Mistifying Masinagudi

Its Saturday again..., I had promised my wife that I will drop her at her home today. She had her things packed and asked me to pick her up  in the afternoon. I was idling around with the latest issue of Better Photography when Mohan called. Even before I answered the phone I knew what he was going to ask: a wilderness trip, what else?! Last several weekends he had called and I couldn't say yes, for various reasons. Its Saturday and we will be having only a single day on our hands for this trip. More often than not, our well thought-out plans  seem to vanish into thin air once we get in to the car and get going. If we  agree on going, only by Monday I can hope of touching Kerala soil again. Yes, as it often occurs to me, my decision was spontaneous and I said Yes!

            Anyways, I haven't got enough chances of trying out my new cam, a Nikon D80 digital SLR. Moreover, I needed a walk in the jungles very badly. It was 8 pm when I could finally take-off to Nilambur fully assured that I will be sleeping this night out at Mohan's place. But once at Manjeri, I suddenly changed plans. Abhilash was all alone at home and he needed company. Off to his hut at Mullanpara (famous for the Rajmohan Unnithan episode) where I watched Braveheart for the rest of the night sipping the purest grape wine  (Abhi says so, but it tasted sour, says its sugar-less!) specially imported from the US and munching on Cadbury's Fruits & Nuts chocolate, also from US. Plan was to start the journey at 4 am from Nilambur. Mohan wanted to reach Masinagudi early in the morning so as to film the mist-laden jungle in its full glory.

           Though it was only a short cat-nap of 3 hours, I woke up refreshed and ready at 3 O' clock. It took me only a while to get going and my Alto reached Nilambur in no time. Mohan was waiting and the journey began with a tea at Vazhikkadav. Nadukani Ghat road was its usual self: dark and silent as if hiding some deep secrets underneath its greenish veil! Among other things, we discussed  about the way in which newspapers presented the wild fire that broke out last week at the Gene Pool Project site in Nadukani. "Elephants, gaurs, bears, leopards and tigers were seen running helter-skelter to escape from the raging fire, said the forest officials" was the exact phrase used in news papers. What a sight it would have been, bad luck..; hey, I was tempted to ask, were they all sleeping when the fire broke-out?! 

           We passed Gudalur town on the NH 67 as the sun was slowly getting up from its slumber. The town was getting ready for the day. Another 18 kilometers and we will be at Theppakkad where the reception centre of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (now a Tiger Reserve) is situated. We stopped for a tea near Thorappalli check-post on the border of Kargudi range of Mudumalai reserve. The guard at the check-post seemed to be in two minds looking for some quick bucks: stop them or not! But I didn't even give him a thankful look while we passed under the rope with no concern whatsoever for his presence. Be alert, we are entering wild country!

           What greeted us into the reserve was the sudden bleating of a lone Tusker somewhere off towards our right. We knew how to respect strength and here was the most powerful creature of Indian jungles. Its my kingdom, you better be aware of that: the hidden giant seemed to convey his message well and clear. Moving on slowly and watching for any movements or sounds, we couldn't spot any wildlife for some distance. "I don't know why, these forests have gone dry for the past few weeks", said Mohan. "May be due to the night-time traffic ban" was my reply. At night, herbivores find the banks of the road the best place to be safe from predators as it is always bustling with traffic. Lights and the noise generated by the passing vehicles seem to disturb the carnivores and due to the ban, nowadays the highways have ceased being the deterrent for predators which they used to be! Its only an explanation I cooked up, but perhaps it might be the truth! In spite of this, the traffic ban  could have succeeded in achieving its original goal, that of reducing road-kills effectively, I hoped loud!

          Mohan soon spotted an eagle sitting on a high perch some hundred yards to our left. Could be a Honey Buzzard, or is it a Crested Serpent Eagle? In the dim light of dawn, we could only see it barely better than a silhouette and by the dark colouration of its body and the slight crest on the back of its head, I thought it must be the Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela), a common resident of these jungles. 

         After a seven kilometer drive from the check-post, we reached Theppakkadu at around 6.30 am. By that time, the place was bustling with tourists. Theppakkadu is a tri-junction, drive straight and you will reach Bandipura Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and to Gundlupet and Mysore (90 km) beyond. If you turn towards the right here and pass over that narrow, rusty iron bridge across Moyar river, the forest road leads to a quite village town called Masinagudi, on the northwestern foot of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains). The ghat road from Masinagudi via Kallatty will take you to Ooty, the queen of hills, over 36 hair-pin bends traversing dense natural forests.

