[Raghunath Singh]

Originally Posted by sun

that is a very useful information. do you have any photographs of the present condition ? how was the animal sightings ?

@Sun: I hope the construction would have been completed by now. The place is good for relaxing, don't expect too much of action around. Animal sightings is not a very common thing here. All I saw in 2 days was a solitary deer near the fence. If you drive up the Tirunelly temple road, you can spot wildlife in the evenings, we were not lucky enough i guess. However, we were fortunate to have sighted 2 bull elephants, Crested Serpent Eagle, Dholes on our drive through Nagarahole forest. We went for a evening safari at Tholpetty WLS, sighted few elephants there as well. I will try and upload some pics in the weekend.

[Fauji]

Countdracula,

Thanks for nice TL and giving us another nice place to explore in Wayanad. We have been to Tirunelli temple which is a gem hidden in the forest. In fact the forest in this area is not much commercialised/touristy and seems to be made for wild life enthusiasts. Otherwise it is difficult to sight so many animals in the forests. Tiger sighting is sheer luck. Blame on tiger and see other animals!!

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by Raghunath Singh

@Sun: I hope the construction would have been completed by now. The place is good for relaxing, don't expect too much of action around. Animal sightings is not a very common thing here. All I saw in 2 days was a solitary deer near the fence. If you drive up the Tirunelly temple road, you can spot wildlife in the evenings, we were not lucky enough i guess. However, we were fortunate to have sighted 2 bull elephants, Crested Serpent Eagle, Dholes on our drive through Nagarahole forest. We went for a evening safari at Tholpetty WLS, sighted few elephants there as well. I will try and upload some pics in the weekend.

I wont quite agree to your statement, been here multiple times - Large heard of deers, Elephants, Dhole, Peacocks, Languars ets are common sigtings from Jungle Retreat. May be you got bit unlucky. I have been there 2 weeks back, cottage cunstruction is done but there is someother construction in progress, better to check on this if you plan to go..

[Raghunath Singh]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

I wont quite agree to your statement, been here multiple times - Large heard of deers, Elephants, Dhole, Peacocks, Languars ets are common sigtings from Jungle Retreat. May be you got bit unlucky. I have been there 2 weeks back, cottage cunstruction is done but there is someother construction in progress, better to check on this if you plan to go..

@Gadadhar: Buddy you could be right when you said I got a bit unlucky. The reason I went to this place was only because of the write ups and photos posted by other group members. Wildlife sightings are always a matter of chance. It is important for the other members to know this fact as well. The other thing is that the resort is located close to the main road, hence it is not completely privy....I was excited with the pics of the watch tower before I went there, alas upon reaching there found that there was no access to the watch tower and the caretaker seemed least bothered when inquired.

This place undoubtedly is a great place for relaxing, however I will give it a minus rating for the food served considering the price they charged. Maybe we got treated differently, my comments are solely based on my experience and I respect views/ comments by other members.

[CountDracoola]

I wont quite agree to your statement, been here multiple times - Large heard of deers, Elephants, Dhole, Peacocks, Languars ets are common sigtings from Jungle Retreat. May be you got bit unlucky.

Been there 3 times in the last 1 year and this is the reason I went.
Took this picture late in the evening. Was sitting in the balcony of the wooden cottage we stayed in Jungle retreat wayanad - this one gives the best views of the meadows and forests. All of a sudden, all hell broke lose and we started hearing alarm calls from the spotted deer (chital) and the tell tale grunt of the langur. Something was afoot. Just couldn't believe what we saw when we looked in the general direction of the calls - there was a Tiger (full grown male by the looks of it) at the other end of the farm lying down. Keep in mind, I was in the balcony of the cottage and without moving an inch, what do I see 250 or 300 feet away? The Tiger!

As mentioned earlier, I don't have an SLR camera, zoomed in the max capability with my point and shoot and took some photos. Since it didn't have manual focus, it kept on focusing on the grass. But how many of us can say that you saw the Tiger from your room! I am lucky I guess. On a side note, we also saw elephants, gaurs, wild dogs, deer, peacocks, wild boar, malabar giant squirrels, langurs and more - all from the very same balcony during those 2 days we stayed there in March. Will post another write-up soon, I am still recovering from the "shock" of this incredible sighting.

[joe1980]

That is the best way to spot a Tiger. Right from your home. Could you please post the details of the homestay from where you took this magnificent shot?

Another silly question. How far could you say was the Tiger away from where you were? Isn't it quite dangerous to have a beast roam freely just 300 or 500 feet away from the homestay? I'm very much eager to know more about the homestay. With such a close proximity, how can one afford to come out of the homestay after it gets dark? In the first page of this post, I can see a couple of pictures which shows the balcony. Is it exactly from there did you spot the Tiger? If yes, then what sort of protection does this homestay has to prevent the wild entering it? I'm very very curious to know this. Your one picture above got me damn curious.

