A Woodcrawler's Journal

Among Slimy & the Slithery

2011-07-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I woodcrawled and this blog seems stuck in a time warp. I've been running around a bit but nothing worth biting into has turned up. This weekend should change things a bit. Bandipur beckons and I'm finished packing though I'm still a good four days away from driving off down that familiar road!

The boredom was killing the blogger in me and I had to do something. Monsoon is not exactly the ideal time to be out woodcrawling but heck, it's better than sitting in my house and going through old pictures.

On the 26th of June, 2011 I told my car to go in any direction it chose, and go off where it thought best. Trust my car to find a place to potter around, and it did! I guess it's woodcrawling instinct seems unaffected by the wet weather. Meenvallam was drowning in the rains so it went further. On the outskirts of Mannarkad the road turns right to Silent Valley National Park and my car, it seemed, had it's plan worked out. It swung right and pointed it's nose to Silent Valley. Odd time, 11.30 AM, because you need to get into the National Park before afternoon but I did not realize that my car had other ideas.

Just before the ghats begins the guard at the forest check post waved me through without even bothering to get out of his chair. That was funny; I remember entering my details the last time I was there, or was that some place else. As the road climbed gently the little cascades started to appear. In Silent Valley water has the right of way. Almost all cascades flow over the road, not under it!

Silent Valley has the most pristine rain forests in this part of the world and I knew then I did not have to be on time! It struck me that I was alone and had the whole day to myself. I did not have to worry if my co-passenger was hungry and squeamish about leeches! Here I was, all alone with my gear in the most beautiful forest at the right time of the year. One creature that I wanted to see and photograph was the Giant wood spider. I was hoping I'd see it this time around. If it had not been for my car, I'd have been staring at my laptop screen all day.

Further up the canopy closed over the road making me feel like I was driving through a green tunnel. Every turn had something interesting and I was out of my car as much as I was in it. Thank God for the weather sealing that only Olympus has!

A lovely little cascade on my left, recessed into the forest that I almost missed it. My car, apparently knew it was there! It stopped. It almost seemed like a scene out of Jurassic Park.

As I walked about I started noticing little things. Small flowers, ferns, creepers, and tiny creatures that I'd never have noticed sitting in a car.
It was like re-learning how beautiful God's creations can be from close up.

About 28 kms from Mukkali (the entrance to Silent Valley National Park is this beautiful waterfall. It is on the right of a hairpin bend and falls almost 50 meters in series of steps. It is impossible to capture its beauty on a single frame unless you are in a helicopter!

The lower half is more violent and falls in more sharper drops than the upper part.

I kept driving, stopping, driving, stopping all the way to the top. By the time I reached Mukkali is was a little after 1.00PM. No scope of a trip into the National Park. I wasn't too keen either. I hadn't packed a lunch when I left home and it was the wrong season for birds here. So after a little discussion with my car we made the U-turn.

On the way down I had the other side of the road to survey so the routine of stop-drive, stop-drive started again. There was this little cascade again with the water running over the road but this time it ran for a considerable distance along the side of the road before spilling onto it. I started walking along the little busy water way. It was only when I sat on my haunches and stared into water I realized how really 'busy' the water was!

Crab; so well camouflaged that I would have missed them if not for their scurrying under the rotting leaf litter.

Others popped up on the rocks waiting for prey but scooted off to their crevices as soon as I stepped in their direction.

Then something caught my eye. A damsel fly laying eggs on the litter in the water. It would fly a bit, alight on a twig or leaf and curl its tail into a circle a pat the tip on whatever it was sitting on.

As I watched fascinated I detected a little wiggly movement in the water. Tiny red worms (?Blood worms). Popping up from the mud and disappearing the minute I touched the water or picked out a floating leaf to get a good view. There were thousands of them and I was wondering how I resisted the temptation to sip a little of that cold water. Providence intervened, perhaps!

Under a rock, protected from the rain and the dripping water was a nest of a paper wasp. They were busy as only wasps and bees could be. I didn't spend too much time in conversation with them. It was not the right time to upset them so I clicked a few pics and walked on.

A strange polka dotted grasshopper was climbing a rotting log. I couldn't get closer and my long lens was in the car but the perspective through the macro lens was more like what the grasshopper would see. An endlessly long climb...

As I had been walking I heard the croaking of frogs but I couldn't find one despite my good eye sight! I could find damsel flies and worms but no bloody frogs. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a 'water droplet' going UP! How could a water droplet defy gravity? There had to be an explanation and I peered closer to inspect this curious phenomenon. The rock face was full of these little creatures, tadpoles with legs and froglets!

I had seen some amazing sights in Silent Valley but nothing to beat what I had seen in the last few hours. I got into my car and started downhill again. When I reached the hairpin bend at the 28th kilometer from Mukkali my car stopped. I had stopped on my way up but my car stopped again. This time I ignored the falls and walked into the wet forest on the opposite side. More ferns and beautiful ground fungi.

As I walked back to the car I looked up into a low hanging branch of a tree hoping to see some bird or some tree fungi. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. There was an alien on the tree, looking at me with eyes at the tip of two stalks. A snail; that I'd never seen before. Half an hour and many photographs later I got into my car, elated. This was a trip like no other.

I had spent a productive day, completely different from my usual jungle trip. No large mammals or birds, just

God's little creations. The three bananas I had for lunch at Mukkali had by then been fully utilized and my stomach was grumbling again! I told my car to head home.

As I rolled downhill again rewinding the sights in my mind I was thinking of getting home to a warm meal. My car stopped again! There; outside my left window was a web and in it's center the object of my desire. A Giant Wood Spider. Rumbling tummy was forgotten, rain was forgotten, the itchy leech bites were forgotten.

I only had eyes for this beauty, Never mind the fact it was missing a leg!

I did not know how I reached home. I only knew that God acts in strange ways. He showed me many fascinating things through the day but he reserved the best for the last.

Faith, they say, moves mountains. The entire Silent Valley moved for me.

Thank you God & thank you Car!!

Hijacked on New Year

2011-05-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

Bandipur in winter is a wonderful place to be in. The weather is perfect; chilly mornings, warm days and cozy nights. The jungle itself is not too green but not too bare either, just the perfect blend of browns & greens.

New Year 2011 was around the corner and what better place to hang out in than in the wilderness. I hate noisy parties and would be a misfit in one. My idea of a good time is spending a quiet evening in the wilderness. Drunken revellry on the streets is totally abhorrent to me. The best noises are not loud music & blaring horns but the soothing tones of the jungle sounds. A cricket here, a night jar there and a barking deer deep in the quite jungle.

My bags are always packed for a trip. All my jungles greens & browns go straight into my duffel once they come back from the laundry. I hate wasting time packing. With age catching up, last minute packing is hazardous because I realize I've forgotten that very important something when I'm half way into the journey!

Of course my photography gear is always ready. I just have to whip it out and start shooting. Back up batteries and storage cards always on standby, not to mention the back up camera too!

As D-day comes closer the mood is exhilarating. It's like being back in school. As the vacation draws closer we count the days & hours to be "out of the gates of....".

My friend the Colonel was also going to be there but we never expected that New Year would be hijacked!

Out of the blue an old school friend popped up. He's been hearing me rave about my trips to Bandipur and suddenly decided that he wanted to see what was so special about this place I haunted. Christmas & New Year is peak season and swinging accomodation at the eleventh hour was impossible. Besides my old friend wanted accomodation for a 'marriage' party!

I had to put my foot down. I offered to sacrifice my cottage so three could be accmommodated but he wanted to take a car load, if not two. I was stumped but I had an ace up my sleeve, my friend the Colonel. A good friend for a crisis like this. Hearing my sad tale he promptly offered me his cottage without batting an eye lid.

I wasn't feeling any more 'accommodative' so I told my hijacker that we'd solved the problem for one car load but everyone else could find their own accomodation. I wasn't just annoyed that my New Year was washed out but also that I had to deprive my good friend, the Colonel, off a holiday he too was looking forward to.

I was resigned to spending New Year at home but little did I realize that the sacrifice was not in vain. Gods are very prompt these day in rewarding or punishing. That is a story by itself and the second part of this tale; about Gowri, the enchantress.

Shackled...

2011-05-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while. Six months, as a matter of fact. Somehow the fingers seem to have lost their suppleness and struggles to find the right keys.

I realize I'm getting rusty so I'm going to exercise my fingers again. It's not that I don't have tales to tell but life has been going through many ups & downs. I know the best way to scramble back to normalcy is to go back to WOODCRAWLING.

Watch this space for Gouri....she'll break the shackles for me.

Embarrassed!

2010-11-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

This is long overdue. Writer's block has been afflicting me often and I'm still not upto it. Of course, I realized if I kept it in abeyance I'd lose the vivid memories I have of this event.

17th April 2010, Bandipur National Park

Summer did not seem to have affected BNP as badly this year as it did the year before. The jungle actually was green, thanks to the intermittent summer showers. I was in the back of the safari vehicle bumping along the track near Yere Katte. The leopard of the 15th evening was still fresh in memory. One large predator was a boon but I did not know the next bonus was right around the corner.

