safari.

As we were not able to see the big stuff we started focusing on the little stuff. More different birds, tress, fauna, and also a little bit of history to note down in our books.

Even if the luck was not so good for us this time some of our friends did get to see some sightings!

The camouflaged leopards were also seen failing a little this time to trick our friends. A sloth bear also made a striking ramp walk for the viewers at the end.

A perfect birthday gift for Reshma ma’am.

a leopard completely camouflaged 

Coming back to the hotels we decided to celebrate a little. We celebrated the birthday and also had a fun DJ night. Sangeet khurchi and more games were arranged making the environment full of fun and masti. A night to remember.

A morning trek was arranged the next morning. Some of us enjoyed it but most of us decided to sleep late.

And after all it was time to leave. No more wake up calls at 4. And no more tigers! None of us wanted to leave but we had to. We had our train in the evening. But we decided to reach Nagpur a bit early.



The train back home was full of conversations. Nobody was ready to go home but we all had memories and amazing experiences to have for lifetime.

This jungle book of ours is full and complete. Thank you iCampers for this marvelous adventure. Cannot wait for more. Also thank you to all the amazing photographers.

Thank you.

The group. 

Jhalana - Jaipur photologue

If there is tiger in Ranthambhore, there is Leopard in Jhalana! This has been a major plus for Jhalana as unlike anywhere else in the world, you can see leopards so close by.

A decision to start wildlife safari at Jhalana Reserve Forest was taken couple of years back which put leopard sighting at Jhalana on the international circuit of wildlife lovers. Located very close to the bustling city of Jaipur, it is said to be the best site for leopard sighting.

The forests, spread over just 24 sq kms on the east of Jaipur, houses a healthy population of 25 plus leopards that are visible to the tourists from a distance of mere 10-20 feet.

Apart from Leopard, Jhalana has other attractions such as Striped Hyna, Desert Fox, Golden Jackal, Spotted Deer, Sambar deer, Indian Palm Civets etc. This is also a must visit location for bird watchers, birds includes Indian roller, European roller, lagger falcons, Common Kestral, Shikra, Serpent Eagle,  Vultures, Indian Pitta, Dusky Eagle Owl, Spotted Owlet etc.​

First Day, First Show

LK Female

LK - Eye to Eye

Rambo on the top.. Bera like sighting

Jhalana Mei Bera..

Nilgai Male

Juliet and Cleopatra

Cleopatra

B&W Experiments

Stripped Hyena

Mom is behind you!!

Flora family having a drink

Cub with looks!

Lagger falcon

 

Indian Robin

Brainfever

Indian Roller

European Roller

Beyond Jhalana, Jaipur has some superb palaces. Taking their snap in the night is an unique experience.  So in this trip make sure, you have a tripod and wide angle lens along with the telescoping one!!

Albert Hall

Albert Hall - Night Safari

Hawa Mahal

Amer Fort

Jaipur from Nahar Fort

The Leopard's Lair - Kabini (Nagarhole National Park- Camp 31) - Author - Tanmay Gadkari

In the city, you are never alone but might be lonely.

In the jungles, you might be alone but are never lonely…

Words of wisdom from Melghat Tiger Reserve - Amrawati District, Maharashtra

So much is said in so few words; a feeling that only a true nature and wildlife lover can relate to.

For every wildlife enthusiast in India, there are a few ‘Meccas’ that one must visit before they call it a day. Having ventured forth to a number of different places across Central and South India, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, without doubt, is arguably in the Top 5 Must Visit wildlife destinations in our country.

We planned our May-end trip to Kabini well in advance as this is the peak season, with school kids on vacation and the weather just apt for animal sightings. Our much-awaited day came on 27^th May when we set out early at 5 am from Pune for the day-long drive to Mysore, our night halt destination. The drive to Mysore was lovely with nice clear skies and an open road. With Kedar at the wheel of his big red beast, we covered the long 900 km distance within our scheduled time and checked into Tulips Homestay on the outskirts of the city by 7.30pm. The homestay was fantastic, with extremely large and clean rooms, complete with a kitchenette and pantry.

