[anjan_c2007]

It was a great day for all of us. The team of participants was different. Many of us had met for the first time after a long, long gap of more than four decades. Yes, they were all my school classmates - a total of 45 of them. They had come from as far as Kanpur, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Aurangabad, Chennai, Rajnandgaon and other places. Those located abroad were unable to attend. We had a gala get-together at Nagpur on 14.02.2019, visited our alma mater, handed over a rolling trophy for the worthy student to the Principal Father Prasanth, planted a sapling at our school playground and had a dinner party that evening at a local hotel also honouring our surviving ex- teachers.

Coming to the topic, we all departed for Pench by 9.00 am on 15.02.2019 by road, for a two day stay at a resort there. The departure was on our individual cars/ SUV's. I took my Mahindra Scorpio. The journey took us through NH 44 and we were all at the designated Resort within two and a half hours. It was nearly 105 kms it was from my home to the resort near Turia village, Seoni dist (M.P.). The drive on NH 44 is a pleasure but only after passing Kanhan town. The road is in tatters within Nagpur due to the ongoing Metro work. The constricted road continues till the Automotive square towards Kamptee. The volume of traffic is excessive on the Nagpur - Kamptee stretch, where there are parts being repaired and widened. Kamptee town has always been a nightmare for motorists to pass through and to add to the woes, now the stretch between Kamptee to Kanhan is being widened, throwing traffic out of gear.
The fully done up stretch of NH 44 between Mansar to Khwasa is where one can make up for the lost time. I touched 110 - 120 kmph (I am never a speedster but the road is OK for 120 kmph) in a few stretches here. The road stretch from Khawasa towards Jabalpur for quite a few kms passes through the Pench Reserve Forest and is now being widened to a four lane after getting clearances from the courts. The Maharashtra portion on this NH is still being constructed while most of it on the M.P. side is ready. There are many underpasses on this stretch for wild animals to cross over.

We took a left turn from Khawasa town towards Turia. Turia is about five kms from the junction connecting it with NH 44. This narrow, single lane stretch is metalled and OK but narrow and even if a Maruti Gypsy comes along, both the vehicles have to partly leave the road to make way.
The Resort was a haven of comfort and we all after paying tributes to the CRPF martyrs, gathered to exchange pleasantries. By evening there was a hailstorm with heavy rainfall. The Met had predicted thunder and heavy rainfall for two days. The rain gods though spared us the next day. We were also to be much blessed due to the wet spell with almost no dust due to the muddy roads within the forest area.

Our safari was to start early in the morning the next day viz. 16.02.2019. The Gypsys (a total of seven to accommodate all adventurers) were at the resort at the dot viz. 6.00 am. Not all of us ventured for the safari, but I along with nearly 35 of us ventured.
We lined up with several other Gypsys in tow, queuing up near the entry gate of Turia for entry into the Pench Reserve. They came along one after the other and soon there were more than 25 Gypsys, some with foreign tourists. The numbers most likely went up to 45-50 later. The forest department which controls the entry gate was swift and did its job quite meticulously, as the queue was cleared within minutes. We were among the top ten Gypsys in the queue. After checking our ID cards matching with the list and permission letter obtained earlier, we were allowed in. We were allotted a lady guide, who introduced herself politely as Anita with a “Namaste”.
The tranquility of the forest soon captured our thoughts with the bird chirping and the common langur shrieks all along. The Gypsys were allocated different routes to bifurcate and to avoid clustering of all in a single one.

After entering the Reserve Forest area, we could notice dead wood and some relics of animal to animal conflict. Tree trunks, branches and relics were all strewn and scattered in the forest area. Some antlers of male deer were observed. Some of these were shed by the male deer and these are found without the skull. However near a water body, antlers with part skull of a male deer was lying at a sighting distance from the road. The latter was indicative of a carnivore preying on the poor male deer. A male deer can be termed stag or buck, while the female deer is called a doe. Remember the song by Julie Andrews - Doe a deer, a female deer, ray a drop of golden sun, me a name , I call myself...... from hit musical "The Sound of Music" (1965). The young deer is called a fawn. The plural of deer is 'deer' though.

The first animals in the wild to be sighted were the langurs in their troops. They appeared to be extremely free, adventurous and in good mood as compared to their urban counterparts which sometimes look tensed, due to urban pressures. Lots of deer were also sighted all around. A very good sight was provided by the deer-monkey equation. Apart from the fact that these simians alert the deer about entry of predators in the area, there was another thriving deer-monkey bonding. Monkeys were perched atop leafy trees. Deer were located below such trees. The monkeys shook the branches and tore green leaves from atop the trees to allow the herd of deer down below to feed upon. In such locations , the grass below had dried up and the green leaves came as a bonus for the deer herds.
Lots of birds including the common, uncommon species and migratory ones were observed near water bodies and in other locations. Heron, kingfisher, myna, crow, jungle fowl, wild goose, wood pecker, egret, stork, parrot and many more are quite a common sight.