Just after the Yere Katte on there is a track that runs left from Kolkmalli Katte towards Siddarayana Katte. This track is not used by the safari vehicles regularly as the jungle is denser and sightings are difficult. I have particularly fond memories of that road because my first encounter with the dholes of Bandipur happened at that corner way back in 2005. Whenever I pass that junction I always look to see if the pack, the one I saw going off down that track, was coming back! It's a different matter that five years have passed, but the habit remains.

Perhaps instinct or perhaps a stroke of good fortune, Kiran, our driver decided to turn down that track that day. Some 500 meters down I saw a flash of brown. It was two dholes running across this track from our right. Something was happening; the dhole were in a hurry. A kill perhaps, that was what flashed in our mind, especially with the langur giving warning calls from the safety of the canopy.

As we reached the spot where the dogs had crossed we slowed down to peer into the dense undergrowth for signs of a struggle indicating a successful chase for the dhole.

We could hear the yapping of the dhole inside the lantana shrubs and eventually spied the two. They were looking up and hopping onto the trunk of a tree and barking at something above.

What we saw, took all of us by surprise. It was a young leopard, standing precariously on a Y-shaped division on the trunk of the tree.

The dogs were having fun, having chased a larger predator up a tree and trying to dislodge it from its slippery perch!

I have seen predators in their natural settings and they always had an air of superiority over them. Secure in the knowledge that they were on top of the food chain they had nothing to fear except perhaps their own kind. The leopard, after all, was the second largest predator after the tiger, in Bandipur.

This leopard, however, had absolutely no evidence of superiority about it. As a matter of fact it was looking positively embarrassed. Why wouldn't it? It was the bigger creature and there were only two puny dogs to handle. It probably couldn't figure out itself, how it got itself in this rummy situation.

It kept shifting it's position trying to hide its face behind the trunk and at the same time struggling to keep it's balance. There was just enough space in the "V" to keep two paws correctly but the leopard had four, and it would be embarrassing if it fell off the tree into the lantana shrubs below. Imagine getting yourself entangled in a thorny scrub with two excited dogs that were at that point looking very merciless.

Anyway, it wasn't the leopard's day. The dog's weren't all that keen to stop and kept at it for a good ten minutes.

The poor leopard was resolutely hanging on to it's slippery perch. It kept snarling at the dogs below occasionally but that wasn't having any effect on them. They knew that things were in their control.

Eventually they dogs got bored of the game; their playmate wasn't budging so they started wandering off.

They started walking towards the track we were on and turned in the direction of Yere Katte.

Then one of them suddenly appeared to change it's mind and turned back, flopped on the grass and started rolling contentedly.

The other dog too decided it was in no point in abandoning a nice game in a hurry and joined it's mate not ten meters from our vehicle.

The poor leopard on the tree was undecided. It was looking down searching for the dogs but the under-bush was too dense. It could see us but not the pair lying right next to the vehicle.

After some hesitation it probably assumed that the dogs had moved off and decided to take a chance. It gingerly turned on the tree, obviously not wanting to crash down into two annoying dogs lying hidden somewhere below.

Then abruptly it leapt off the tree and disappeared from view. The dog's seemed to have been waiting for this to happen. Even before I could train my camera on them they were off in a flash and the dense lantana swallowed the three protagonists of this drama. We could hear the dogs giving chase again and a little later a violent shaking of a tree some 50 meters further inside drew our attention.

The leopard had managed to escape it's pursuers again and had got into another tree; this time on a narrower but horizontal branch, with it's posterior supported by a smaller one. Certainly less secure but a more comfortable perch than the one before

We knew waiting would be futile and the leopard would not leave the safety of the tree till it was absolutely safe. Besides, the sky was darkening and a downpour was looking a certainty.

When the skies opened up it was a deluge. The three of us in the open back of the safari vehicle got drenched to the skin but for once a bumpy ride in pouring rain was a pleasure. Since there was no point in continuing the safari we returned to the resort an hour earlier but our day was made.

It was a safari like no other before it. Bandipur always rocks. My favourite corner in this world.

PS: This last photo is to show you how high the leopard had climbed up on the tree. Almost 25 feet up, maybe more.

Leopard!

2010-05-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Let's face it. All of us who take the jungle roads have always had this prayer in a small recess in their mind, "God! Show us a Tiger. Please!" I'd be lying if I said I never muttered this prayer ever so often, especially when the signs were strong.

A fresh pug mark,

a remanant of a kill,

a deer's or langur's alarm call; anything could set the heart racing in the anticipation of coming face to face with a predator in it's home turf. In Bandipur, where the tiger was king, I've come across it only once.

The leopard is the second large predator in this part of the world and more elusive. Partly because it hunts in the night and partly because it prefers to lie up on a shady branch during the day. It's therefore less likely to cross paths with a camera totting woodcrawler, or so I thought.

6.15 PM, 15th April, 2010; Bandipur National Park
Skanda's holidays had started and the pull of the jungle had been extreme. Vishu in Kerala is a very important festival; being the New Year in the Malayalam calendar. After the traditional Vishu Kani in the morning we had reached Bandipur. We'd been hearing about "raining tigers & leopards" there and the notice board in front of the restaurant in the resort vouched for that.
The evening safari seemed to be fizzling out into a non-event. We had some 15 minutes to get out of the park gates and the driver thought he'd do one more round to a water hole before calling it a day. The light was fading and summer showers had already started. As we drove forward someone hissed. "Leopard!"

Off to the right, at a dried up salt lick there was a big male sitting. There was no water except some murky slush and he appeared to be contemplating whether to poison himself with it or look for another source to slake his thirst.

He seemed to decide that the rains would bring fresh water, lifted himself off and much to our surprise turned around to walk back towards the road.

Light was fading an the camera was not keeping up. Starting the vehicle would mean scaring the beast and making it turn back in the opposite direction. We decided to stay put and let the leopard do it's bit.

It ambled across unhurriedly, with no concern about a vehicle load of excited humans close by.

When it reached the road, it paused; sprayed on the track to scent mark it's territory and perhaps emphasize to us who the jungle belonged to, before walking past us without even a contemptuous glance.

A tiger is magnificent, but the leopard is no less. If not for the light we could have had better pictures but even bad pictures can't take away the majesty of the creature that walked past us. It's attitude seemed to tell us, "The tiger maybe the King but I'm no less!"

Keep watching this space. The next tale involves two of Bandipur's predators in the same scene!

Dholes - Portraits of a Master Predator

2010-05-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Dholes, the indian wild dogs (cuon alpinus) are one of the three main predators found in Indian jungles. Reportedly rare, due to having been almost driven to extinction they have made a very strong recovery in parts of India. Bandipur & Nagarhole are two national parks where they have made an excellent come back. If they were rare, those days are certainly gone because I've never returned from Bandipur without seeing a pack every time.

They are social animals and always found in packs. Each pack has a lead couple the alpha male & alpha female, with a group of non breeding adults, sub-adults and pups. If God created "team animals", surely the dholes should be numero uno on the list. Not many of their prey come in small sizes and even if they do the dhole may down a small animal only if a sequence of hunts end in failure. Packs may have anything from 6-30 members and feeding everybody will require a subsatntial "hunt"; perhaps a sambar, a large chital or even a gaur.

The largest pack I encountered was a group of some 14 dogs, in February 2009. They were generally lazing around.

They looked like they had fed well. One of them was regurgitating some bone and chewing it again.

Others were content with just dozing, or stretching or just lying around. Unmoved by the vehicle parked a few meters away.

Suddenly ears stood up, hackles were raised and the attention of the pack was drawn by something coming up from further up the track.

Reluctantly they picked themselves up, still staring at the source of their disturbance. And, when finally it arrived we were too shocked to speak!

An woman, alone and on foot, deep inside the national park. The dogs too appeared confused, whether to stand ground or flee.

Then, deciding that the creature marching nonchalantly in their direction was too confusing to gauge, they turned as a group and loped off unhurriedly, up the track. The woman, unmindful of a pack of dangerous predators running ahead continued in their wake.

There was not much we could do but watch her retreating back. Praying that she would not end up as a predator's meal we informed the range office before moving on. Mercifully no report of a human death came out of Bandipur for more than a year. She must have survived her trek in the jungle.

Birds of BRT

2010-04-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Jungle was pulling and I did not get a slot in Bandipur. What else to do but settle for the next best? BRT is not really on top of my list but if you want solitude there is nothing like this place. Tucked away in the Biligiri Rangan hills is a little resort abutting the jungle below. JLR's, K Gudi Wilderness camp. It wasn't my first visit and will not be the last because this is a place to go when you want to get totally cut off from civilization.