          Masinagudi recently was in news for all the wrong reasons. The first being the elevation of the sanctuary to tiger reserve status. The Government of Tamil Nadu declared Mudumalai as a Tiger Reserve in 2007, under section 38V of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, in an effort to help conserve the dwindling Tiger population. Subsequently, about 350 families living in the core area have been evicted from the park. Those in the 5 km buffer area around the park fear they too will be evicted and mass agitations have followed which still haven't fully settled down. Secondly, Wildlife activists believe that the construction activity of the proposed multi-crore Neutrino Observatory project at Singara, Masinagudi is likely to have significant impacts on local wildlife. The five-year work plan, high volume of debris and waste, blasting activities, extensive vehicular traffic for material transport and a large number of outside workers and their support infrastructure... all threaten to disrupt the wildlife corridor on the Sigur plateau, including Mudumalai Sanctuary, connecting the Western ghats and Eastern Ghats. The  serious implications of the project becomes clear when we study the significance of this corridor: 25 percent of the Asian Elephant population use this corridor for their annual migratory movement.
           Masinagudi was always a place dear to my heart: its here where I had my first leisurely glimpse of the Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus മടിയന്‍ കരടി) mother with a cub, where I watched a Blackbuck  (Antilope cervicapra കൃഷ്ണമൃഗം) family of three which, I was told is exactly half the remaining population of blackbucks in these jungles. It was near Masinagudi forests where I had my only fleeting, out-of-focus glimpse of the Tiger and where I hoped to see him again!

          As we started our drive towards Masinagudi, the banks of the road had become literally flooded with Peafowls (Pavo cristatus മയില്‍) of various ages and sizes. A short photography session followed, thoroughly enjoyed by both the photographers and the subjects. It was as if the Peacock takes pride in its colours and shows it off for whoever there is to watch and whenever it deems fit! What disturbed our modeling assignment was a slight movement on the bank of the road. Upon a closer look, it proved to be a Hoopoe (Upupa epops ഉപ്പൂപ്പന്‍) which was hitherto effectively hidden from our eyes by the earthen mound on the roadside. Even if the bird was in front of our eyes in full view, I don't think we would have noticed owing to the plumage colour of that bird which so effortlessly merges with the red soil and the brown leaves upon it. A pair of them were there and they flew off after pecking around for a while, unaware of our curious gazes. 

            Reaching Masinagudi town, we decided to drive on in the direction of the Moyar Gorge. Moyar River Gorge, also called the Moyar Canyon or Mysore Ditch, is a dramatic 20 km long gorge dug out by the Moyar River which plunges into the gorge  below in a roaring 260-metre deep water-fall popularly known as Moyar falls. The view of the chasm cut by the Moyar as it hurtles down to empty itself into the river Bhavani is breathtaking. I still remember the day when I went into the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board premises with my students from Farook College unaware that we needed special permission to go near the gorge. People there scolded us mildly, but seeing that we meant no harm, they let us have a look-around of the gorge from the Winch station. Wow, that view I will never forget, I haven't yet seen a geographical feature so captivating!! You can see the plateau on the other side of the gorge spreading away for miles, and in between us and the other side was the monstrous,  dark & deep canyon stretching across as far as eye can see! The Moyar river that flows below acts as a boundary between the Mudumalai Sanctuary and the Bandipur National Park (Karnataka).

           To get a full view of the majestic gorge, you have to drive down till Surgeshaft, 11 km from Masinagudi and take a winch till the Moyar power station (a journey of 20-25 minutes). The winch is run by the TNEB to transport staff to maintain the pipeline that supplies water to the power station.  One needs prior permission to board the winch.

