Nagarahole

The warm sun was beating down hesitantly upon the huge glass windows in office when, Shashi, my Law school classmate called me and invited me to a trip to the Nagarahole National Park.

The 6 of us (Shashi, Singh, Murthy, Basha, Gawa and I), were supposed to leave on Saturday morning and spend that night and the next day in Kalhalla camp cottage. I felt that we would be missing out on any Saturday morning sightings, if we stick to the original plan. I managed to convince everybody to leave on Friday night itself and reach Nagarahole before the gates open.

We had an uneventful trip (Bangalore - Ramanagara - Maddur - Mandya - Srirangapatna - Hinkal deviation – Hunsur - Veeranahosalli gate). We got into the forest at around 6.15. Maintaining an average speed of 20 km, we cruised the misty road... The road was empty and the light was magical, as the morning dawned slowly upon the hallowed environs of the Nagarahole National Park.

Morning magic - Nagarahole

We sighted Warblers, Bulbuls, Kingfishers, Some raptors in the sky, Peacocks, Chital, and Gaurs on the way and with these sightings, our hopes of seeing either an Elephant or a big cat went up. We reached Murkal camp and took the left towards Heggadadevanakote (H.D.Kote). We reached the end of that road with the check post in sight and headed back to Murkal. We hadn’t sighted any pachyderms till now and were feeling slightly disappointed. But there was always the hope that there would one around the next corner (Imagine one not being there with 5000 of them around). We sighted our first elephant in Murkal, albeit, one in a Khedda (More on this chap later).

We passed Murkal and reached the Kalhalla camp and decided to drive around some more before checking in. We got to a deviation further on, one of which goes onto a small Coorgi Village called Karmadu. We took this road and drove till the Karmadu check post. We had a great sighting of a very frisky Malabar Giant Squirrel. We turned back at the check post and drove to the Nagarahole Reception and back to Kalhalla camp to check in.

Kalhalla camp

We reached the Kalhalla camp, only to find out that the rooms promised to us were already booked by somebody else. After hectic conversations with the resident ACF (The person who had promised us the rooms in the first place), it was decided that the other person will get the room after all but, we would be accommodated in an anti-poaching camp. This was heaven sent for us as people rarely get permission to visit such camps. So, this new twist was just terrific and I'm eternally grateful for this kind act of the officer and may his tribe increase.

The ACF decided to send us to the Paaradakada Anti-poaching camp and sent along Kalim Khan, a funny old man with a lot of forest stories in his kitty. We reached the camp after driving through the thick jungle for around 8KMS. The camp was managed by a cheerful lot which included one forest guard, Udesh and three forest watchers, Vinu, Prakash and Gajendra.

Paaradakada Anti-poaching camp

The Lakshmana Tirtha river flows right next to the camp and is a hot spot for the wildlife around there. The camp has a two room building which serves as the main house and a smaller thatched hut, which serves as a kitchen. The forest guard and watchers took us on a small walk, to a water hole. The walk was sheer pleasure and the anticipation of sighting an elephant in those surroundings filled me with sheer terror and also the desperation to see one at the same time. However, we didn't sight anything and came back to the camp and sat around the campfire listening to the watchers. The watchers are tribals, born and bought up in the forest and are a treasure trove of information and stories. Listening to stories about wild animal behavior from these true children of the forest, made the night a memorable one.

Vinu - Child of the Forest

Water hole near the camp

Lakshmana Tirtha river

We got up early next morning and went on a walk to the river bank. While on the way, we passed acres and acres of Bamboo forest destroyed by Elephant herds. Seeing the destruction there, made us realize the sheer strength of these magnificent animals. At the same time, the surroundings scared the s*** out of me. The antique double barrel gun with the guard was not exactly heartening. Anyways, the walk passed uneventfully with only a Monitor Lizard spotted by Gawa.

We got back to the camp, had breakfast and started back towards the Murkal camp. The Sumo was fuller now with the guard and the watchers jumping in. We were rolling along like an asthmatic cow, when all of a sudden; a Tusker loomed right in front. He was a massive giant and was in full musth unknowingly, we had strayed too near this giant and he started moving his bulk towards us... I realized how puny the Tata Sumo was when faced with this behemoth. The driver backed the vehicle slowly and the largest Mammal on earth abruptly turned away. He went back inside the thicket and we moved and passed him and stopped at a safe distance. He came out of the thicket and crossed the road, giving me enough time for these shots.