No phones. No TV. No electricity (except for a couple of hours of generator power at dawn and around dinner time). If you are someone used to taking electricity for granted this is not the place for you. No way to charge your phone, laptop or camera batteries. However, if you enjoy sitting in the darkness listening to the sound of the jungle in front of you this is the place to be in. If you are not alarmed by frisky wild boar or an occasional leopard or tiger walking past your tent you will enjoy the night but if it's otherwise you'll never sleep!

This time I went for just that. Some time out in the wilderness, undisturbed. Maybe the animals too understood my need. Nothing appeared except wild boars and an occasional gaur. Even the solitary giant squirrel seemed apologetic as it looked down at me from it's lofty perch.

The only thing to remind me that the tiger was around was a pile of steaming scat!

But just to set the tone the place was full of birds. I'm no bird person but for a change my eyes were seeing so many. Orioles, barbets, drongos, hoopoes, flycatchers and leafbird. Even a crested serpent eagle and a brown fish owl.

For the first time I noticed the bright colours of a scarlet minivet......

.....a bird that looked like a blue headed rock thrush....

....and saw a pair of birds I'd never seen before, spur fowl

And on the last safari, the icing on the cake. The jungle owlet, a bird I've always wanted to see but it never consented to appear in front of me anywhere. The feeling was like I'd seen a tiger or a leopard!!

BRT was different this time. Maybe the sign of a new dawn breaking.

Ever been to Africa?

2010-03-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to Africa but I will. I might not climb the Kilimanjaro like my friend Anj did but I'll surely go to see the wildebeest migrate over the Masai Mara.

For the moment there was this preview.

Turquoise Waters & Emerald Isles - an Andaman Adventure

2009-12-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

For a woodcrawler like me the world always has remained GREEN. Everything I saw and loved had a shade of green attached to it. All other colours were just colours. Not worthy of a second glance.

That was till a week ago. My sis and Bro-in-law convinced me that there are more colours in this world beyond the Greens my myopic eyes would see and deposited me in the middle of the Bay of Bengal, on a tiny patch of land called Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

It ensured that my eyes opened to another colour and hordes of new creatures that I would otherwise have never cared to even look at.

Of course, I had no choice but look & stare at BLUE and its shades for the next five days.

The mainland was some 1000 kilometers away across the blue waters and I am not a swimmer. The Bay of Bengal is not exactly the place I'd want to experiment my limited talents in.

So it was Blue, Blue & more non-stop Blue between 19th and 24th December.
To share my experiences just click this Turqoise link

A Writer's Block

2009-12-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

I know mental blocks. Your brain becomes adamant and refuses to co-operate. You become lethargic, the world seems to move around in slow motion and you feel like you are floating in a cloud of distressing haze.....

..but this one stunned me. A Writer's Block.

My brain is still sniggering at my helplessness though it keeps a straight face when I give it my most annoyed look! It knows my finger's won't cooperate till it tells them to.

I have tales to tell; of Bandipur & B.R Hills but the words have dried up. I really don't know whether to knock my head somewhere or simply pull out that annoying lump inside my skull and dunk it in the washing machine.

Obviously, the second option is not an option at all but I'm so flustered I don't mind trying it out. I have a nice sharp machette that would do the trick without much trouble but something has come up now, that I am reconsidering this drastic option.

My sis tells me that the seas off the coast of the Andaman islands are full of rejuvenating life and energy. Perhaps the angle of the sunrays reflecting off the waters of the Bay of Bengal hit the head at a different wave length that it cools the brain rather than cook it!!

So I've accepted her offer to go and grill my brain off the coast of the Andaman's. Maybe when I return, my brain would have learnt a lesson and will allow my finger's to cooperate again.

Watch this space. I'll have lot's of new tales and pictures and it will be different. Blue seas in contrast to my green jungles. Perhaps it will deserve it's own exclusive space here, maybe titled something like "Snorkeling, Island Hopping & Pickling your brain". See you soon......

Scratching Post

2009-09-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is an old tale.

August 2009. My fingers refused to skim over the keyboard and my mind had gone blank. I was afflicted by the writer's block and had been ailing for a few months now. An occasional spark reminded me once in a while that all was not dead. Beneath the ashes were some embers trying to rekindle.

Two months without a whiff of a jungle breeze was getting to us. Skanda's school ensured that we were kept busy and both of us had felt the tug almost at the same time. Onam holidays were just around the corner and it was time to load up the travel gear and roll.

Skanda was adamant this time, that we stay a couple of days longer because we had had a long break from our favourite patch of wilderness, Bandipur. The unusually strong monsoon hadn't abated and we were prepared for a damp experience.

The light drizzle made things worse early in the morning. We were chilled to the bone and were bumping around half asleep. The weather ensured that the denizens of the jungle too weren't too keen to step out and shake the lethargy. That was till we rounded a corner on the Sollikatte road.

Standing undecided between the two roads was this elephant. The drizzle had wet the beast that it was looking dark and dangerous. The caked mud on it's forehead and back suggested an irritated pachyderm trying to get rid of pesky flies and mosquitoes. It looked towards us, lifted a leg, as if to walk down the track we were parked on. Then, better sense prevalied it turned and moved off rapidly in the opposite direction.

It seemed to have a single point agenda for the morning. If you were wet, itchy and cold; what better than a languorous session of scratching. We realized the beast's intention. It was on it's way to a favourite spot in the jungle.

The Scratching Post.

Once it reached it's destination, a tall tree stump devoid of any branches and foliage it got about it's business earnestly.

First the shoulder.

Then the belly.

The itchy butt after that...

.... and finally the tail.

"Oh! What a feeling?", she rumbled and ambled of into the dense lantana.

Reptile luncheon

2009-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

As a rule I have been more fascinated about mammals. Reptiles and bird haven't been sufficiently interesting for me to hold my attention for too long. But then, I had told you earlier, this Bandipur sojourn was different.

I was taking a nap after a heavy lunch, feeling rather like a well fed python. The children, my son and niece were ushered out and conveniently deposited on the hammock outside the cottage. Suddenly I was woken by yells of "Snake, snake", and I heard someone tell that it was in the process of swallowing it's prey. I grabbed my camera and rushed out, not remembering to switch to a longer lens.

There was a crowd below a silver oak, predominantly children, all craning their neck upwards. I too joined the mob and despite the hint of a crick looked upward. My jaw dropped as beheld a scene that I had only seen in pictures. A green vine snake was dangling from a branch with a garden lizard hanging out of its mouth. The head nad neck had already disappeared into the mouth and the rest of the lizard was following fast. I had no time to rush back to get another lens.

I had seen one green vine snake in my mango tree a few years ago. That was too high up and at night. Here was one dangling before my nose and I had almost ruined a golden opportunity. I had no choice but make do with the lens attached to the camera.

What a sequence it was? The lizard disappeared from view centimeter by centimeter........

.... till only the tail was left. The snake lay horizontally on the branch and drew the narrow tail inside like a noodle.

With a final twist like a spring uncoiled the snake moved off up into the tree.
The last of the lizard disappearing from view.

The only evidence of the event was the tell tale bulge just beyond the snake's neck. It would have probably laid up in some crook of a branch digesting it's meal. For the next week the snake would have had no thought of food.

Now. Just think about it. Eat a meal. Rest a week. What a great way to live. If only we could also eat & live like a reptile!!

Of Dholes & a Gaur

2009-06-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

May, in Bandipur, should have been hot. It meant dry grass and sparse undergrowth, which, in turn should mean good wildlife sighting. This May was different. It had been raining regularly all summer and my recent trips had all been under overcast skies.

As I drove into Bandipur I was having a niggling sense of disappointment. The grass was fresh and the lantana was dense. I had promised my sister a trip with a difference and I wasn't sure of it anymore. The upside of it was that forest fires would not happen. Wet weather would douse any enthusiasm a spark might have and that gave me some comfort.

Evening safari started on a dull note. The sky was overcast and stray droplets of an impending storm threatened to ruin our drive into the jungle. My only consolation was that the was that my gear was ready to take on the rain even if I was not. The only thing to do was to sit back a wait for the storm to blow over.

It was close to 6 PM. Light was failing rapidly as we crossed the highway into the eastern side of the park. Bomma braked suddenly because in front of the vehicle, on the left of the road were 8 dhole; pups & adults. Further on was a lone dog, perhaps that alpha male, being filmed from another vehicle. Not wanting to disturb the filming we halted on the track.
Suddenly the pups disappeared into the dense lantana. At first it appeared that it was our presence that disturbed the pack. Then it became apparent that the reason for the disturbance was not us but a huge male gaur.

At first as the bull advanced the dogs held their ground, even making mock attacks.

The bull wasn't deterred. It was intent on crossing over despite the snapping dogs.

He just charged through the pack scattering the dogs before him.

Once he had waded through the pack and reached the jeep track he halted as if to show that he had not run in fear.

After a minute he crossed the track towards the dense lantana bordering the road.

Just before he disappeared into the bush he halted for a moment with his rump towards us, exhibiting a wound just above his tail. Perhaps a legacy of another encounter with a pack like this some place elsewhere at another time.

Truly a majestic beast.

May his tribe increase...........