           Driving down from Masinagudi village towards Moyar, we kept our eyes open to track any animal movement on the grassy patches that line either side of the road. Every time the dry grass rustles in a sharp breeze, we watch intently, hoping to catch the glimpse of a Sloth bear or a Gaur (Bos gaurus കാട്ടുപോത്ത്). But all that meets the eye are herds of Sambar deer (Rusa unicolor മ്ലാവ്), Cheetal (Spotted deer Axis axis പുള്ളിമാന്‍) or scampering Mongoose (കീരി). We scarcely came across any traffic and hence we pursued our vigil with renewed enthusiasm fully assured that nothing was going to disturb our watch-out. The country around is mostly open grassland interspersed with thick bushes and heaps of rocky boulders as well as some small trees here and there. It looked an ideal habitat for sloth bears. Mohan said he had his only encounter with a Hyena (Hyaena hyaena കഴുതപ്പുലി) on this particular stretch. Soon, I saw three huge Wild Gaurs looking squarely into my eyes from about 20 feet off the road towards our left. They stood there for sometime so that Mohan and myself managed to shoot some satisfying pictures of these magnificent beasts. Their huge black bulk packed with bulging muscles glistened in the rays of the early morning sun enhancing their charismatic aura. They wandered off effortlessly after watching us curiously for some time. Now, Mohan focused all his attention on photographing a Scaly-bellied Woodpecker (Picus squamatus) who had just settled on a low thicket to our left. Mohan didn't have his telephoto lens with him and used my Nikon D80 with the attached 70-300 Nikkor lens. I was happy to get the camera tested by a professional like him.

          We went upto the entrance of the TNEB premises and decided to turn back. As we haven't sought permission, we decided to settle for a view of the gorge from the plateau near the Chikkamman kovil, 11 km from Masinagudi. The temple premises were deserted, no human being in view.  Its a simple tribal temple with only two or three built-up structures. The gorge was visible alright, but the view was disappointing for me, not anywhere near the first! We started back to Masinagudi and drove as slow and cautious as we had come. We encountered Cheetal herds here and there and some occasional Sambar. As we neared the bend where the last time a lone tusker had chased our car, a mongoose was standing in the middle of the road inspecting something.

         I put the brakes on and approached it dead slow. He was an adult Ruddy Mongoose (Herpestes smithii ചുണയന്‍ കീരി). This guy was cautiously inspecting a large snake lying on the road. It at first appeared to me like a Russell's Viper  (Daboia russelii ചേനത്തണ്ടന്‍) and looked long-dead. Was dead alright but wasn't a viper as we soon found out. It was a young Rock Python (Python molurus പെരുമ്പാമ്പ്‌) unfortunate enough to encounter some speeding vehicle. We were pretty sure the snake was not there when we passed about half an hour earlier. Our mongoose friend appeared stubborn and very eager to make a meal of it. Even when a transport bus approached from the other side, he didn't budge. He had already pulled the bulk to the right bank of the road opposite us and was smelling and biting at it as if not sure whether the snake was dead. Our presence just ten yards away from him didn't seem to bother him a bit. 

           
          It was an excellent opportunity to observe a wild animal at its meal at close quarters and photograph him as we willed! Sometimes biting at the tail, sometimes going in circles around the corpse, and dragging the snake to a more suitable place to eat, the mongoose seemed forgotten that two human beings were watching his every move with wide open eyes. A passing jeep disquieted him and he left the corpse and scampered off behind a bush. I decided to take a closer look at the snake then, and found that its abdomen was open and the stomach contained an intact rat probably eaten just before it got killed. May be the food in its stomach weighed him down and made his progress slow as he crossed the road. We thought it better to leave the mongoose in peace to have a hearty meal!

             The time was well in to the day now, and we were feeling a little bit hungry. Our minds were full, but our stomachs were not! Let's continue on the search for our little pleasures in the Masinagudi wilderness, but not before we have our breakfast!!

Chinnar Diary

Here I am reproducing some discontinuous scribbles from my diary in its original form and essence about trips to my favourite hide-out, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Please bear with me!

04.12.03 Chinnar
To the field again! After a gap of more than a month, I am in Chinnar again. It feels so nice. Nowadays the forest looks greener, neat and clean. It shows the effect of the North-east rains (Monsoon) even though Forester Mr. Madhavan was telling me, barring two occasions of heavy downpour, this year's monsoon was pretty bad. May be! He ought to know better than me about Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and its rains!