Amongst the mammals we could sight at a distance were neelgais, jackals (slim with a pointed and tapering nose), an Indian Gaur among others. There are 53 plus tigers in this forest area of 1159 sqkms and leopards are slightly more in numbers than the tiger population. An animal census was in process during our visit and our guide named quite a few tigresses (proper nouns) that had three cubs as of now, which were likely to jack up their numbers after this census is completed.
We missed a leopard sighting. This leopard was located speeding up a hillock by quite a few Gypsys. We reached a bit late and missed this sighting. After halting for quite a while, we realised that it was now futile to further wait.

Whenever a tiger or leopard is in the vicinity, the guides and Gypsys drivers use the phrase "Call aa gaya". It means there is a calling. By "call" it is meant that all lesser species shriek, make unusual sounds and warn of the impending disaster after sighting the feline carnivore. The guides and Gypsy drivers have a trained ear for such sounds and after the first Gypsy halts, others come along from distances upon hearing such a sound. Soon at least 10- 15 Gypsys congregate, waiting for a favourable sighting. Many such waits are futile as the carnivore disappears through some unseen route, hiding itself in the shrubs and trees alongside before disappearing.
Soon it was 9.00 am. The rainfall had made the weather pleasant and dust free. We drove to the other side of the Pench river to the north, where the Jabalpur district limit starts. This river here is the boundary between Seoni and Jabalpur districts. The Pench river bed was almost bereft of water. There are dams in the vicinity for water retention. Our Resort had handed over packed breakfast in our respective Gypsys and we had a sumptuous fill. Aloo paratha (paratha with mashed and cooked potatoes) , sandwich, some fruits and a cold drink tetra pack were all provided. We had enough and shared it with our driver and guide. The washroom here was huge and extremely clean. It could shame even some washrooms at various airports. There is a snack and tea stall here too. This area falls in Jabalpur dist. We got mobile signals here but were politely told by our guide Ms Anita that we were not allowed to use mobiles. The small bird population is hence thriving, sans mobile towers in the jungle area.
Our guide could spot a tree that had several scratch markings on its bark . These markings are made by a tiger who delineates its territory usually 10-20 sqkms. The markings are made by the tiger’s claws on its fore side. It stands upright on its rear feet, even jumps to display its tall stance and scratch the tree bark to shoo away other felines. The tiger urinates here around and this deters other felines to enter the prohibited area. Another tree called as the Ghost tree by our guide had a white trunk with very few leaves. These were ensconced on rock beds and it was evident that these flourished with their roots sometimes spread across the rock beds. The botanical name of this tree is Kulu tree (Sterculia urens) and for more than half of the year and is drought resistant.

After finishing the breakfast, we drove further crossing the Pench river again to reach back Seoni dist. limits. The fury of the sun was noticeable and sighting more wild animals was a foregone conclusion then. The deer and langurs though were commonly sighted. It was soon a changeover to the rhesus macaque or the red faced monkeys, that were a bit frail compared to the langurs. These were not much in population however. Another forest thumb-rule was evident. The langurs and rhesus monkeys do not co-habit the same locale usually. Since it had become sunny, we did not get any more good sightings and were back to the entry point to exit this time at 11.00 am sharp. The driver said that delays would mean fines and penalties like being declared out of bounds from forest duties for a specified period. A few days ago, one Gypsy driver drove closer towards a tigress that was sighted on a forest road. He was banned for a specified period. Tourists are not allowed to disembark from the Gypsys anywhere within the forest limits. No waste or litter can be thrown anywhere within the forest boundaries. Each Gypsy carries a waste bin along with hence mandatorily. Our guide Ms Anita said that they were paid Rs 360=00 per trip. Their allocation of duties is by turn and a roster is maintained. All eligible guides get such allocations for safaris not on a daily basis , but as per the attendance and as per the demand. Hence, it can be on a daily basis if less guides report or conversely once in a few days if more report for duties. It also depends on the tourist traffic. The Reserve is closed from June 30 till a date in September every year due to the monsoon season. The drivers and guides look for alternate employment during such lean phases. Ms Anita was extremely polite and thanked us all before departing. Some of the matter written by me is thankfully acknowledged to Ms Anita, who told us facts based on her knowledge and from her experience. The guide seat is to the extreme left on the last row in a Gypsy.
We saw two huge diesel buses with open roofs, deployed by the MP Tourism Department (MPTDC) and a new private Mahindra Scorpio Getaway. The Scorpio engine noise was a bit disturbing in the forest tranquility, while the crude diesel clatter of the MPTDC buses were extremely disturbing, especially for the wildlife. Being a government undertaking, we hope wisdom will prevail upon them to withdraw these and deploy ones with more engine refinement.