..... and may he live to fight and survive many more days in this in this paradise called Bandipur.

Tiger!!

2009-06-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Finally I got my tiger.

After years of woodcrawling with an open mind nature relented.

I've been tiger tracking for awhile now and my luck hasn't been anything to write home about.

This May, everything changed. An extraordinary trip on the whole, with a gaur chasing dholes, a snake eating a lizard and the icing on the cake - my first tigress in Bandipur. (Follow the link to join me in tiger tracking)

Elephants in the Mist

2009-05-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while. Vacation actually makes you busy, especially if you are parenting alone! This piece is overdue by three weeks and I always agree when someone tells me, "Better late than never".

Bandipur, in April, is really sweltering. The waterholes are empty, the grass is dry as tinder and fires are not uncommon. The elephants and gaur prefer to migrate to greener pastures in Kabini and Wyanad. It is therefore very nice to go out into the jungle and be enveloped in a pleasant mist in the middle of summer.

Summer showers follow me and when I drove into Bandipur Safari Lodge my friend Gangaswamy was there to greet me. He had a wry smile as he commented, "You got the rain with you again sir?". Then he added, "It's good for tourism, the waterholes will fill up and the grass will sprout again. The elephants and gaur will stay". I was glad he acknowledged my contribution to the tourism industry. If not anything, at least I'd have contributed to a pleasant stay.

So when we went out into the jungle the following morning I was not expecting much by way of wildlife. After all summer was peaking and the herbivores would have migrated. The clouds that followed me was still overhead. I would probably not have to take my camera out this morning. The mist had cut visibilty to less than 50 meters and the light wasn't too good. That was till we came across this herd.

Next to a tree by a salt lick were two ladies. The weather seemed to have affected them too. Looking very unhappy, the only movement was their waving ears.

Then one of them woke up from the stupor hearing the rumble of the jeep's engine. As she realized that we were not moving she became annoyed at the disturbance. She started towards us.

As she came forward she seemed to remember something and halted in mid stride; then she wheeled around and ran off into the trees squealing in protest.

The outstretched trunk was desperately signaling to someone or something hidden in the copse of trees she was running towards.

Almost as if she was telling someone, "Go away! Scram! There's danger here".

Once she reached the cover of the trees she signalled her companion to also return to her side. The companion too appeared disturbed when she realized the reason for the agitation.

Then the real reason for the commotion appeared on the scene. A calf, perhaps a year old and undoubtedly curious. No wonder the adults were going berserk.

It was the turn for another one to take up the charge, and she did. Like others, she too wheeled around at the last minute and returned to the safety of the herd.

Finally, after they realized that we were not budging, wisdom prevailed. The herd gathered together and wandered off into the mist. Mother, aunts, cousins and all.

After all, summer has it's own share of surprises. Bandipur never disappoints. It never has & never will. My favourite pilgrimage spot in the world.

Nature heals: Bandipur Burns - Final Chapter

2009-04-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

It's time for us to circumspect. If nature can heal itself why can't we cure ourselves of our illnesses. No. I don't mean our physical maladies but the mental ones. Perhaps only nature can be so forgiving despite the incorgible nature of man. How else can you explain the change from a scortched landscape to a beautiful green meadow being littered with our wastes?

I'm talking of Gopalaswamy Betta. Late last February, even before summer peaked the scene was desolate. Burnt hillsides as far as eye could see, billowing plumes of smoke in the horizon as forests burnt uncontrollably. Bandipur had been reduced to ashes.

Two months later, 18th April 2009, I was climbing uphill with apprehension. I was not sure what sights would greet my eyes. As the jeep rolled upward we could see the water sources were still dry. The customary elephant herds were missing on the slopes. Then, as we crested the first hill my breath escaped in relief. The colour today was predominantly green!

The earth was putting on a resolute show for man. Little flowers and wild ginger sprouts intermingled with the green to remind us that no matter what, nature will forgive and make up.

Of course the scars still showed in some parts. The dark shades of charred earth and the brown of dead timber were visible in the midst of the newly sprouting green.

"Physician, heal thyself" Luke 4:23 from the Bible is applicable to my fellow professionals. Nature heals herself, but unfortunately her goodness is lost on us. We continue to abuse her by throwing garbage on her, tearing her apart for myopic business interests and burning her up.

Time has come for mankind to realize that patience to has a limit. Nature is turning on us gently, to remind us that she has tolerated this abuse for long. She throws signs in the form of natural calamities that have been increasing in frequency.

It's upto us now to correct our faults, before this Yuga reaches another Apocalyptic end.

"Krishaa nee begane baaro!"

Formula 1 turtle

2009-04-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

Now, who said turtles are slow. I, for once, disagree. Bandipur this April had a surprise in store for me. The Flap-shell turtle. I've seen terrapins & turtles basking in the warm sun many times in BR Hills, Bandipur and elsewhere, but never so close up. Close enough to experience the discomfiture caused by the defensive spray of it's obnoxious secretion.

Safari on that day began in a pall of gloom. The overcast sky was not a good omen. Large mammals would wait for the sun to rise high in the sky. That was till we saw a shiny object lying beside the jeep track. Kiran, our driver, braked and jumped out. "Flap shell turtle", he announced. This was something different. Better than sighting an elephant or gaur. We all jumped off to examine this strange creature.

Ensconed under it's protective shell it was unafraid of us. It just withdrew it's head and appendages deeper inside and lay still. When Mithun, our naturalist tried picking it up it sprayed him in annoyance. That did not prevent everyone from having a feel. After we had had a close look we decided to leave it be, then as an afterthought we thought of putting it back in the water before some vehicle ran over it. So we left it on the edge of the water hole. The events after that unfolded very quickly.

It took a little over a minute to gather courage to peep out of its shell. Bit by bit, the nose, the eyes, and then the whole head came out.

Once it got the bearings the next move took me by surprise. Suddenly the stumpy legs shot out, pressed back against the earth and propelled the disc toward the water. Before I could align the camera, (the pictures speak for themselves), it was off like a missile.

The next three meters were done in three seconds, as my camera's time stamp would tell me. Pushing hard, it fell off the edge of the pond, righted itself and scrambled off again.

Once it hit the water's edge it took under a second to disappear; head, shell, appendages and all.

If it can travel at a meter every second, it would cover some four kilometers in an hour. Not bad for a turtle. Perhaps, the Formula 1 turtle of Bandipur!!

The Vigil

2009-04-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

7.45 AM, 19th, April 2009. Bandipur National Park

The langur troop is feeding & playing on the treetops. All. Except one.

He is the Sentinel & it's his job to keep vigil.

The safety of his troop is his responsibility and frolicking is not on his agenda.

He watches. Resolutely. Unwaveringly.

He knows the price the troop will pay if he relaxes. He watches......

......watches.........

....... and watches.......

...........till the rough clatter of the diesel engine disturbs him. He breaks his vigil to look in our direction.

"It's you!", his mocking expression says it all. "You pesky humans. Why are you always disturbing us? Cant you leave us to ourselves?"

"How I wish I could be so care free like you. Oh! For a few winks of sleep......."

"No! I'm the Sentinel. My duty is to my troop. Go away pesky humans and leave me to my job. I have a family to protect".

And the watchman goes back to his Vigil.

Resolute & determined to protect.

Undeterred by minor intrusions, like pesky humans!

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Chameleon on a Suicide Mission

2009-04-08T20:41:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday was going to be one of those boreing weekends, or so I thought. As I contemplated my camera bag I remembered that the E3 had not been on a trip for a awhile. Siruvani has been an enduring attraction but poor planning always ensured that I never got there. So I thought, why not today? I hadn't anticipated any obstacle but I had underestmated my mother. She wasn't very keen, especially with a suspect ear problem that had the penchant to act up at all the wrong moments.

I loaded my gear into my car and thought I'd take a drive closer to home. There was Kava & Valiya_erie. So off I went to explore the world. As I reached close to my destination my phone rang. It was a friend from Coimbatore inviting me to see some fancy new equipment they were installing. I did not need any other excuse and pointed my car north-east on the NH 47.

After the formalities and a brunch I was wondering what to do with the rest of the day. Siruvani beckoned, but I wasn't sure. Uncharted territory for me and an unpredicatble ear problem, so I decided to explore a straight forward route I was familiar with. The road to Silent Valley National Park through Anaikatti. The drive out of Coimbatore was uneventful as we drove past the Salim Ali Center for Ornithology, some spiritual Ashrams and hamlets, unless of course, a pile of dried elephant dung can be termed interesting. The blue jay was too busy chasing dragonflies to be interested in giving me a pose.

Some fifteen kilometers before Mukkali the dashboard clock told me it was time to return. Disappointed with a half-finished drive I turned around to head back, not anticipating I'd be involved in aborting a certain roadkill.

Just after Anaikatti the road goes parallel to a little rivulet and as it crests ridge the road dips and turns to the right. I saw something green on the edge of the road and slowed down. Then I slammed my brakes and jumped out. It was a chameleon crossing the road.