The Paaradakada Tusker

The Paaradakada Tusker

We drove along after this and went to the Murkal camp for our lunch. We finished it in due course and started home. Before that, we had to feed Jaggery to the camp Elephants. It was Singh's great wish and was carrying the Jaggery with him from H.D. Kote. First, we went to see the Elephant in the Khedda. Kyatha was in there because he had killed his mahout in a fit of rage. He is originally from B.R. Hills and was roaming around there chasing cars and scaring people. The Forest dept. decided to send him here after he killed his mahout and became unmanageable.

We gave him some Jaggery and moved on to feed Somashekara, one more camp elephant. Somashekara is a 39 year old stunner with a pair of very formidable tusks. After he greedily ate enough Jaggery to feed a school, he belched on our faces to convey this thanks and with a faint smell of Jaggery lingering, we left Nagarahole, promising to come back as soon as possible.

Murkal Shekara

Murkal Camp, Murkal Range, Nagarahole National Park.

Was great fun feeding Jaggery to the camp elephant in Murkal... He ate around 40 cubes of it till his mahout stopped the binge .... He burped all over us in the end and we went back home with more than a faint hint of Jaggery.

Shekara, with his eyes firmly fixed on Vinu and the Jaggery in his hand.

Bamboo Pit Viper

Trimeresurus Gramineus - Bamboo Pit Viper

Found this beauty while on a trek to Doddi Betta, a rocky incline with a wind battered watchtower on top. He was coiled up beneath the stairs of the watchtower, lazily digesting a recent meal..

Elephant herd - Masinagudi

Saw this herd on the 6th of July, 2008 at around 5 PM on the Mudumalai checkpost - Masinagudi road. Could count around 16 Elephants in this herd which had 4 very young calves and 2 young juves ... Was a pleasure to watch the elephants as they went about foraging for tidbits in the lush green grass..

The bubaline Demon

Mahishasura
Chamundi Betta - Mysore

Peabloom

This chap was in fine fettle early in the morning. Photographed in Bandipura National Park on the 7th of June 2008.

Agumbe - an Ophidian paradise - Green Vine Snake (Ahaetulla Nasuta)

A very common snake in Agumbe and is often sighted in and around the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station campus. Mittal Gala, the education officer in ARRS found this little beauty while out on her morning walk. It was basking in the early morning sun on a low bush, right next to the station main house. These are some pictures of the same.

Agumbe - an Ophidian paradise - Common Cobra (Naja Naja)

On an undulating stretch of sun baked track, there suddenly shimmered a silver streak .... Lo and behold! A cobra!!! Gowri stopped the jeep and was onto it in a flash ... It was a strikingly beautiful snake in the prime of it's health. These are some pictures of the same experience...

You can see that the snake had shed recently by observing the
piece of shed skin still sticking onto the snake.

A closer look at the symbolic 'V" mark on this snake which
so epitomizes the Cobra.

Malnad Mushrooms

Watered down!!

Honey Valley Part 2 - Kakkabe,Coorg,Karnataka



Cheepekund - Kakkabe,Coorg,Karnataka

Cheepekund - Kakkabe,Coorg,Karnataka

Cobra!!!

These beauties were in the Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysore... These pictures were taken during my photo shoot with my new Nikon N75 (A long way back...)

The paisa Vasool Tusker

Amit Rane, my classmate in the herpetology course and a cool photographer wanted to shoot wild elephants. I made the arrangements and Amit landed in Bangalore with 3 friends of his. Vidya and Ganesh, a wildlifeworshipping couple from Mumbai and Hari, a chennai dude. We boarded the state transport bus to Kutta, where I had booked cottages in a lovely estate called “Chiligiri”.

As our sole intention was to sight wild elephants and to capture the moment for eternity, we hired a jeep and set out to Wayanaad National park and Nagarhole national park. We would drive up and down through each park and get onto every available safari trips into the jungle. We did this for 2 days without sighting a single elephant :((. And imagine this happening in a supreme Biosphere which has the densest population of Indian Elephants in the world !!!!!!!

Our spirits were at their lowest when we were getting back to the cottage on the second day of the trip after yet another unsuccesful sorties on the Nagarhole road. Ane ! Ane ! Our driver suddenly exclaimed and switched off the headlights stopped the jeep. A big black shape with a very noticeable pair of tusks was crossing the road in front of the jeep. But, unfortunately that is all that we could see of him and it was just too dicey to linger there as this felow was just too close and it was very dark. We slowly reversed and got back and an oncoming light showed us the full glory of a tusker. He was big and exuded an Aura of strength. We finally left the king and returned to the cottage with the low spirits ebbing away though disappointed that we could not get it on film.

