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-   -   Our Wild Classroom - Panna Tiger Reserve (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/213938-our-wild-classroom-panna-tiger-reserve.html)

I was up at 5am, that too without an alarm! Forests can do things to you, and surprisingly our 'civilized' bodies somehow adapt very soon. It took me a second to realize where I was, waking up to the sounds of birds is pure bliss.

I was at our camp bordering the Panna Tiger Reserve. I stepped out of the cottage and took a massive breath, could feel the difference, deep cleansing.



I just closed my eyes to listen to the morning news, a peacock was calling out in the distance while the Savannah Nightjars were ready to call it a day, spreading the news of the night before they would become invisible to the naked eye.




Half a dozen Green Bea-Eaters were already setting their industries running and Woodpeckers were already up and about.

There are 2 ways of living, one can step out and not hear or see a thing or one can experience all this. Of course it needs re-learning, I say re-learning because we have and yet had all these senses but over the period spent in our civilized world and our concrete jungles, we become opaque to the beauty around us.





But once we learn how to see and listen again - we can truly enjoy what we have been missing.

This is where I usually head out to whenever I need to find myself. Mukesh was walking towards the cottage with my morning cuppa, by now I had moved to the hitherto empty platform looking out for any signs of travelers going back home.

Today there was only one, a lone Egyptian Vulture who had decided to spend the night next to our camp, maybe it had a late evening party.



As I sipped my tea, I informed Mukesh that I would be going out now and asked him to let our Naturalist know, he nodded. He knew my schedule well, that I would now head out to catch the early morning action.

We crossed the temple and headed out towards the river bank, my aim was to capture raptors which are usually active near water bodies. A trio of Pied Kingfishers were busy in indulgence making plenty of noise taking turns swooping down and diving, touch n go.





A lone Painted Stork stood in deep meditation, Open Billed Storks had started circling the water body, a few Purple Herons here and there. A band of Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage seemed to be sitting in an ice skating rink – for a second I almost forgot that they were on water.







As we trudged along, treading carefully not to disturb the peace and quiet with clumsy steps, here we reached a tree where another neighbor had signed an autograph.
True wonders of nature, these sloth bears - I mused to myself. A reluctant species which totally likes solitude and prefers to be left alone, in case disturbed will not shy to even attack tigers, and tigers in return do respect them, any guesses why? Just look at the signature - will erase any doubts.



And there it was a majestic Crested Serpent Eagle, sitting high amongst the cluster of Neem, Sagwan, Mahua, Tendu and Tamarind. It had seen me long before I did and before I could think of getting some closer shots it flew away deeper.





Now I was in stealth mode, being very careful so as not to make too much noise and not looking in the direction of the bird.

And that’s when we heard it - a distinct Khokhorrr by the Langur, we stopped in our tracks. The alarm was repeated consistently, I had identified the location of the sound and now I could see it.

It was looking down at the forest floor, all my thoughts about the Eagle flew away with it for here was a situation which needed every bit of senses to be on high alert. In the rocky riverbed where we were, there was a distance of around 150-200 mtrs between us and the langur and whatever it was that it was looking at, was in this patch. Luckily for us, we had a big Arjun tree for cover and we stared back into the cluster of dried leaves, rocks and trees ,trying to pick up any movement, a slight flick of the tail, a corner of the ear …something at least. I had my camera ready. So far we had not seen anything, but the calls continued and since there was nothing else except the monkeys and us, it meant only one thing - we were being watched.

I totally believe and depend upon intuition, many a times we get a feeling of being watched and you look around and you will find someone staring at you. I know this a little too well and I get uncomfortable and I could feel that now.

There are times when you are excited about doing some things and then are times when you regret having ever thought about doing something like that - this was the moment. Thoughts racing in my mind on what should or can be our next step.

I was thinking and telling myself, that of course it was observing and probably waiting for us to leave, but the fear of the unknown and the unseen is the highest.
We kept looking in the direction of the call and still couldn’t see anything, just then we heard some loud flaps coming from the river bed and there flew 2 Greater Adjutant Storks and King Vulture, their presence was guarantee that there was a kill in the river bed.





And then it was over, the bad feeling went away and the Langurs stopped their alarm calls.