It was literally on its toes, only the claws touching the hot asphalt, as it verrrrrryy slowwwwly moved toward the center of the road. The situation was alarming. Any moment some speeding vehicle could run it over. I had to head it of.

I went in front of it and shooed it. It just turned further towards the center of the road, gave me a backward stare with its highly mobile eye. It seemed to be asking me,"Who in the hell are you?"

For the next few minutes we were hopping about on hot asphalt. The creature trying to go south across the road and me trying to head it north, off the road. This bizzare dance had it attarct someone and it did. An old lady sitting under a tree waiting for a bus saw the commotion and ambled across to investigate. What she saw must have had her in splits but she kept her composure. Perhaps, pitying me because she would have thought the baking sun must have garbled my brain. Then she saw the cause for my strange behaviour and advised me, "Pachondi saar, pudichukonge" (Chameleon sir, catch it).

I would have, if not for the two kilograms of E3 and lens in my hands. I've always wanted to do a Jeff Corwin and why would I forego a chance.

Then providence decided to intervene in a dramatic fashion. A Tamilnadu State Transport Corporaton bus sped into view as I was doing a jig on the road. Certainly the driver must have seen me and decided I was having a sun-stroke. As he closed in on us I waved frantically to the other side of the road. He swerved to the left, missing the chameleon and me by a few inches, glared at me and sped onward.

I gasped in relief, partly because all the dancing was making me pant, and partly because I noticed the cause of my exertions going off in a hurry; and he was going the other way.

Maybe the mad cap dancing in his way or maybe a few tons of steel & rubber whizzing past his nose. Whatever it was he'd shelved his plan to cross the road and had returned to the safety of the roadside scrub.

As for me, I was tired but proud. I'd prevented a roadkill. Even if it was only an insignificant creature, it still was God's creation.

Rakesh, Soumya & gang would have been proud of me!!

Return of the E3

2009-03-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

The last 6 weeks had been a nightmarish experience. Someone knocked my E3 and broke it's viewfinder glass. I sent it for repairs nearly two months ago and had been waiting ever since.

And what a wait it was. More than six weeks to replace a piece of glass!!

Meanwhile I had to woodcrawl through burning jungles with my old faithful Fuji S9500 & become witness to a nightmare in my own garden.

Now that my tough companion for all seasons is back, it's time to strap up my back pack and start woodcrawling again in the jungles I love so much.

I already missed one opportunity this weekend; my friends are in Bandipur today. I'll make it up the next time.

Watch this space.........................

Mystery of the Missing Chivas

2009-03-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Anonymous (?!) asked me what happened to that confiscated bottle of Chivas.

Now, I dislike whiskey. Desi & Videsi. It tastes YUCK! Besides, after the binge, your family will smell you as get out of the car and exchange meaningful glances. I love my friends and wont give them away to my family!

My poison is vodka. With a "twist" of vanilla or orange. Give me an Absolut any day. (I'll settle for a Smirnoff too if absolutely essential!!) Vodka with a chilly floating in it, a sprinkle of salt on the edge of the glass and three ice cubes; you just can't beat that.

Besides, vodka is a clean drink. It's colourless, odourless & tasteless. Throw anything with it and it will blend invisibly. The best part of all; it "kicks" in slowly and gently. Giving you time to reach home and the comfort of your bed. Then it picks you up and takes you to heaven.

But, I'm digressing, as KA would say. We were solving a problem related to a bottle of Chivas. I'm no detective and best of all I hate whiskey. So you know it did not tickle my palate. I'll let you solve this yourself. Look at that picture, that Vasanth kindly consented to contribute.

Vasanth isn't there because he clicked the picture. From the left; I'm the one with the pink leaflets in my hand. Hidden by me is Mr.M, the official at the check post. To my right are Hari, Soumyajit in the background (and closest to the car incidentally) & Rakesh.

I heard Mr. M confiscated the bottle in dispute. I never saw it. I never went into the office. I never...............

Forget it. You solve it.

By the way, Anonymous isn't a name. Who are you? That's the next mystery!!

It's Raining Mangoes ..... Just moved

2009-03-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's Raining Mangoes moves to it's own space on another branch of my mango tree.

For more juicy mangoes click on the link above!!

Of Aching Ankles & Dodgy Drivers

2009-03-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

Exactly a week ago, to the hour, I was nursing a pair of VERY aching ankles. For a health professional used to being confined to a chair all day the experience was physically draining but mentally rejuvenating. I must confess, I wasn't sure if my ankles would last the drive to Palakkad but Satish's company till Gudalur kept my mind off it at least part of the way.

21st February 2009. A day that will be marked in my life. Literally, because I have developed a nice tan standing in the sun all day. I had only been accepted as a member of KANS and I had an opportunity to do something I always wanted to do. Conservation activity at ground level.

I was part of a small team of volunteers from KANS conducting an awareness in Bandipur. The teams agenda was to educate drivers on safe driving in National Parks. Along with distributing leaflets on the primary objective the volunteers also emphasized the need to avoid smoking, honking, picnicking, drinking, feeding wildlife and playing loud music.

The team was lead by a firebrand Soumyajit & a sober Rakesh. As we left after breakfast, a kilometer in the park we encountered our first set of 'students', three carloads of 40 to 50 year olds. Some were answering nature's call while others were competeing to see who would make more smoke rings. Vasanth, Hari and me got off and requested them to stop smoking and move move on. Most were polite, some gave us queer looks and other told us we were doing a good job but then, they had to stop because someone wanted to pee. I wanted to tell that if a wild dog or an elephant took a fancy they would be peeing into a bed pan the next day. I restrained myself and we repeated our request and moved off as they piled into the cars and started on their journey to Ooty.

A little down the roadway, we met these two gentlemen from Kolakta, looking absolutely lost. They worked in Bangalore and thought a holiday in the wild would do their systems good. They got onto a car and drove off. The car reached Bandipur and when they stopped, NO ROOMS AVAILABLE!! So what does Babu Moshai do? Grab a stick and take a walk in the National Park. It was a good thing we found them before some carnivore decided to try HILSA!

At the check post we were hopping like rabbits. It was hot and dry. Water supply was disappearing fast but old men felt younger in the company of enthusiastic brothers. We stopped more than 800 vehicles at the Kekkenhalla check post. Most were very receptive. Some were downright rude and a one even stopped his car to enquire more about this programme. I felt sad for Soumya, some 30 minutes in the baking sun with two very enthusiastic guys left his nose looking a bit like Ruldoph the reindeer!!

Of course, 800 odd vehicles, you surely will have a chance encounter with "wildlife" of the two legged kind. We spied a car drive past the border and got ready to stop it. Imagine to our amazement when a plastic soft drink bottle flies out of the window barely 50 meters from us. As it is we were hot under the collar, now this got us all steaming, including the sober Rakesh. We stopped the car only to find a sour faced driver with the co-passenger reclining next to him. When we politely requested him to pick up his garbage the co-passenger, who till then was sleeping jumps up, brandishing a bottle of Chivas Regal in our faces and in a slurred voice says, "We have no plastic bottle. Only this". We tried reasoning politely, telling him about a fine stiffer than his drink. Somehow the word got to him, "I've already been fined on the other side" he said and for good measure added "B*****d".

Then things progressed fast, unfortunately for the driver. Mr. M, forest official manning the check post pulled out the ignition key and ordered the driver to pick up his garbage. After some initial reluctance he complied. By then then inebriated guy too was out of the car shouting more fiercely, but Mr.M was made of sterner stuff. He confiscated the remains of the premium scotch, got them to write an apology letter and also pay a fine, I think of Rs.500/-.

Of course the drunk was past the stage of reasoning so he had the last laugh. He threw out the bottle again, not 50 meters after crossing the check post!!

We wound up well past 7 PM, mainly because there was no electricity at the checkpost. The only solar lantern had a panel but no lamp or working battery. We thought we need to do something about it. We left Mr.M and his companiion swatting mosquitos in the dark for a well desreved dinner.

Bandipur burns - Part 3 : The Human Hand

2009-02-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

Nature knows when things go of hand. It might just instinctively react to a situation and forest fires could be nature's way of regaining control. Perhaps, an attempt to preserve precious resources and to make way for a new generation to grow unhindered. The wild growth of lantana in our jungles are a nuisance to both the wildlife and small plants and saplings trying to push it's way towards the nourishing sun.

Maybe fires have a role in the cycle of life, but what if the fires are man made? It goes out of control destroys every bit of life in its path.

There is enough evidence to show that all fires in the Bandipur National Park and contiguous areas are not due to global warming as everyone is fond of saying.

As our team from KANS surveyed the destruction before us we saw a group of six individuals moving out of the forest along the exposed track. Three of them were smoking!!

Further evidence of revelry was seen in the burnt grass. Beer bottles and empty cigarette cartons thrown by callous tourists. Even a condom was present among all that ash!!

A carelessly thrown match or cigarette could be the cause of the fire.