The trip up from Udumalpet was also inspiring. I had called up DFO James Zacharias'* office from Udumalai but he was out in the field. Left off from there at 3.30 pm and was winding up through the narrow, tarred grey road to Chinnar with lush greenery all around. That greenery had the neatness and cleanliness which only a much awaited rain can bring. Last time when I was in Chinnar, it was the last week of October, the forests around had a tired brownish look with most of the lesser vegetation turning dry under the scorching sun. It is not such a soothing scenario to withhold. But Chinnar is always beautiful because of the presence of the two ever-flowing rivers, the main one being River Chinnar. It separates the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and also marks the boundary between the Indira Gandhi National Park and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary; a natural, god-made barrier between the rain-starved Tamil Nadu and the 'prodigal' Kerala. It quenches the thirst of both the people, although I am not sure whether the thirst of Keralites could ever be quenched!

Almost at the start of the trip itself, after the check post of IGNP*, I saw a Wild Boar standing frozen about ten meters away from the road on the left side. He was not moving a bit, might have been terrified by the sound of the bus. What to talk of him, I was also getting mad by the noise generated by the stereo and put out through the tweeters just above my head. I had to tell the driver to reduce the volume a little. I will bet he was not too pleased with me, for he turned off the tweeter above me instead of reducing the volume. And then the accusing look and question: "Enough?!" I didn't care much about that and gave him a blank smile. Ok, the Boar we were talking about was not large but of a medium size, rather he looked very lean for a wild boar. What he was through, god and himself only know!

Now, as the headache manufacturing machine was not annoying me, and I could concentrate more on the scenery in front and around me. Before going far, we saw three Peafowls right on the middle of the road .......

Chinnar 31.12.03
Coming to Chinnar is never boring. It has lot many faces to show you. If you are bored with one, it will show you another. I had expected some more obstacles in my path as I was preparing to leave SACON*. Anything can happen, she (Senior Finance Officer) may not come, or will ask for some correction or other and so on. But thankfully, nothing of the sort. It was almost going the same route when she said: "Director will come tomorrow and he will sign the utilization certificate!" But I somehow managed to convince her that her hand will do. Got it, moved on! It had to be posted though, and I went in search of a speed post counter to City Tower in Gandhipuram. Ok.. done, and off to Ukkadam I go!

Had lunch from Hotel Sindhuri. It was okeyish. Then I saw that signboard: 'Old book Stalls.' It could be book stalls which are very old or book stalls which sell old books. Only Kovai corporation fellows know what they meant. But anyways, it was fine with me. Went there and asked for Wildlife Biology books. Most of them looked at me like hearing the word "Wildlife" for the first time in their lives. They knew only two words: "Computer" and "Management", and these two were enough for them to sell their wares.

Udumalai bus left Ukkadam exactly at 2 pm and reached the destination at 3.40. Spotted a Munnar bus but it was leaving only at 4.30 pm. Had a tea, bought Outlook magazine and then ...the pick of the day! One middle-aged fellow suddenly called me and asked in free-flowing Victorian English: "You are the son of Tata Tea manager, isn't it?!" He was clad in rags, to say literally, and except for his smiling face was never impressive. He started a conversation on his own, and started telling me his story. I understood him inside out then and there, but I had no escape route. When he came to the actual point, money or just before he was on the verge of asking financial help, I told him that I was in a hurry and had to make a phone call. But he was not to leave me, and I had to show him my black, ugly face to get rid of him.

I had called up Balu* and Joya* en-route. Balu was enjoying the Goan beaches. Joya was also enjoying life, but with her younger cousins, at her home. She told me very casually that she had just finished reading my story and there is a reply on air! What a girl!!

Reached Chinnar at 5.30. Jijo* was there and the Forester had changed. The new fellow, Mr. Venugopal looked a better guy. Jijo told me that they had a New Year party arranged, with non-veg and booze. Ok, let it be! I will have കപ്പ പുഴുക്ക് (boiled tapioca) and enjoy it which was what exactly I did. Jijo was participating in the proceedings whole-heartedly, having peg after peg. Later, some of them went to Karimutty. I came back to my room and was reading till 12.00 when Jijo knocked at the door and wished me Happy New Year 2004.

James Zacharias: The then Wildlife Warden of Chinnar WLS.
SACON: Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore.
IGNP: Indira Gandhi National Park.
Balu: Balakrishnan Peroth, from തുവ്വൂര്‍ (കരുവാരകുണ്ടിനടുത്ത്ത്) in Malappuram, Kerala is researcher at SACON.
Joya: Joya Thapa, from Kurseong, Darjeeling is researcher at CWS-Bangalore.
Jijo: Jijo Mathew Plappallil, Independent bird watcher living near Thattekkeadu Bird Sanctuary, then Nature Education Assistant at Chinnar WLS.