Not to let it go, many of us embarked on an evening safari again. Ten of us volunteered to go. Two Gypsys appeared at our resort by 2.30 pm. We were off to another forest adventure. Early mornings and evenings are better for animal sightings. The crowd of Gypsys had increased at the entry gate to about 30 or so and as usual, we were allowed entry in a quick process of checking of our credentials. Many more Gypsys came along soon after. It was evident that the Sunday crowd had started to trickle by that Saturday evening. Upon entering the forest area (reserve forest) we were again greeted by the sight of many deer of various hues, grazing. The black faced simians and the several birds were in tow. After driving through for many kilometers, we found about five Gypsys halting at a place. They had just sighted a leopard. The leopard had disappeared by the time we arrived. We waited for a while and then drove on. On a particular stretch, more than two dozen Gypsys, the MPTDC bus and the sole Scorpio had congregated. There was the "calling' with the chirp of the birds and shrieks by the deer. The langurs also made noises signifying alarm. About 150 meters from the road down the valley, hidden by the vegetation, a tigress was asleep with its cubs jumping around. Only the white stomach portion of the tigress with black stripes was clearly visible and its tail was wagging. One cub, only a few months old could be faintly sighted jumping over the mighty beast. These animals were visible from only a particular two metre stretch of the road, where so many vehicles had gathered. The drivers were quite disciplined to allow passengers to get a glance for a few minutes and drive away to make way for another vehicle. I could guess the futility of the use of my mobile camera, as any click would be leaving a big (?) on the mind of the viewer. Our friends during a safari on this route in the morning had sighted the same tigress with her cubs at the same place, resting. Our male guide told us that they are lazy animals and rest for upto 15 hours a day sometimes. Moreover, they are insecure with the cubs and do not usually move aimlessly. They ensure shifting from a halting place on a regular basis, to ascertain the fact that they have (in fact applicable for all felines) no permanent address in the wild. This is a safety instinct inbuilt within them to be safe from predators, who are usually wild dogs, leopards or even other male tigers, all likely to prey upon the little cubs. A cub (usually male cubs) can be on its own only after attainment of an age of 2 years. The female cubs though capable of hunting as 24 month olds, stay even longer with their mothers.

After the tiger sighting, we were lucky enough to site an Indian Gaur. So clean and mighty it was with its white fore-legs and the white enclave as signature on its head portion. It was a treat to observe the Gaur so close to the road. Thereafter, it was getting darker due to the approaching sunset. We saw the deer herds at many places and just while exiting by around 5.30 pm we again were told about a calling. Birds were chirping aloud and a sole jungle fowl was yelling. The sound was so clear that I will never mistake it now for another. Their shrieks are almost like the domestic fowl, but with a different and higher pitch with an aura of very slight crudeness. It was predicted that a feline was nearby. We waited for quite a while and since this part was not much far from the entry/exit gate we all decided to give it a try and wait till 5.50 pm. Nothing was in sight and the calling faded to the almost nil level. We were told that the feline (leopard or tiger) must have walked away through the bushes camouflaging itself from the onlookers on the road.

The male guide told us that wild animals sometimes walk upto the exit gate of the Reserve Forest. The nearby living quarters along the entry route had solar fences. The two live wires of solar fences were placed parallely atop the normal barbed wire fence. These solar fences give a mild but deterring electric shock to any animal wanting to trespass within.

Driving out from the exit gate, we had all enjoyed the opportunity of wild life sightings. The tigress as seen in the wilderness was a great achievement, though we could not photograph the beast and its cub/s. But all the same, we did not have the trip sans any tiger sighting, we can rest assured.

[anjan_c2007]

The pictures from Day One viz 14.02.2019. It started with meeting the Principal Father Prasanth of our alma mater, St Francis Junior College, Nagpur. A group photo, plantation of a sapling and handing over the rolling trophy to the Principal for the worthy student are seen. The evening function where our teachers were honoured is shown in a picture.

Thereafter the trip to Pench is covered. Two group photos there, my SUV at the resort and thereafter the safari pictures have been uploaded.

































The Ghost tree



The Ghost tree base rock steady !



A tree bark scratched by a tiger to proclaim its territory. Please note the height which is about eight feet. The feline has jumped and scratched the bark to show its size to its peers.

























Antler with skull remains

[anjan_c2007]

Some more wild life sightings :

[tsk1979]

Note from mod: Thread moved to travelogues section. Thanks for sharing!

[anjan_c2007]

A Gyspy engaged in the jungle safari at the Pench Reserve Forest:

[Maddy3008]

Sir, you have a knack of writing quite a detailed account ! Felt like I was reading a Kenneth Anderson book. Keep going to the jungles and keep writing, for a very few people these days do this

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by Maddy3008

Sir, you have a knack of writing quite a detailed account ! Felt like I was reading a Kenneth Anderson book. Keep going to the jungles and keep writing, for a very few people these days do this

Thanks friend. I am humbled

[Prav_Panther]

A nice detailed write up Sir. Feeling nostalgic after reading your meet up. I did my graduation from Nagpur. I lived there for 4 years. It's a beautiful city.