Unless some sort of control in imposed on movement of humans, especially senseless tourists this sort of "accidents" are always a frequent possibility. As a matter of fact , the possibility of such fires becoming more frequent is a reality due to unrestricted promotion of tourism.

Bandipur burns - Part 2 : The view from Gopalswamy Betta

2009-02-27T01:54:00.000-08:00

If you have been to Bandipur, you would have heard of a place called Gopalaswamy Betta. A little hill (1450m above MSL) lying to the north of the National Park. It is famous for a small temple on it's summit. The deity there, Himada Gopalaswamy, gets the first part of his name from the uncannily Himalayan conditions atop the hill. For most of the year the summit is covered by a dense cloud of mist and it showers even when the plains are hot and dry. The entire hillside is covered by a verdant sea of grass with clumps of taller vegetation along the valley's between the hillocks. On a good day you can see the slopes of the Nilgiri hills to your south and beyond Gundlupet in the north.

On February 22nd, 2009 the Betta bore little resemblance to what I was used to. For starters the cap of cloud was missing even as we started the climb up the steep ghat road. The slopes on the left of the road was barren and the herd of elephants that are seen were absent. As we turned right at the first hair pin the green grassy slopes were replaced by blackened ash and scorched shrubs.

Further up the road the picture turned more grim. The slopes on either side of the road was an uniform shade of black interspersed with brown. As far as eye could see the usually verdant green was absent.

The stray sambar deer wasn't there but a half burnt antler. I hope the owner who shed it escaped the inferno.

Things didn't look too good on one side and we were bracing ourselves for the worst as we parked the cars beside the temple. The usual nip in the air that greets everyone on the Betta was absent today. Instead, as we opened the car doors and stepped out, we were enveloped in a suffocating and hot atmosphere.

The temple had it's regular crowd of devotees and soothsayers but we were on a mission and these trivialities were the last thing on our mind.
The western boundary of the temple overlooks the Bandipur National Park, and the Muthanga WLS further west. The sight the we beheld was straight out a horror film, at least to this small group that were present there.

Endless stretches of burnt grassland, and a large plume of smoke from a fresh fire beyond the curve of the hill. At first sight, it was like a volcano erupting. The smoke obscured everything around it.

The usual blame falls on the heat but I'm not sure. As we surveyed the destruction covering more than a 180 degree arc from east to west we saw all the signs that these fires were possibly man made. At least a major contribution was by God's most destructive creation. There is more to follow. Watch this space.....

Bandipur burns - Part 1

2009-02-26T07:47:00.001-08:00

This trip to Bandipur was meant to create awareness among our wild drivers about how we need to make room for the other creatures that share the world with us but are forced to live in an increasingly shrinking 'home'. The 5th Road Kill Awareness Campaign at Bandipur organized by the Kenneth Anderson Nature Society was my reason for driving down. I returned shaken.
The drive across the border gave me an inkling of what was in store but the "Live Action" left me shell shocked; and I'm still recovering.

The evening safari into Bandipur drew unprecedented reactions. I for one was not interested in my usual wildlife pictures (in any case my E3 was on a sabbatical). Through the smoke and haze I was witness to leaping flames consume the vegetation.

The flames were literally leaping up and consuming everything it could reach. So much so, that it did not spare even an isolated branch 20 feet off the ground.

As the jeep made the painful journey the entire forest suddenly took a strange tint. The sun was obscured by the smoke and the road, vegetation and the sky took on a brownish orange colour. My fellow traveller, an old lady, dropped her mask. "Is it safe to go any further", she enquired. "Anyway, we won't see much of wildlife with all this fire around".

I wanted to tell her that the wildlife & vegetation were more precious than her EOS MkII and 300mm lens but I just restrained myself.

Burning Forests & Charred slopes

2009-02-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

I have seen forest fires before but this left me shaken. Perhaps, because I was in the midst of the flames and acrid smoke this time.

My favourite patch of real estate was a mass of charred vegetation. I was already primed for evidence of destruction by the newspaper reports that I had been seeing in the past week.

When I drove through Mudumalai I could see the ferocity of the fire on either side of the road and on the southern side of the Moyar the forests were still burning. The heat was singularly oppressive and it seemed magnified by the lack of green that characterizes a teeming jungle.

As I drove past the Kekkanhalla checkpost into Bandipur my heart sank at the sights on either sides of the road. Hillocks with all the vegetation wiped out greeted me. The floor of the forest was covered in a macabre shade of black and grey, with small patches still smoking from the embers beneath.

Bandipur was burning, and I was there. Seeing the mayhem first hand and only able to watch helplessly.

We blame global warming but evidence points to the hand of homo sapiens. Read on ..........

Redrawing the line between Myth & Reality

2009-02-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

“Kreegah! Tarzan bundolo”

With a blood curdling scream, a sinewy, half – naked man brandishing a shiny hunting knife drops down from the dense forest canopy above. The unwary creature that has the misfortune of facing this apparition would probably be too shocked to react or resist.

To the uninitiated, it means “Beware! Tarzan kills!” and it is uttered in the language of the great apes by Tarzan, alias John Clayton,Lord Greystroke. He was a creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs and perhaps, to me, the first introduction to the jungles and its denizens. With Tarzan, there was Tantor the elephant, Numa the lion, Histah the python and many more. Bolgani, the great apes, responsible for Tarzan’s development from an English orphan to the Lord of the jungle, were a species of mythical primates not describes in any book of natural history.

This introduction to the jungles started at an age when the line between myth and reality was too thin to understand and I worshiped Tarzan as a hero; to such an extent that I carved a hunting knife out of wood, stuck it in my waist band and went about climbing trees!

Tarzan was the first conservationist I came across in my life. He killed to eat or in self defence. No trophy adorned his tree top house though game was plentiful in the dense jungles he lived in.

Years later, in my school, I discovered Kenneth Anderson and the real jungles. They were much closer and their denizens lived in a real world. I learned to differentiate myth from reality from thereon.

Tarzan and Kenneth Anderson were similar in many ways. They treated the jungles and its denizens with reverence. They killed only when an animal was a nuisance or for the pot.

They also taught me the fundamentals of jungle craft. I learnt that an elephant had to be approached from downwind because they had a great sense of smell though they were short sighted; that an animal could be followed in dense jungles by following broken grass or boughs.

It is irrelevant here that I never really got to use those lessons it real life but I was proud of the knowledge I owned.

Reincarnation of Kenneth Anderson - Part 2

2009-02-15T04:27:00.000-08:00

A few years ago a leading publishing house brought out two Omnibus editions of Kenneth Anderson's books. Each volume was a compilation of three books.

Volume I :

Tales from the Indian Jungles
Man-eaters and Jungle Killers
The Call of the Man-eater

Volume II:

The Black Panther of Sivanipalli
The Tiger Roars
Jungles Long Ago

He wrote eight, but why two of his other books were not included is a mystery. His first book published in 1954 "Nine Man-eaters and One Rogue" and "This is the Jungle"

The Omnibus editions fail on two counts. First, it does not include the maps and pictures found in the original publications. Second, the errors are numerous. Maybe the proof reader was not a fan of either Kenneth Anderson or wildlife. However, for anyone who hasn't had a chance to discover Kenneth Anderson earlier they make a riveting set of books.

Perhaps I should thank the publishers for their effort for introducing this master story teller to a new generation. I say this because even Google fails to throw up enough material on Kenneth Anderson.

However for those interested in the originals, you can download two of them (Nine Man-eaters and One Rogue & The Black panther of Sivanipalli) from the Internet Archive

Happy reading

Reincarnation of Kenneth Anderson - Part 1

2009-02-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

To the lovers of India's diverse wildlife two names will remain deeply etched in conservation history. That of Jim Corbett and Kenneth Anderson (any comparisons of the two would be improper). The former, perhaps, had a more universal following because if his international footprint but it is the latter who always remains close to my heart.

I first met Mr. Anderson sometime in the late 1970s. Well? His ghost, you may say, because he left the world and wild he loved so much in 1974. BPS, my school in the Nilgiris, boasted of what then was considered the 'best school library' in the Blue Mountains. Among the books and journals that adorned it's shelves were the National Geographic Journal, The Time Magazine, Newsweek and many others unseen in high school libraries. Between these prominent publications, nestled in a corner of the non-fiction section was a shelf full of books on shikar stories. Kenneth Anderson's books demanded my immediate attention because the events he described occurred close to where
I sat reading them.

Perhaps it was his ghost, that I have forever been haunted by his descriptions of the jungle. Descriptions so vivid, that they remained an enduring mystery I wanted to experience sometime in my life. Those wild jungles lived on in a recess in my mind during my undergrad and PG years but never really went away. Even as I chose my profession as an ophthalmologist I carried along the passion for India's jungles, dreaming that some day would come that I could contribute to preserving them.

For that, I thank Mr. Anderson. He kept the embers glowing with just enough light that it never distracted me from my education.

Now that I'm a professional, and reasonably well settled in life, I find that the time has come to retrace my steps to my school library. I need to pick up the threads and start "GHOOMING" in the jungles again!