To be continued.

01.01.04
I did not feel like getting up early as I was exhausted and was feeling the tiredness of the last day. Anyways, Vijayan* was not going to come with me. Then Jijo told me there is a place called Thirumurtimalai where there is a reservoir and where we might get to watch a lot of wetland birds. He hadn't been there before, has just heard about the area. Hmm.. so, off to the place. Got a letter from the forester introducing us and left for Udumalaipet to meet the Range Officer who is in charge of Thirumurti. He was not there at the office or his house, instead met his family. They called him up on his mobile, and he said "Ok". We then went to an Internet browsing centre near the Bus stand and checked mails for about an hour. There were mails from a few fellows, mostly new year wishes. But Joya's reply was also there. She was like an expert acrobat. Let's not discuss all those things here.

Went to Thirumurti Dam, reached there at 3.30 pm. There was not much wetland birds. We saw lot of Yellow wagtails, some Paddy field Pipits, Marsh and Green Sandpipers, Large pied Wagtail, Red-wattled Lapwing, River Tern, Ringed Plover, Little Cormorant, Indian Shag, Little and Median Egrets, Pond Heron and a pair of unidentified ducks. Stork-billed Kingfisher (കാക്കമീന്കൊത്ത്തി) was also seen. While coming back, walked over the dam for almost two kilometres and enjoyed the scenery. Its really a nice place for relaxing and enjoying nature, but the rush is too much. While returning, we had to get a lift from a biker as buses were quite infrequent and fully loaded. Those buses which came by didn't stop as it was already packed to the roof. Mr. Dinesh, as the biker introduced himself, was actually from Palakkad but was now working at Udumalai. He dropped us at Pallapalayam from where we could get a bus to Chinnar.

We had tea and bought some snacks, and I was charging my mobile phone at the bakery when one bus went past. It was 7.30. The next bus was only at 8.15. I had just called up home, and there was nothing more to do than wait. And a long wait that was! At last, the old guy (the coughing and sneezing reminds me of an old fellow who is eager to die) came and we got in. Only a few passengers were there. I was watching the road eagerly when I noticed a Sambar (Cervus unicolor മ്ലാവ്) doe and her fawn moving away from the road side towards my right. The sight was fascinating. Indeed, watching any wild inhabitant is fascinating and refreshing to the mind. After this, sometime later, we saw a small rodent, probably a field mouse (Mus booduga) sitting on the right edge of the road feeding on something. It was sitting like in prayer, and somehow resembled a Gerbil. Later, two field mice crossed the road, one first towards right and another to the left. Small, insignificant might they look, they are so cute and lively who remind us of the vast treasure of life which lies beyond those dark edges of the road. Just keep your eyes and ears open: LIFE IS CALLING YOU!!

*Vijayan: One of the many tribal guides I have employed during my research at Chinnar. Vijayan is adept at finding animals before they find us. He belongs to the Hill Pulaya group and stays at Chambakkad tribal settlement inside Chinnar WLS.

To be continued.

02.01.04
Got up at 6.00 and told Jijo to close the door after me. Walked to Chambakkadu and on the way, saw a lot of birds. Vijayan was at home. We started off along the road. When we reached the place where we had seen langurs the last day, we heard 'boom' calls and looking down, saw some langurs sitting on top of trees on the southern bank of Pambar. Started downwards to Pambar riverside. Upon reaching there, we could see a very good number of langurs there. Since we were on the opposite bank, they were not afraid of us. There were about 30 in all. They were a bit shy but not afraid. Infants were engaged in play, some even on the ground. I could not attempt group scan since only three or four were visible at a time. Around 9.30 am, all of them came to the open area near the river bank. We could see some altercation among the adults. Some adult males were attacking other adults, probably females. Females carrying infants on their backs soon started retaliating as a group. It went on for 2 or 3 minutes only. Three or four females with infants came near the water's edge and started doing all sorts of things which monkeys are prone to do: resting, playing, feeding, grooming etc. They did not care my presence.

