Bandipur Tiger Reserve or National park is nestled at the foot of the Blue Mountains, the common name for the Nilgiris, and spreads over 880 sq km.
There is a wide range of vegetation: scrub forest, dry and moist deciduous forests, so home to a variety of animals. Bandipur is one of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in India, with the highest density of Indian tigers and 1/5th of the world’s Asiatic elephants. Other animals found here are gaur, sambar, chital, wild boar, wild dog and leopard. Langurs (a species of monkeys), swinging from the branches, are very common!
As I mentioned in the last post, we stayed at the Jungle Lodges resort, and part of the program is jeep safaris into the jungle twice a day, accompanied by trained naturalists. We chose an open jeep, but the top had to be covered because of the rain. However, it lashed against the sides, and very soon I was pretty much drenched! This was repeated the next morning, but well worth it! It was an incredible experience, thanks to Basavanna (the naturalist I referred to in the last post)who drove the jeep.
The dirt roads through the forest are winding, very rocky and narrow, and one can just admire the skill of the drivers, who also have to drive without lights (so as not to disturb the animals) in the pitch darkness. In some parts, it is pretty dark even during the day! Unfortunately, our safari was on a wet, gloomy day, as you can see from the rain spattered photos, as dark as the woods!
Chital or spotted deer can be seen in large numbers; we saw them in the evening, and then again the next morning, amidst the constant drizzle and mist.
The gaur, sometimes called the Indian bison, was massive, but it moved with amazing speed. Another one, seen later in the evening, seemed annoyed at the attention, and for a moment, we thought it was going to give the charge. One wonders how the animals feel, being pursued by jeep loads of curious and persistent visitors, armed with sophisticated (and some,like me, with basic) cameras and other equipment!
Suddenly, we spotted a pair of sloth bear, the only bear found in South India. Next, we came across a couple of beautiful, red Asiatic wild dogs (Dhole). The highlight of the sightings was a sleek leopard gracefully sauntering across the bushes, its magnificent coat acting as a camouflage. Unfortunately, the fading light and speed of the animal's movements prevented us from clicking any photos. Hopefully next time! It must be mentioned that we were able to see such rare animals largely due to Basavanna's enthusiasm and efforts.
There are also over 300 species of birds, seen specially in the early morning. The next morning, we spotted many of them, again thanks to Basavana, who drove into the most likely habitats, and also told us about the birds. A more interested and knowlegeable naturalist is hard to find. The photo of the peacock perched majestically on the tree in the center does not do justice to its gorgeous plumage--but it was too far off, and the light was poor. Finally, the lone cormorant keeping a watchful eye from its perch in the center of the dam.
The magic of the forests has to be felt to be believed.......