[CountDracoola]

That is the best way to spot a Tiger. Right from your home. Could you please post the details of the homestay from where you took this magnificent shot?

The homestay is called Jungle retreat wayanad, it is in the Thirunelli area, maybe 7 kms from the Thirunelli temple. The have a few independent cottages and villas I think 5 rooms in total. It is best to book in advance as they have a large fan following.

website is Jungle Retreat Wayanad: Wayanad Resort, Wayanad Home stay, Wayanad Farm stay. Perfect place for honeymoon in Wayanad and wildlife in Wayanad and phone nr is 9742565333. You can ask for Anil who is the owner, had the pleasure of interacting with him each time I was there and he is also an avid wildlife enthusiast. My wife calls him Rajanikanth - not because of the way he looks, but because of his humility. It is a rare thing among homestay owners these days.

I stayed in the wooden cottage, it is the one that gives you the best views of animals. Regarding the distance, I think the Tiger was not more than 300 ft away from our cottage. It stayed there for a good 5 minutes before the attention from the deer and langur got too much for him and he then turned and walked away.

Well, the part where the cottages are, it is surrounded by electrified fencing and that keeps most of the bigger animals away. You see elephants walking around inside the farm even in the mornings, but they are always on the other side of the fencing, so you are safe. You are advised not to walk outside the fencing even during day time because of the presence of elephants - there were loads of them each time we visited. The fencing doesn't do much for the deer and boars - you will find them inside the fencing eating grass. I dont think one needs to worry much about the Tiger so close to the room, they have nothing to do with humans and they usually keep well away from people. But I think he was there because of the wateringhole they have inside the farm. We did see lots of pugmarks near the wateringhole and the other factor could be that there is enough and more spotted deer in the meadows at all time.

When we visited them in December we could hear the mating calls of the Tigers from the nearby mountains and one night we could actually hear the mating happening. They are loud and noisy when they are mating, kept hearing it almost entire night and I don't think it was happening from that far away either - was a thrilling experience listening to them in the night. We were advised not to shine the torch to look for them, didn't want to disturb them in the act.

Some more pictures from the last trip



Took this from the lunch area - has excellent views


Elephant Near the watchtower


Perhaps the biggest male Tusker there, saw a few Tuskers, but this guy was large - in terms of height and weight. Most of the other Tuskers were skinny with bones sticking out, but not him.


Up close and right next to the fencing


Another guy - the difference in bulk is noticeable. The house on the far end that you see is again a part of jungle retreat, but they won't let guests stay there because it is outside the electrified fencing.



This is the cottage I was talking about, has nice views.

The sit out, lilly pond, watchtower and the Tusker

He is the caretaker Pramod. Doesn't speak much, but knows the jungle better than most.


This is the spotter, she was the one who gave the alarm call which intimated us about the presence of the Tiger

[joe1980]

A silly question may be. What happens when one is on foot near to the fence and there is a Tiger sitting on the other side (exactly on the place where the above photo shows). I don't believe that the fence is high enough for a Tiger or may be I'm wrong. How would you assume in such a situation?

[Rameshdude]

We had also been to Wayanad during the Easter weekend. We covered 900 kms in 3 days time. Had been to Sultan Bathery, Thirunelly, Tholetty sanctuary and Muthanga Sanctuary. Unfortunately the sanctuaries were closed. We went upto Nagarhole,But the forest department refused to let us enter. They said either we travel upto Mysore or don't enter ! It seems it is illegal to go to the sanctuary and return. Our vehicle would be seized ! Strange rules. On return from Nagarhole, we saw the Jungle Retreat resort,but we never knew it is such a beautiful place. Would love to stay there next time. Return,we picked the wrong time. We started by 10.30 am,by then the whole of Easter vacation people, and others were on the road. it was literally very slow traffic on either side. And I had been driving for 3 days, my left hamstring was feeling the strain. (maybe next buy,should be a AT). Attaching a few pictures.

Greenery all around

Look at the roads at some places.

[Rameshdude]

A few more pictures. We could see quite a few lonely tuskers.
The forest officials are strict,we are not allowed to stop even for few min. A quick stop,and a picture. Ofcourse,animals have the right of the way.

[CountDracoola]

Originally Posted by joe1980

A silly question may be. What happens when one is on foot near to the fence and there is a Tiger sitting on the other side (exactly on the place where the above photo shows). I don't believe that the fence is high enough for a Tiger or may be I'm wrong. How would you assume in such a situation?