All of them moved to a large rocky area near the south bank after some time. I crossed the river and settled on a rock near water. Suddenly, a large Sambar stag with medium sized horns appeared in front of me from the bushes. It was oblivious of my presence and came nearer and nearer, almost five metres from me. And then, still unaware of my presence, it went on along the bank and disappeared from view. It was a real beauty, a very good start for my day!

Later at about 10.40 am, I heard some sounds nearby and noticed some bushes shaking vigorously. Then, the backside of the animal came to view. It was not a Sambar, cannot be a Gaur (കാട്ടുപോത്ത്) either since the back was broader. I didn't even suspect an elephant since I thought, no, I was sure that the small bush could never hide an elephant. Soon the doubt was cleared and I was proved wrong! Not one, but three elephants came out in to the open in front of me, only some twenty metres away. I won't call all of them elephants as only one female was a bit large enough to be called an elephant. Others were one young female calf of about four years and a boy of about two. The adult was also quite young to be a mother. Vijayan had not seen them till now, and he backed off calling out aloud when he saw. When the adult saw me inching forward towards them to take photographs, she came charging. But she was not sure of herself, I think, and she withdrew after the mock charge. They actually wanted to have a drink and obviously, I was blocking their path. So, after some five or ten minutes, they went away.

All the while, the langurs were around us. But now they were farther away at the foot of the hill. I observed them and took notes for some more time, but soon they disappeared. We went up the hill following the monkeys, and left them at around 2.30 pm. Our food was a major concern as we didn't have any breakfast or lunch other than two three pieces of bread.
We reached back at Chinnar at about 4 pm by which time Jijo had already left for home. As his business was over, he didn't find staying back longer a good option. But I didn't know he was going back today. I went up to the room and had a good nap till 7.30 pm. After dinner, had a walk up to the watch tower road and returned. On the way, saw one Wild Boar leaping out and running away from the bushes in front of the Inspection Bungalow.

...to be continued.


03.01.04
Started off to Champakkad at 6.20 by the KSRTC* bus. Vijayan was on his way to the bus stop. We met near the teashop, (or whatever you chose to call the rock where that guy sells tea) and we started our walk along the south bank of Pambar. This tea shop arrangement is for wayfarers who are coming from far away tribal settlements and going shopping to Marayur or Udumalpettai. Earlier there was one hotel selling break-fast also; all were open air affairs. The breakfast arrangement was recently closed down due to some problems with the people of Champakkad.

We reached the place where we saw langurs the last day. There.. some four or five langurs on the other side. Soon we found out that there were some langurs on our side of the river also. They were not so near, some 100 metres away from the bank atop some trees. After some time, we heard some boom calls from that part. We crossed the river and settled down near Nallamangathura thinking that the river between us and the langurs would provide them a kind of courage to them as was observed yesterday. However, the langurs on the southern side were not seen or heard again. Hence, at last, we decided to look for the monkeys on the northern part. Climbing up, I looked for them all around. Seeing me so curious about their whereabouts, they fled downstream through the trees.

Meanwhile, I noticed a Grizzled Giant Squirrel (ചാമ്പലന്നാന്‍) very close by. He was feeding on some tiny fruits and hadn't noticed me. I could go as near as three or four metres and photograph. But what use was the Yashica FX 3 kit lens (32-70mm)?! He looked more creamish rather than ashy grey as described. The little man soon took flight observing my huge presence. They have a habit of freezing (staying absolutely still) when pursued, but when they become sure that they are spotted, they will flee in a flash.

After some hide-and-seek with our langurs, we lost them completely. We could not trace them out even after a thorough search. Hmm, let's look for those on the other side! Where are all those langurs we saw yesterday?! Surely, it was a large troop. Climbed up the hill halfway and then came down. No trace! At that moment, as if to erase our despair, god gifted us the wonderful sight of two Lorikeets or Vernal hanging Parrots near their nest hole on a large tree inside the riparian forest patch. They were a fantastic sight indeed! It was my first look at a Lorikeet in the wild. I watched their movements for about ten minutes.

Since we couldn't find the langurs anywhere, we returned early and reached Chinnar by 1 pm. I was really tired, and after lunch, just went to room and while reading dozed off. I had seen langurs in front of the IB (Inspection Bungalow), and actually wanted to observe them for some time after the lunch.