The onward journey to Jungle Lodges & Resorts (JLR) Kabini River Lodge was filled with a lot of excitement, with all of us discussing our past wildlife trips in the car and what we can expect to see here. We reached JLR a little after noon. JLR Kabini is the northern extension of the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. This is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and one of the best locations in India to spot the elusive leopard. The JLR property is located right on the banks of the Kabini River-Reservoir eco-system and was formerly the hunting lodge of the erstwhile Maharajas of the region. Old wooden structures and villas give a very unique old-world charm to the entire property and it has been maintained very well by the staff over the years.

At the reception, we were greeted by the friendly staff of JLR who gave us a detailed itinerary of the next 2 days. This was our second visit to Kabini but for Kedar and his family, it was the first time. The kids were very excited to see the massive stuffed tiger kept at the reception area. The tiger was killed in a territorial fight by another larger male and just gives us a small idea of the strength of these magnificent creatures.

We checked into our tents and then after a short break, headed over the enjoy the sumptuous lunch spread. Post lunch, we geared up for our first safari. Since the water levels were running low, the boat safaris had all been converted to jeep or van rides.

Safari #1 in A-zone began on an eventful note, with a leopard sighting right at the start! The female leopard was resting on a high branch with a spotted deer kill. While we started to capture some snaps of her sleeping, she decided to grace us with her beauty and agility. She got up, and then leapt from one branch to another… too bad we couldn’t capture the leap!

Female Leopard resting after a meal

After starting with such a sighting, it was going to be tough to keep up with the expectations… however, we had some lovely sights of a gaur herd, including a female feeding her calf, a pair of elephants, which included a junior tusker and a pregnant female (Kedar and Pallavi happened to witness the baby bump actually move distinctly even from our distance), a spotted deer stag sharpening its horns and several avian friends including Indian Rollers, Crested Serpent Eagles, Crested Hawk Eagles, woodpeckers and jungle fowl.

Spotted deer stag sharpening its horns on a tree

Feeding time for the young hulk...

Indian Roller (Neelkanth)

Pregnant pachyderm 

Safari #2 the next morning began in B-Zone which offers breath-taking views of the backwaters. Although we had no luck with the big cats of Kabini, we were treated with fantastic sightings of a pair of Stripe-necked Mongoose, a Rudy Mongoose, Malabar Giant Squirrels, Streak-throated woodpeckers and Black-shouldered kites. 

Stripe Necked Mongoose

Streak-throated Woodpecker - a relatively rare sighting

The morning safari ended with incredible sights and snaps of a crested hawk eagle feeding on a garden lizard. The lizard was still alive when we spotted the bird and it was just a brutally vivid sight of nature to see the eagle feed on it in front of our eyes.

Snack Time! CHE with Garden Lizard Kill

Kabini’s backwaters are a sight to behold. This is as close to Utopia as one can imagine… endless rolling plains, large green pastures and an abundance of water (much of it had dried up this time of year) – a tranquil setting made even more spectacular by the sights of several hundred herbivores grazing together. If anyone has to describe a scene from the Jungle Book, this could be it!

Our third safari in the evening showcased exactly this. We were in B—zone again saw large herds of elephants spread across the plains and even a lone tusker quite close to our canter. To add to the drama, the fellow suddenly decided he didn’t like our presence anymore and did a mock charge in the direction of our van. The trumpeting sound and his ears flapping around was an unforgettable sight… although the kids in the vehicle were not so thrilled 😃  We were also were lucky enough to witness another marvel of animal mutation – an albino spotted deer. The herd was grazing near the backwaters and this particular fawn stood out from the crowd.