The next day, we set off early morning and did another unsuccesful beat of the Wayanaad stretch and decided to hit Nagarhole forest. 5 kilometres into the drive, there stood this magnificient specimen of the Elephant race. He was busy eating and did not care to look at us or react in any way. There was a good 15 feet distance between us and we could start photographing him. We were watching every movement of his as the driver said he is a known rogue and very unpredictable. But, he was such a darling and gave us no inkling of his alleged character. He was surely a Paisa Vasool Tusker.

Some of his Pictures have been posted. Check them out.

Agumbe Rainforest Research Station

The king's dashboard


Closeup of the coiled serpent

Gowri talking to the locals after the capture. Notice the bag with the king in it



Tucked away in the heart of the Karnataka western Ghats is a quaint old town called Agumbe. Known to be the second wettest region in India, It is a perenially wet place.

Agumbe is basically a contiguous reserve forest linking the Someshwara wildlife sanctuary and the Kudremukha wildlife sanctuary.
These are patches of the last remaining lowland rainforests in india.

Agumbe is a hotspot for the longest venomous snake in the world, The King Cobra aka Hamadryad. It's latin name being Ophiophagus Hannah ( Literally translating : Snake eating Snake )

The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station is setup by one of the world's leading authority on Crocodiles and Indian reptiles,Romulus Whitaker to conserve this uncommon and endangered giant. Rom caught his first king way back in 1971 in Agumbe and since then has been closely associated with this green heaven.

The station is managed by a cool dude named Gowrishankar, who is the education officer. Gowri is spreading awareness about the importance of conserving this prime predator throughout schools and colleges in the surrounding regions. While not spreading awareness,He is busy rescuing Kings which inadvertently come into houses,plantations and commercial vehicles ;)

Gowri has rescued 36 Kings as of now and each of them have found a safer environment in the deep jungles where they are released.

Gowri has observed the king from close quarters ( In some cases, verrrry close ) and has discovered many interesting aspects about it and has demystified many hyped up facts about this feared snake.

I have been visting this sacred environ for the past two months and finalllllly on my second visit, I fulfilled my lifelong ambition of sighting a wild King Cobra.....

I was with Gowri when we got the news that a King has been found in a Mitsubishi Canter !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .... We rushed down to a town called Someshwara and reached the road where the Canter was parked.We talked to the driver and the cleaner of the vehicle about what happened.

It seems that the driver sighted a huuge King crossing the road and got jittery ( am being kind to the driver ) and stamped on the brake .... The Canter skid and came to a stop in a sort of ditch, The driver and the Cleaner got down to inspect the damage .... Meanwhile, the king crossing the road got confused and decided to hide itself in the bonnet of the Canter ... The cleaner noticed this and called up people who in turn called Gowri ...

Gowri, the dude he is, pulled the snake out of the Canter and bagged it in less than 2 minutes .... By the way, the king was 11 Feet !!!!

Here are some photos of the episode ...

Bare Naked

Kakkabe,Coorg,Karnataka,India

Logger Maximus

Location - Kakkabe,Coorg,Karnataka,India


A sprawling estate tucked away in the lower slopes of Tadiandamol, was on a yearly logging spree ..... An Elephant was called in from Kasargod to help with the activities. The loggers cut the trees and the elephant pulls it down to the road. Sounds simple but it ain't ..... Lot of effort and understanding between the pachyderm and the man is required.

The elephant and the mahout share a special relationship which easily surpasses the "Friend" theory in human society ..... This is a relationship of complete and absolute trust and is nurtured over years and years of co-existance.

These are some shots of both at work .......

Wayanaad Mushies !!!!

Location - Wayanaad National Park,Wayanaad,Kerala,India

Wild Mushrooms in a wild park ......

Whats on your mind ??

Location - Mysore Zoo, Mysore,India

This is the Alpha male known to be a bully ....... There have been instances of him throwing stuff back to the visitors who tease him and famous pics of him havin a puff of the good Ole' ciggarette thrown by visitors ......

But, what is he thinkin abt now ?

Jalapatha

Silent Valley National Park,Kerala,India ........Surely God's own country.

This is one of the myriad waterfalls that dot the national park. This particular one was a treat to the eyes and I could have got some more pics but for the fact that while shooting this, I just happened to glance down and was petrified to see millions of leeches crawling up my legs. End of Story.

H20

The River Kunthi gushing through the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, India.