The Symphony of Wildlife: South India’s Treasure
At the beginning of this year, I visited the Nagarhole National Park in India, which sits just between the Karnataka and Kerala border. Before you start praising me for this killer snapshot of the tiger, I must pop your bubble — unfortunately, no tiger made an appearance during my visit. However, a huge shoutout to the Nagarhole Reserve website for the photo!
I did, however, capture these shots of the largest land animal in Asia, the Asiatic elephant, and the gaur which is also known as the Indian Bison.
Not just limited to the elephants and cattle, I was lucky to have spotted several other unique and beautiful species such as the spotted deer, sambars, langurs, sloth bear, Malabar grey hornbills, and the blue-headed parakeet to name a few.
By the time I arrived at the hotel’s lobby for assembly at 4 AM, I was feeling a little drowsy with bloodshot-red eyes from the short three-hour sleep I had the previous night. However, a sip of hot filter coffee, made with locally grown Sidapur beans, jolted me awake. All of a sudden I could hear a group of river terns singing along, most definitely in sync, almost like they were fulfilling their morning duty of a ‘wake up alarm’ to the fauna scattered across the ginormous 840 square kilometer land span. In harmony joined the Malabar grey hornbills from the distance — their pitch a little deeper adding the perfect amount of bass to the symphony the terns had going. I took a few steps out from the lobby just to overlook the banks of the Kabini River and the forest. The sky still dark, yet so blissful. The residents of the forest asleep, yet energetic. The forest’s alarm clocks flew right over my head, but this time I didn’t feel like hitting snooze. The group of Northern Pintails that migrated all the way from Canada to India probably feeling left out attempted to chime in with their irregular beats — like syncopation. Were they also alarm calls? Males attempting to woo the females through their singing auditions? I’m not sure, but whatever it was truly felt like paradise. I was just taking it all in when it was suddenly time to board the boat. Stirring and gulping the last sips of my coffee, I felt more than ready to visit this new world. I was almost jittery with excitement. Will the animals be hospitable by making guest appearances on my visit? Or will they be taking this cozy Friday morning to themselves?
Along with twelve other sleepy, yet exhilarated travelers I hopped into the Sampan-esque wooden boat to take us into the forest. On approaching the forest around 5:45 AM, a line of 20 massive Mahindra jeeps awaited passengers from different hotels. However, I soon realized we were not traveling on a jeep. A 30-seater bus pulled up and, to my surprise, that’s what we would be sitting in for the 3-hour-long wildlife safari. At first thought, I tried to wrap my head around how an entire bus would navigate through the slim, potholed tracks in the forest. Secondly, I wondered if the bus could potentially scare the wildlife off because of its threatening size. As I scooted over to the window seat in my row, the engine roared to life, and a second later the machinery, within the bus began to vibrate. The bus, stood at a standstill, kept juddering until it found its fixed rhythm. Every mini-explosion of a piston cycle sounded like the ticking seconds of a clock in motion. Post completing the paperwork and formalities, our guide, Sharad, jumped into his seat a few minutes later, and off we were into the Nagarhole Forest!
It was just 6 AM when we transitioned from smooth roads at the pick-up point to the rough, muddy terrain, which signaled the official entrance into the forest. The sun was on the verge of rising, ready to cast its beaming rays. The sky, however, had different plans as thick, silver cumulus clouds enveloped it and thwarted all attempts to illuminate the forest. I realized this was a hint of possible light rainfall, but the wildlife had sensed it a few hours ago and they were all on cloud nine with their cheers, chirps, and chatter. As we drove along a straight stretch of jagged track, a powerful and muscular male gaur stepped out to graze on lush grass and fallen leaves. Slow but steady, the lone gaur treaded his path knowing the strength he embodied with each step he took. He also seemed aware of his majestic presence, knowing there were hardly any challengers around. He seemed lost in his thoughts, though — I assumed he was eagerly on the lookout for plants with dew to satiate his early morning appetite. Reviving the lifeless, engine (again) we set out after bidding adieu and wishing the best of luck to the gaur.
Sharad was dead set on helping us spot a tiger. After driving past several herds of perplexed Sambar deer and sheepish spotted deer, Sharad noticed footprints on the side of the tracks; footprints that “resemble the tiger’s!”, he exclaimed. A few drowsy passengers in the back of the bus startled awake upon hearing his shriek. We decided to stop the bus and carefully listen to alarm calls by other animals to confirm the tiger sighting. The wait was quite long and I just found myself getting lost in the abyss of this massive kingdom that just seemed increasingly unreal as I pondered it from my seat. I extended my hand out of the window as small droplets of water started to land on my skin. The rate of droplets landing on my hand gradually increased, and as I looked out, I saw a soft beam shining on my hand, with multiple tiny droplets refracting a polychromatic light — almost like an array of miniature prisms At that moment, it felt like magic. The droplets picked up the pace, and before my arm was soaked, I pulled it back in. The drops increased in size, and the pattering grew louder as they struck the surface of the dried leaves. The birds shared their excitement in harmony as they sang and cheered in delight. Through my open window, along with the cool breeze came the earthy scent of the rain mingling with the soil. But the scent was not purely earthy; blended in with it was a tinge of a citrusy, rose-like undertone from the abundant rosewood trees and a hint of a dark, woody note from the native sandalwood trees. The other trees, which were deciduous in nature, contributed rather visually.
VROOM!
“Our wait for the tiger was in vain, unfortunately”, Sharad announced as everyone sighed and rested back in their seats as the bus got back in motion. I, however, begged to differ.
We drove around for a little longer and were greeted with some ecstatic Langurs and the so-called auspicious Mongoose on the way. The time was almost up as the clock struck 8:45 AM and we were headed on the 3-mile rollercoaster-esque track back to the pick-up spot. The engine’s whirring picked up its allegro rhythm, matching the pattering of the rain, creating a captivating background score. The birds stole the show with their melodious voices, flying in glee around the forest, thanking their assisting orchestral partners — the perfect symphony.