At 2.30 or 3 pm, some body knocked on the door and I woke up. When I opened the door, a handsome young man was standing in front of me. He introduced himself as Mr. Kishen Das. I didn't get him at first. He looked friendly and behaved like an old friend but...?! Then it suddenly flashed in my mind: "oh, the natural history mail group fellow, butterfly wallah!" I had thought that Kishen Das was an old fellow. But this guy turned out to be a smart, young, energetic nature lover who was working as a Software Engineer in Global Exchange Systems of GE (General Electric) in Bangalore. He is from Mysore and had a friend with him, one Mr. Mohan Kumar, a young diploma holder in Electronics and currently Nature Education Co-ordinator of Mysore Amateur Naturalists (MAN), an NGO. Both were basically from Mysore. Mohan told me that he had met Mohan Nilambur* last week for the bird survey at KMTR*. Kishen is an active member of BNHS* and is presently on vacation, surveying butterfly migration routes. He wants to do a Ph.D. on Butterflies. He asked me about Ajith* Sir's M.Sc. course. Apparently, some body from CES* has given him false notions about that course. They wanted him to do a Ph.D. straight away at IISc (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore). After a bit friendly talk, we went for a trek up to Koottar. Palanisamy came with us. Actually, they had met James Zacharias at Munnar but he asked them to bring permission letter from Chief Wildlife Warden. Perhaps, James didn't like Kishen Das' authoritative attitude. As it was, Kishen is a bit egoistic and thinks since he is connected with BNHS and all, nobody can stop him from entering forests in India or doing whatever he wants. He had a taste of what happens when two egos bombard. We talked a lot about nature and stuff.

On our trek to Koottar, we saw a new species of Cuckoo, the Grey bellied cuckoo. We also saw six Gaur on a hill slope. Reaching Koottar, we noticed one Mugger Crocodile basking on a rock. On hearing foot steps, he dived under water. While returning, one Black-naped Hare ran on the road in front of us for some distance.

They left Chinnar at 8 pm by bus to Udumalai. They had to return to Mysore today itself. Meanwhile, I met a forest guard at the Tamil Nadu side, who claimed that he had worked with Dr. Ajith during his Ph.D field work at Varagaliar, Valparai. He had heard me talking about Ajith to Kishen at the tea shop while we were waiting for the bus. Shanmugham couldn't stop talking about Ajith. Later on when I met Paulose,* he asked me not to take any body for trekking without prior sanction from the RO (Range officer) as he may not like it.

KSRTC: Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.
KMTR: Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu.
Mohan Nilambur: Then Photographer of Tourism India Magazine, Thiruvananthapuram. Now runs PUPA (Wildlife Photography, fim making, advertising, etc.) at Nilambur.
Ajith: Dr. Ajith Kumar, Principal Scientist in SACON at the time, currently Course Director,
M.Sc. Wildlife Biology & Conservation, Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore.
BNHS: Bombay Natural History Society.
CES: Centre for Ecological Studies, IISc, Bangalore.
Paulose: Paulose C. Thomas was Forest guard at Chinnar, now at Periyar Tiger Reserve.

The Muthanga XP..!

Day before yesterday, at about 9.30 pm, my student Mr. Aarif called me up and said: "Sir, we are planning a trip to Muthanga tomorrow. We would like you to come with us. Dr. Hameed is also coming." Ok, I thought! Anyway, its vacations, and for some days I am free. Why not use it for such a journey which I always cherish?! Thus started the trip.

We started from Calicut in a transport bus at 7 in the morning. I was a bit apprehensive at the start. Its the height of summer and at a place like Muthanga in Wayanad the sun will be at its scorching high when we reach there. And you cannot be too sure of a trek! Better be optimistic, I thought. We reached at Muthanga (its a part of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary) at about 12 noon. Now.. the entry to the Sanctuary is after 3 o' clock only. So we walked along the banks of the Noolpuzha river and got content with the sight of three Malabar giant squirrels (Ratufa indica) and several Southern-plains grey langurs (Semnopithecus dussumieri). The langurs have a creamy tint to the grey coat compared to their counterparts in the Anamalais (Tufted grey langur S. priam, best seen at Chinnar wildlife sanctuary) which are more slaty grey. The hair tuft on the top of the head is also smaller and flatter. We walked for six-seven kilometres along the road and in the process crossed over to Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. But even people could never notice the change, let alone animals. How are they to know its Karnataka or Kerala?! After the exit of Veerappan from the scene, both parts are the same for the wild denizens.