(Picture courtesy: Black Panther of Sivanipalli, George Allen & Unwin Ltd 1959)

Resurrection

2009-01-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

Life's ups & downs tend to leave a vacuum occasionally. Perhaps that vacuum was responsible for that stupor I have been experiencing lately.

That might just be true considering the fact that between the last post and this I had added to my photography gear. Looking at the world through the viewfinder on a DSLR instead of the LCD screen that we are all so used to takes a bit of re-adjustment, but the pleasure is for all to see.

I needed to shake of the stupor and start where I left off.

So where else to start, but Bandipur.

Here I am.

A resurrection.

Of Damp fur & Dripping feathers

2008-03-30T04:11:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I traveled the blogger's trial, and inspiration always comes from my favourite pilgrimage spot - the jungles; or so I thought.

When dark clouds gather, it speaks of impending downpour and we all go in search of a little sunshine. Call it mid-life crisis or cross roads of life, it demands a little space for yourself and some time to ruminate on the events of life alone. A pilgrimage was due and I was going to take it.

Some three days of unexpected rain with no sight of blue sky overhead I thought the jungles would bring some sunshine into my gloomy days so I packed my bags and fueled up my car to hole up in Bandipur. Just to be sure, I called up my old friend Gangaswamy. He was on safari in the jungle but his assistant assured me that there was no speck in the sky that foretold any rain. Phew! What a relief, I thought, as I dumped my bags into the boot of my car and started off.

The first inkling that things were not going to be all that sunny came as I crossed Satyamangalam and started climbing the Dimbam ghats. The grey clouds, it seemed, was stuck to the bumper of my car and following me as I drove uphill. 150 kilometers and there was no let up in the rain.

I stopped, as I always do, at "MONKEY CROSSING" but none of my old friends, bonnet macaques, were around to greet me. I popped out to take a quick pic and started off apprehensively.

Farther up the road I found them sitting on the parapet wall, huddled together miserably in the cold. The young ones clinging onto their mothers for warmth and the adults, perhaps praying for a ray of sunshine. The usual enthusiasm they display when a vehicle slowed was absent, so I guess they had been getting drenched for hours.

250 kilometers; Gundlupet behind me and less than 10 kilometers separating my from an old hide out, the rain was still following me. As I turned into the resort on the edge of Bandipur National Park my old friend Gangaswamy was in his office. "What sir, you always seem to have the rain following you?" , he greeted me. It was not meant to be a chide but it pricked.

The overcast sky reflected my mood. I knew this trip would be a wash out. I felt like that wet vulture just then. All predators would be holed up and a deserted kill from which he could forage for scarps would be delayed till the rain let up!!

Why the vulture was looking so miserable is another story.

Off season in Bandipur

2007-04-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

If you are a genuine lover of wildlife there really is no 'off-season'.

Wildlife need food and water to survive and they migrate to areas that offer them sufficient quantities of both.

Bandipur in March, April & May can be disappointing if you go only to see the tiger, elephant and gaur. The first is a rarity even if the season is right, you know that royalty has passed when you see their pugmarks overlaid on the dusty jeep track. I

It can even be more disappointing when you realize that while you spent a good twenty minutes waiting for that elephant to cross the road, this regal cat had a just come to the water hole a few hundred yards ahead, drank its fill and gone back into the shrub to lie up, perhaps beside its kill. We could hear it cough intermittently just about ten or twenty meters beside the road, in the thick lantana.

This is for the uninitiated. There are, if you know the secrets of the wilderness like my four year old, many other things that make the drive in the jungle interesting. He spotted a pair of striped neck mongoose foraging beside a waterhole.

A little further up the road he hissed, "Serpent eagle" and sure enough there was one on a low branch surveying us with its beady eyes. The driver was impressed.

Others followed; a changable hawk eagle, a graceful peacock, a hoopoe and many more that my son will soon learn to identify better than me.

Gangaswamy - version 2.07

2007-03-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

An old boss of mine used to say that nothing was constant but change. It's inevitable.

I've known Gangaswamy for a few years now and I have a mental picture that had hardly changed in about half a dozen years. Suddenly, in 2007, I sense that the inevitable is taking place.

He has been an ebullient character. You hear him before you see him and it had been like that from the first time we encountered him in K Gudi, and then later at Bhadra. This time it was different. He's been shunted to Bandipur now and he seemed unusually subdued.

He always had something to tell you; about the jungle , the wildlife, his subordinates, the resort and anything under the sun. He was irrepressible when he had had a bit of some 'mood elevators' inside.

So when I found him draped on a chair with the earphones plugged in place and listening to music it was unusual. Out of courtesy he switched off the music and offered me a seat. "The season is dull, Sir. This Cauvery issue is not good for the tourist industry." I had been warned about agitating farmers blocking roads and stoning vehicles but the route I chose seemed to have no trouble makers. He was lamenting that fact that his resort that boasted 60% occupancy even on weekdays did not have 50% even on the weekend. I clucked in agreement but did not volunteer to add to the conversation.

"You know about the routine here. I needn't tell you anything", he seemed almost regretful. "Even the wildlife seem to share the mood , Sir" , he added. "There has hardly been any sighting for some time now".

I wasn't expecting anything significant. I had made this trip to appease my son. Summer was building and most waterholes were already dry. The grass was dry and prone to catching fire quickly. The big two, gaur and elephants, were migrating to Nagarhole rather than risk hanging around. The Kabini reservoir would see the largest assembly of the Asian elephants on it's banks in summer.

As a matter of fact we had just encountered a large bull gaur feeding beside the highway on our way to Bandipur. He was too engrossed in the leaves he was munching to be bothered by the traffic passing by.

We were prepared for a disappointing trip but in the end it wasn't all that bad. More of that later.

Woodcrawling in Chinnar

2006-10-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

All you avid trekker's out there, you've got a lifetime fan. The wrong side of 40 and generous padding is not a ideal "trekker". However, whatever my defects, I'm hooked. I guess some eight kilometers in three hours through prickly pear and acacia thorns is passing grade for a novice trekker!!

I thought woodcrawling was all about trundling around in four-wheel drives and I felt that trekkers were too busy looking underfoot to notice the passing countryside. All that changed between 11.30 AM and 2.30 PM on 22/10/2006.

I had been to Munnar last weekend with a faint hope of catching a glimpse of the elusive Kurinji. I had returned disappointed because of the crowd. On my way back through Chinnar WLS on the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border between Udumalpet & Munnar, I realized I was passing through a "Restore Point" for life.

The most brillant thing about it is that you don't have to go through the tedious process of 'booking' a trek at a far away Conservator / Wildlife warden's office. You can just simply drive down to the check post at the border, fill out an entry form, hire your guide and Bingo!! You are off on a wonderful journey through an interesting piece of wilderness.

Three hours alone (except for the guide) and on foot in the wilderness and you feel you are a part of the environment. You can touch, feel, and savour the same things that the creatures that share the wilderness. It is an out of the world experience, or should I re-phrase it; an out of the jeep experience!!

I'm putting all my experiences in a seperate blog "The Chinnar Chronicle"

BR Hills - A tale of a Tyre

2006-09-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

BRT rarely disappoints visitors but then every once in a while an occasion comes along that you wont forget in a hurry.

Monday, 4th September 2006; 6.40 PM. It had been raining and the atmosphere was heavy. The animals had gone deeper and none were in the mood to grant an audience. My fourth visit to BRT was proving to be a damp squib literally.

Chital were there in numbers but even the usually plentiful gaur gave only guest appearances. As for the elephants, they had all left to Mysore for the Dussera festival or so Sudeesh and Nagesh felt! The light had already faded at 5.00 PM and I packed my camera fearing the weather. We had all drifting into a disappointed silence at the trick BRT had played with us.

The jeep was climbing up the slope past the turnoff to Annekere when we were jolted out of our reverie by a loud pop, almost like an air rifle had gone off. We had a puncture. Suddenly we were all awake. 6.40 PM was not an ideal time for a puncture, especially on an incline in a jungle famous for its gaurs, elephants and sloth bears. Mercifully, the rain god was not in a punishing mood.

We had to get off the vehicle in the dark so that the tyre could be changed and suddenly the idea of encountering an elephant or sloth bear became very unwelcome. The rustling of bushes along the track became unusually louder, and that barking deer calling from somewhere in the bush seemed to be sending us a message. It had become totally dark and it made the shadows play tricks on the mind.

Those ten minutes it took Nagesh to change the tyre were endless. There was a four year old, a five year old, and a wisecracking teen who wanted to know just then what snakes were there in BRT. We did not know the resort staff planned to screen a Nat Geo special on Rom Whittaker and King cobras for us after the safari!!

Why I carried a flashlight and a head light on that particular trip I don’t know but they came in handy. I had never ever carried a flashlight on a safari before.

BRT did not disappoint. It just showed us a different face of the jungle.