Well, the first thing is, we were lucky to see the Tiger from the room. Anil and co mentioned that there were only a handful of occasions where they saw the Tiger from the farm it self. After all, why would the Tiger want to come to an area inhabited by humans?
I think the reason she was there was because -
1) Plenty of prey, there were lots and lots of spotted deer in the meadows, found them there always during our visits
2) Water - there is a watering hole inside the farm that attracts all kinds of animals.

So to answer your question, I don't think we'd find the Tiger sitting on the other side of the fence and I also don't think they'd want to stalk and attack a human - unless of course it is a man-eater.

If you do find the Tiger there, consider yourself lucky and click away!

[gadadhar]

WOW, Spotting King of the Jungle from your verandah is like a dream come true. Off late I feel the place is becoming commercialized after addition of the 3 new cottages, sourcing food from outside etc. Last time when I was there, a group of middle aged guys who after drinks started chasing the elephants in the field with a flashlight (believe me, they did it and the poor tusker fled the scene). Anil used to be very choosy about his guests earlier, but again cannot blame him for the behavior of few guys.
Whatever said and done, this place remains dear to me, called Pramod last week to book for Aug 10th weekend and found it fully booked

[Soccerfan]

Luckiest day of my life. Spotted the king by the side of the road near Tholpetty checkpost (When coming to manathavady from tholpetty) around 7.40PM. He/She was just lying down . Enjoyed the moment for around 15 mins before we moved own . From the locals came to know that this spot is a frequented one by the big cat during night. So anyone coming this way, keep looking on your left side, around 2-3 kms from tholpetty checkpost. Just at this spot the road turns slight right and then left.




I didnt take my SLR when me and cousins went for the night drive :(. The poor pic is from a Galaxy note. the pic is blurred , but the image in my mind will be there till my last breath, crystal clear. all muscles in my body were tingling for 2-3 mins after I spotted it . amazing feeling!!!!!!!!!!!

[CountDracoola]

WOW, Spotting King of the Jungle from your verandah is like a dream come true. Off late I feel the place is becoming commercialized after addition of the 3 new cottages, sourcing food from outside etc. Last time when I was there, a group of middle aged guys who after drinks started chasing the elephants in the field with a flashlight (believe me, they did it and the poor tusker fled the scene). Anil used to be very choosy about his guests earlier, but again cannot blame him for the behavior of few guys.
Whatever said and done, this place remains dear to me, called Pramod last week to book for Aug 10th weekend and found it fully booked

I think I was lucky in getting a booking for the 10th and 11th, booked 2 months or so back, could have met you there! Yes, hope it retains the charm and the only way to do that is by leaving it as it is. The moment you over-commercialize it, it becomes just another "resort". I don't know if you have noticed, Anil would correct you if you would use the word "resort" to describe the farm. I think he is a bit allergic about that word and I hope he continues so.

Heard it is raining heavily in Wayanad, hope to get some sightings - else we would just enjoy the rain. Would be my 5th visit here in the last few years, very close to my heart as well.

Luckiest day of my life. Spotted the king by the side of the road near Tholpetty checkpost (When coming to manathavady from tholpetty) around 7.40PM. He/She was just lying down . Enjoyed the moment for around 15 mins before we moved own . From the locals came to know that this spot is a frequented one by the big cat during night. So anyone coming this way, keep looking on your left side, around 2-3 kms from tholpetty checkpost. Just at this spot the road turns slight right and then left.

Thanks for the pics and I'll definitely keep an eye out. If I remember correctly, there is a bridge somewhere there, right? Is it close to that? Is it between the bridge and Tholpetty or after the bridge towards Mananthvady?

[abheekg]

Great spotting sir but a small request from my end to mthe moderators is to edit this post and remove the exact location of this shot as this is outside the core and unprotected. Who knows, a poacher may be reading these posts with interest.

Pray continue , your reports of the kerala wildlife are unparalled. God willing one day I will be there to document these parts soon.

Dr. A Ghosh

Originally Posted by Soccerfan

Luckiest day of my life. Spotted the king by the side of the road near Tholpetty checkpost (When coming to manathavady from tholpetty) around 7.40PM. He/She was just lying down . Enjoyed the moment for around 15 mins before we moved own . From the locals came to know that this spot is a frequented one by the big cat during night. So anyone coming this way, keep looking on your left side, around 2-3 kms from tholpetty checkpost. Just at this spot the road turns slight right and then left.

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I didnt take my SLR when me and cousins went for the night drive :(. The poor pic is from a Galaxy note. the pic is blurred , but the image in my mind will be there till my last breath, crystal clear. all muscles in my body were tingling for 2-3 mins after I spotted it . amazing feeling!!!!!!!!!!!