We had to get a vehicle for Rs. 250 and had to dish out 250 more towards entry fee, etc, etc. There were five of us: Me, Dr. Hameed (my colleague, a PhD in Wildlife Biology), our students Aarif, Rajan and Sayid. A tribal guide, Mr. Mohanan accompanied us in the jeep. On the short trip of 75 minutes, we could not stop thanking god that we took the pain! We stopped counting spotted deer (Axis axis) very soon and started neglecting the guys who grazed here and there, everywhere. But occassionally, by the sheer magnificence of its antlers, a stag or two invited our astonished gaze. They are a sight indeed, they are like some girls who know they are pretty and like to advertise it. Here and there a peafowl (Pavo cristatus) would trot away from the nearing vehicle or try to take to wings which it not so efficiently does. Soon after the start, we were welcomed to an elephant party by the continuous calls of a Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus). They were in a valley populated by marsh reeds and grasses called by the locals as vayal. There were eight of them, but no tusker. We could not venture nearer as the wind was blowing towards them from us and it will be suicidal to approach an elephant herd in such an open place such a way. Later, we came across a herd of 13 Gaur or Indian Bison (Bos gaurus) as they popularly called. Gaur is famous for its temper especially when calves are around. Hence we were content to watch from a distance as they moved slowly and deliberately away. At each turn in the dusty path in Muthanga, you will encounter scores of Cheetal with three or four majestic looking stags among them. More so, since the wildlife dept has dug up several ponds along the sides of the path where these animals congregate for an afternoon drink. The stags scout around here and there keeping the antler-clad head high as if they are task masters in a political procession.

The best moment of the trip was still waiting! I was hanging on the back of the jeep taking in the fresh air and scanning the forest for animals, when while going around a bend where two roads meet, I spotted some huge grey bodies to the right side of the diversion we were taking. We took the jeep in reverse towards them..and lo..there were some 14 elephants with very young calves grazing and mud bathing in a vast open area near a pond. A huge tusker was also feeding nearby. The wind this time was on our side and we could approach fairly nearer. Some 30 metres away he stood, lazily ignorant of the happenings around him, just concentrating on what he was doing. According to our guide, he had not witnessed such a magnificent spectacle in the near past, as the animals were positioned in such a beautiful landscape ready for a photograph. He was cursing himself that he forgot to take his camera. Our jeep driver kept the vehicle ready for any eventuality and was glancing continuously with a nervous eye towards the tusker. We had two cameras, mine a Nikon Coolpix 4500 which is no good for such moments. But we took as many shots of the herd as we can. I had several prior experiences with wild tuskers during my stint at SACON, Coimbatore and Chinnar and knew very well the ways of the wild and that of elephants. But my younger companions were not that experienced. Aarif got a bit more enthusiastic and was nearing the bad guy when he suddenly turned and looked menacingly towards us. He then slowly and deliberately took a stride towards the side. The path was in a semicircle and the jeep was positioned at the other end of it. It was easier for him to reach the jeep taking a diagonal path than for us..and be sure, that was what he intended to do. You have not seen how fast an elephant can run in the wild. It seems improbable to most of us novices that an elephant could attain that speed -let alone run -with that huge bulk, but you have to run to believe (only if you remain to finish the race)! Aarif was still engrossed in shooting pics, and it took some specific words from me to deter him. He was still looking confused as we hurried towards the vehicle. Probably he had not heard such words before. After safely seated in the jeep, we were more relieved to be away from the bull hearing that the tusker was in musth and he just days back had attacked and destroyed a Mahindra Scorpio which carried some tourists from Calicut. He was smart enough that we could see, but he seemed uninterested and not to care. After some initial stride forward, as he saw us retreating he remained stable and resumed his feeding. Why waste your energy on such lowly beings, he might have thought! Indeed fitting for the Lord of the Jungle!

After the feasting on elephants, we could not have asked for more. So we started our journey back. But we were greeted again by a cow elephant and her calf in a partly burnt bush. Her kin were not in view. Again we came across some peafowls and several deer and at 5.45 we came back to the entrance of the park. Our day was made!