KGudi - Gaur's own country

2006-09-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Nestled on the slopes of the Biligirirangan hills of Chamarajanagar, Karnataka is a little known destination for ardent wildlifers. It is not for nothing that this 540 square kilometer sanctuary is called the "Gaur's own country". Formerly the hunting preserve of the erstwhile rulers of Mysore, it is one of Karnataka's best kept secrets.

Located at an altitude of 1700 metres the sanctuary is at the bifurcation of the Western & Eastern Ghats. This unique location gives it the benefit of a salubrious climate. The tempratures averaging between 35 to 15 degrees. It is home to over 25 species of mammals nad 240 species of birds making it a paradise for wildlifers.

The sanctuary can be accessed either from Chamrajnagar (28kms) or Yellandur (20 kms) depending on where you are coming from. The K Gudi Wilderness Camp is located next to the check post on top of the ghat road from Chamrajnagar.

Callous tourism

2006-08-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

My visits to the jungles are pilgrimages and like an other devout pilgrim I get annoyed when I see things that should not happen. This weekend in Bandipur was a bit of a shock. Shruthi noticed a hobbling chital doe and we were very upset by what we saw.

The poor creature had a hoof entangled in an empty ice-cream container, obviously thrown by a callous tourist. The animal was in obvious discomfort because it was nuzzling the hoof and shaking it every few steps. The offending piece of plastic wouldn't budge.

My four year old Skanda made a profound observation. He said that a tiger would get the doe because it could not move fast. Whether the doe's fate lies in some carnivore's hunting plan we'll never know but I hope and pray otherwise.

Why should we promote tourism in sensitive areas when most of us are so insensitive? We put up boards banning plastic in national parks but allow its sale without proper monitoring. Who is resposible; the careless tourist, the callous vendor or the caretakers of India's forests?

Of Pilgrimages

2006-05-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

Pilgrimage, to most of us means worship. It is a journey undertaken to clease your mind and body. It is a journey to clear the cobwebs in the mind and the stiffness in your muscles by just relaxing in harmony with anything that helps us rejuvenate without effort.

Life becomes monotonous after some time. It is measured by the time and we are slaves to the routine. Therefore every once in a while we need a pilgrimage to remind us that life can also have it's brighter moments.

If I ever consider a pilgriamage, let me assure you, there are no two places in the world I will consider more "tranquilizing" than Corbett & Bandipur National parks.

A Season of Laburnums

2006-04-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

It's holiday season. Examinations are over and time to go on a long holiday. In many parts of India New Year is just come and with that a riot of colours. Just like the colours of Holi, spring dabs the world in a myriad of colours. Every tree and plant competes with each other to display its brightest blossom and this is the season for Laburnum.

This tree is draped in yellow blossoms from mid-March to mid-April and is special in Kerala. The flowers are a part of Vishu, Kerala's New Year. Dawn on New Years day in Kerala households have a tradition where we open our eyes to all things nice. The yellow laburnum has the exclusive privilege to be the "flower of the New Year".

The yellow flowers hang in pendulous racemes about 10-30 cm long, and have earned it the nick name of golden-chain tree. However, this is a part I did not know. All parts of the plant are poisonous and can be sometimes lethal. Symptoms of Laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils. In some cases, diarrhoea is very severe and at times the convulsions are markedly tetanic.

Despite its lethal nature it is a popular garden plant and is a sight to behold when in full bloom.

Do jellyfish sting?

2006-02-25T23:24:00.000-08:00

When I first saw them I did not realize that I had had the privilege of being granted a rare ‘vision’ of one of nature’s curiosities – the freshwater jelly fish. I did not know that they were such rarities that made an appearance in the same spot only once in many years.

These curious creatures may not invite a second look from most of us unless we knew how rare they are. I realized it only because I dug for more information regarding the “danger” they pose to unwitting swimmers. I have always held that jellyfish can give a very painful sting. In the process I found a lot more about these rare creatures.

The freshwater "jellyfish" is not a true jellyfish and differ slightly from the true marine jellyfish. Craspedacusta sowerbii (kras-ped-uh-kus-tuh) is the scientific name of this freshwater "jellyfish". One obvious difference is that unlike marine jellyfish, C. sowerbii has a structure call a velum on the ventral surface. This thin, shelf-like membranous structure extends inward from the circular edge (ring canal) of the bell. The manubrium, which ends in a mouth, extends down through a hole in the velum. The velum helps set C. sowerbii apart from the true jellyfish. However, because it looks like a jellyfish, we call it a jellyfish! C. sowerbii belongs to the class Hydrozoa which includes the more common hydra.

These jellyfish are about 2 to 3 cm when fully grown. They are translucent, umbrella shaped and have a whorl of string-like tentacles around their circular edge. The tentacles contain hundreds of special cells stinging cells, called cnidocytes. This mechanism is designed for feeding, as the cnidocytes are utilized to paralyze and capture macroinvertebrates and even small fish. However, there is no "hard" evidence that these organisms can penetrate human skin. Freshwater jellyfish eat tiny, microscopic animals called zooplankton that are found suspended throughout the water.

Freshwater jellyfish are most often found in calm, freshwater lakes, and reservoirs. They can also be found in recreational fishing and boating areas. The jellyfish prefer standing water and so are generally not seen in fast flowing streams or rivers. They are found floating or swimming just below the surface of the water and is visible to the naked eye. They often surface in large numbers called "blooms".

This was in Bhadra reservoir, Lakkavalli, Chikamagalur district, in Karnataka, India. I’ll be glad if anyone tells if they had such a sighting in elsewhere in India.

Gangaswamy and the Tale of two Resorts - Part 2

2006-02-22T08:04:00.001-08:00

Come February, its celebration for yours truly. The wedding anniversary is an excuse for spending time with two people who make life meaningful, my wife and son, Shruthi and Skanda. We decided to go on the quest for Gangaswamy. It’s a long drive from Palakkad through Mysore and Chikmagalur but it was worth it. Gangaswamy was there!

The resort is located on the east bank of the Bhadra reservoir on a small hillock overlooking the expansive body of water. They have ten cottages now. I decline to call them log huts. Unlike BRT this is a predominantly cement and concrete structure with electricity and hot water. Of course no TV, thank God.

If you are looking for wildlife you will be disappointed. It’s not to say that wildlife is absent, we saw fresh tiger pugmarks. This patch of green is part of the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and has not been developed with the tourist in mind. The jungle is dense with the undergrowth predominated by bamboo. Wildlife is invisible. The trees here are more massive and so good light for photography is a premium.

The ‘tourist’ zone has few waterholes, probably because of the reservoir close by. The salt licks are just being developed and animals need to learn that they are supposed to congregate there to entertain the two-legged visitors. You have a better chance to spot wildlife on the boat trip in the evening. Even the crocs come to bask then.

If you like water and don’t fear its murky depths you have plenty to do. You can go kayaking, water-trampolining or simply swimming around. It’s a different issue that my son’s initial enthusiasm got dampened after a soak in the cold water!

Then there was Gangaswamy. You don’t need TV or music. If he likes you he can overwhelm you with his non-stop flow of words. Athirapally or Shivasamudram will be some minor cascades! He can keep you entertained all day. One unique characteristic is that he is very effusive in his ‘encouragement’ of his subordinates. He has them jumping. You can see the difference in BRT after his departure. He told me some forest land was being put on offer in Bhadra. Maybe I should consider it. Bhadra seems to be a place where Woodcrawlers can retire to!

Gangaswamy and the Tale of two Resorts - Part 1

2006-02-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

PART - 1

Gangaswamy is an enigma. Love him or hate him he has this habit of permeating the environment he is in. He comes out either as an obnoxious personality or someone down-to-earth. I first encountered him in 2001 as a part of my New Year celebration. He was the Resort-in-charge at BRT Camp of JLR then. This resort was the not very well known and was a perfect getaway. I believe Gangaswamy has had a large role to play in its development. More of that later but may his tribe increase.

Christmas of 2005 saw us on our second visit to BRT camp (Biligiri Ranganbetta, for the uninitiated). A little known hilltop jungle till recently, it has some of the richest density of wildlife mainly gaur and elephants. We were on our second visit and were looking forward to another amusing adventure with Gangaswamy. However, when we got there, no Gangaswamy. Poor man was shunted some 400 kms north to ‘develop’ JLR’s new resort at Bhadra.

BRT, to me ranks third after Nagarhole and Bandipur for wildlife. If you are not obsessed with the tiger and will manage with an occasional bear or leopard, this is the place to be in. They have some excellent tented accommodation and log huts. No electricity, No TV, and 100% peace of mind. The present incumbent Sourav unlike Gangaswamy is an introvert and prefers to spend time listening to music. He takes time to warm up and speaks only when spoken to. You almost never realize he is around.

Forty eight hours saw us sighting sloth bears, barking deer, gaur, elephants and countless deer. No tiger, no leopard. We are getting used to that. In any case we were there to soak the atmosphere and make new friends. When it was time to go I thought the trip was incomplete without Gangaswamy.

BRT seemed less lively without him and therein lies the reason for a trip 400 km northward......................