The calm before the storm... Tusker by the backwaters (notice the deer and peacock in the background)

Albino Spotted Deer

For great lengths of the safari, we often didn’t see much action. However, the forest, in its resplendent green cover was a sight like none other. For us city dwellers, this is a rarity and I actually thought at times if my lungs would keep up with the absolutely unpolluted, oxygen rich air that we were breathing :)

The highlight of this ride, however, was our second leopard sighting. We spotted a few safari vehicles waiting on the main road and waited with them as they had spotted a leopard off the main road. We waited a bit and our patience paid off when the cat was spotted through the branches once it moved. We managed to get a few shots but to our disappointment, it quickly climbed down the tree and vanished. We heard a call or two of spotted deer but there was complete silence thereafter. Most of the vehicles left the spot after about 10 mins but our canter guide insisted we stay on a bit. And did that decision pay off!!!

Shortly after all the other vehicles had left the spot, the magnificent cat jumped right back onto the branch – but it wasn’t alone... our sighting just got a whole lot better when we noticed a spotted deer kill clenched in its jaws. We got going with our cameras instantly and managed to get some fantastic shots despite the long distance. On closer inspection of the photos it was evident that the deer had been killed sometime before as its stomach was torn and its innards were dangling out. It was a gruesome yet awe-inspiring sight to see the cat take its prey up a tree for safe-keeping. The leopard then started eating the deer – a natural history moment for the record-books.

Leopard with Spotted Deer kill...

The Stare...

We started the final day’s morning safari #4 with high hopes of spotting the notorious Blackie! Kabini’s pride and the only melanistic leopard that is spotted in those jungles. We began the journey in A-zone by visiting the leopard’s location from the previous night, and no surprises, he was right there. We could see him clearly behind the branches along with the half-eaten deer but decided to skip ahead in search of Kabini’s tigers. And almost as if our wishes were answered, luck smiled on us again. About 20 mins into the drive, we came across a vehicle waiting a little ahead of the famed Tiger Tank. The guide in that jeep told us that they had seen a tiger in the bushes nearby. We looked a bit more carefully and could see the striped beauty behind a thick bush. A few minutes of patient waiting and we struck gold! Or bright orange in this case! The sub-adult male came out and gave us a lovely look… then walked across the road into the bushes but not before turning back through the trees to give us one last look. 


He was young but that did not stop him from exuding an immense amount of pride and grace that is synonymous with the greatest of the big cats. Before disappearing into the bushes, he seemed to have breakfast on his mind as he contemplated a hunt when he spotted a herd of spotted deer. But they were alert as well and ran away before he could make a move.

The King of Kings

Having witnessed this majestic beast, we thought Kabini had dished out everything it could. But there was more in store…

There is an old maharaja’s hunting lodge in the middle of the forest which is now used as an inspection bungalow by the forest department of Nagarhole TR. Being a midway point of A-zone, the drivers normally make a halt there for a quick bathroom break. We were seated in our vehicle discussing how we had seen a pair of wild dogs at the exact same location last time in December. The very next moment, we saw our driver and guide charging towards the jeep yelling “WILD DOGS! WILD DOG KILL!”. They jumped into the vehicle along with those who were out and we headed down the road. Barely 50 meters from where we were, we spotted the pack. Our pulses still racing, we tried to figure out if they were actually going in for a kill or had killed something already. But they seemed preoccupied in their play. The moment they saw our jeep, they started heading out in the other direction. Our driver made a quick U-turn and headed on the other side of the bushes where we waited for them to emerge. And emerge they did… all 14 of them. We happened to get some fantastic images of the pack playing around, a great insight into their social behaviour of how they bond and maintain their hierarchy. The pack also had an injured dog, limping with an evident wound on his front left leg. While such an injury is normally a death knell for most other solitary predators, living in a cohesive pack obviously meant that this fellow would still have a strong chance of survival. 

Everything is better with a hug!

The pack moved along the bushy area right in front of our jeep and then settled down a few meters ahead. We had more great photo opportunities before the other vehicles got there and spooked the pack. We soon moved along allowing the other jeeps to enjoy the pack. Thus our final safari ended on a high with sightings of all 3 apex predators of the forest in a single ride!

BFFs

We started the nearly 1000 km drive back home post breakfast, leaving JLR with some unforgettable memories and the hope of returning sometime soon, with the hopes of catching a glimpse of the black beauty.

Our forests have something to offer for everyone, and Kabini, more often than not, offers way more than you ever expected…