[vinay.pillai]

My last travelogue was about my visit to Kabini in June 2010:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ne-2010-a.html

Kabini is a place which both me & my wife liked a lot and I was pretty much regular to Kabini since my last trip. This year, I have been to kabini every month since Jan and every visit, I happen to see a Leopard but luck was not there for Tiger.

I was in Kabini for 3 nights/6 safari last week but Luck was worst this time. It's raining badly in Kabini and First sighting of a leopard happened in the fifth safari only, that too after 6 PM & it was raining badly. Happen to take few shots.

Somehow luck was playing with us badly this time, First safari missed tiger by 5 min at the Tiger Tank. It was there for 30 min inside the water and moved out just before we reached.

Then we decided to follow some alarm call. Heard a call followed line and saw the biggest paw mark I have ever seen of a Tiger, a BIG ONE.

Reached a point where 2 Sambar standing next to my Gypsy giving a very loud alarm, The Tiger was in the bush but as it said, you can see the Tiger only when it want you to see. So again chance went away.

Moved to the other side i.e. Kabini river side and there we saw the Orange Country Van standing near a bush. Using my lens, I could spot the two leopard cubs sitting inside a thick tree but it was just for record, cant take photo as you can see the spot, thats all....

Second & Third Safari was full of chasing alarm with No luck. We did the best and we got the worst because the other vehicle got 4 Tigers & 2 Leopards in just 45 min. Cant believe our ears.

Finally on Fifth Safari, we saw the female leopard sitting on a far bush and doing something unique, cleaning herself. It was raining heavily but still the 100-400 did the best in that worst weather.

So after 6 safari, I have shots of a Leopard, 3 Tuskers, Lot of Indian Gaur & a Indian Roller, Thatz all.

Sharing some of those pictures:
It was raining heavily in Kabini. Jungles of Kabini during the rains...Its muddy....its skiddy....& its beautiful


This is one of the biggest pug mark I have ever seen. Believe me, it is really big


A Sambar deer giving alarm call, there was a Tiger inside the bush.
Look at the front left leg & tail. When Sambar gives strong alarm call, its tail is up & it thumps the ground with its legs...


A Kodak moment


Spot the Leopard cubs, there are two


Indian Gaur giving a look for potrait


Future Salman Khan of Indian Gaur group


Stripe Neck Mongoose trying to kill something


Tusker # 1, He really got irritated with us


Kabini River side view


A Tusker enjoying the river side


Tusker#2 on the river side


Tusker#2 on the river side enjoying his breakfast


Tusker#3 at Tiger Tank waterhole




Indian Roller or Blue Jay - The Karnataka State Bird


Kill inside jungle. was not there next day.


Same Tusker #2 during my last safari


Same Tusker #2 during my fourth safari enjoying mud. Spotted him during heavy rain after 6PM


A Male Elephant without tusk, they are called as Makna


Ms. Leopard, we saw her when she was doing her clean-up....It was raining badly when we spotted her.
I have taken more than 100+ pics of her. If you see all her pics, you will be amazed to see how Leopard keep them clean


In between, she make sure if any herbi is around to kill and she was alert...


and the cleanup continues


Who is taking my pics


Feeling Shy


and continued to pose for us....There were atleast 12 photographers with bazooka clicking her at this time


Ms. Leopard looking for something nearby


Settled & enjoying the rainy weather

[bikxsans660]

Great pics Vinay.
Good to see you spotting the spotted one.
Congrats on the 'logue. But can you specify more on where did you stay and some safari details on jeep costs and such.

Cheers.

[rjstyles69]

vinay some excellent photographs man. Loved the sharpness of the 100-400mm and lovely compositions too. Its best to be there before the summer season or after the monsoons, the heat sometimes is quite unbearable during the summers. The brighter side is that during the summer season, you can find most of the animals frequenting the river.

I just marked the spot where the leopard is in the picture below.

[laluks]

Beautiful pictures. Give us some more
Riju beat me to the cub spotting.

[pjbiju]

Beautiful pictures, just like the beautiful things they portray. In all my travels through the jungles around these areas, I only have spotted deer, peacocks, wild boar, monkeys and mongoose. Not even spotted elephants!

But yes, I too spotted the cubs

I am hoping for better luck next time around.

[vinay.pillai]

@rjstyles69: Thanks. 100-400mm is just good for the wildlife. I love it. Infact, I am planning to upgrade my body as my current one is little slow to capture all moments.

@pjbiju: Thanks. One thing which was made clear in my last safari was 'Sighting is purely a matter of luck'. Heard, in Bandipur, tiger sighting is raining.

@laluks: Thanks. Those cubs are around 1 year old and still dependent on their mother.
I have posted all the good pictures here. Others are more of pictures which shows the same above behavior. I will be planning one more trip soon. Will post the pictures in the same thread.

Originally Posted by bikxsans660

But can you specify more on where did you stay and some safari details on jeep costs and such.
Cheers.

@bikxsans660: Thanks, I stayed in Jungle Lodges in Kabini & their package includes acco+food+2 safaris. If you are staying somewhere else & want to take jungle lodges safari, it will cost Rs. 1000/safari (based on condition that there is a space available in the jeep/van)

[maddy42]

Beautiful. I have lived around nagarhole all my life and sad to say have never seen a tiger or leopard all my life. Was lucky to be chased by a couple of elephants, saw a dhol, have seen the footprint of a gaur in my estate(that one is massive)

Love your pictures. Kabini is on my list and soon.

[nkrishnap]

Lovely pictures of the leopard. Would love to see the pictures of the leopard doing the clean up. These cats keep themselves amazingly clean even without taking bath daily .

Bring em on.

[mjothi]

excellent. You are really lucky to spot those buddy...

[figo_united]

Wonderful pics Vinay. Very lucky to spot the cub! And the peacock, just wow!
The river side view is awesome as well.

[bikxsans660]

Extremely sharp shots. Was it a Canon 100-400? What body?

I guess i will probably visit Kabini, post - Monsoons. Thanks for the info.

[robimahanta]

Awesome images of the leopard considering the situation and light..love the 4th oneI believe the 100-400 is 5.6 at 400 so the only option to get a decent SS is to bump up the ISO..then again if you are on a prosumer body then you really cant go beyond 400 ISO unless you are good at noise reduction in PP
Brilliant effort overall under the circumstances

[ravib]

Amazing pictures... no words to appreciate the beauty of it.
Post more pictures and wish u good luck to see the jungle beauty in your next visit

-Ravi

[pjay_in]

Brilliant shots there, Vinay. Loved the Tusker #2 and leopard shots particularly. And your pics have captured well the magical mood of a rainy summer day.

[fazalaliadil]

Vinay,
Nice captures of the animals and habitat.
The leopard just went on posing for you.
Regards,