It probably took more time to type this than the sequence of events at that time, 5 seconds max is what we needed to look at those majestic birds and our quarry was gone, using the distraction to its full advantage.

This is how keen animals are in trying to stay away from us!

Now even the langurs joined us on the rocks and that gave a huge sense of security yet disappointment, that the animal in question was well beyond reach.

We took a few minutes here to relax our sprayed nerves, it was astonishing to experience how we both reacted to the situation - it is extremely important to keep calm quiet and focused because that will help you think clearly, a scared mind makes mistakes, unnecessary sound will prevent you from listening.
As we walked towards the source of the monkeys attention, it became all too clear - a Leopard.

We had come within 100mtrs on foot to one of the most elusive animals to be found in the wild and yet did not even see the tip of its tail.

https://youtu.be/b02Uss4RVbk

A few moons ago,

It was 815pm and I was standing near the kitchen, about to leave for the village to pick up some supplies when I heard the distinct sound of a leopard sawing.

The deep throated saw can travel some distance, and I guessed the leopard to be close to around 750mts from our camp, where a forest trail popular with the jungle beings met the road to the village.
My then chowkidaar though having lived a life inside and close to the Forests, had never in fact ever seen any wild cat in his life, so asking what he thought about the sound was useless, for he thought it was just some sound.

Without wasting any further time, I hopped onto the Scorpio and asked if he was interested in finally seeing some cats in his life. In spite of the doubt, he obliged and joined in.
I exited the gate and turned right towards the village, this road is winding but as straight as might be possible in a forest area, now I just had to take one left turn and drive maybe a 100mts and I would reach the junction.

I crossed the junction - no one was there, but something told me it was close-by.
After the junction, the trail has a gradual climb and meets another trail near a rocky outcrop. I was about to reach the apex of the climb and then I noticed the movement, right next to road hiding behind one of the bushes next to the rock was a big male leopard, upon seeing the vehicle, he nonchalantly walked back inside the forest, sawing away to glory as he walked back in, totally thrilled but it was over by the time I finished saying Wow!

A little ahead from here is an open patch of land separating the jungle and the farm lands.
Now this spot is fairly wide maybe a little over half an acre with a few rocks in the center, the rock was straight in my line of sight and then totally unexpected, out came a female leopard, she tried to crouch down behind the rock but as it was not that big and anyways since her cover was blown, she made a beeline to the forest which was just a few bounds away for a leopard.

Now this was double whammy and a totally unexpected one at that, if I had bought a lottery ticket I would have probably won the Bumper draw tonight. The remaining route was uneventful and though I kept my eyes peeled on the way back, the romantic couple had either made their back to the forest, or had crossed over after we left.

It was then I realised that my chowkidaar had not said a word so far, I asked him how did he feel and asked him if he knew what he had seen, he said Sir 'Sher tha na who' (Sir it was a Tiger right) I explained to him the difference and showed him pics - needless to say he had a tale to tell at home.

In him not having seen a leopard in his life lies a very important lesson on peaceful coexistence. There are many villages which border our national parks and reserves, and there are many which are even inside or near to core zones, but yet these villagers don't go around looking for animals and are only busy trying to earn a living and unless in case of a conflict, most have never seen any apex predators. And the same holds true for animals too, who are only trying to survive and coexist peacefully.

I would now leave you with a few pictures from in and around the camp.

Excellent narration! Enjoyed reading the leopard sighting.
Wonderful pictures too!

It is always special to be close to the roots i.e., Nature, from where we have grown. Your photographs do lend an absolute justice to the pristine environment which encapsulates the beauty of wildlife.

The photograph showing the ‘Autograph’ of the Sloth Bear, tends to give goose-bumps to me. clap:

Thanks mate for sharing.

Excellent pics and narration. Felt so close to nature and the fresh air breathe to rejuvenate. Nothing like that !!

Would you help PM the cottage and stay, safari booking details etc. Please PM me if you feel free to or post. Which is the closest airport or railway station.

regards
prsn

A very unique style of narration, loved every bit of it.
Is this your Private Property or is this available for general wildlife enthusiasts ? If you don't mind sharing the details would request you to.

Thank you!

Thank you! Yes, that's the essence of being alive. More often than not, we lose track of this. Those 3-4 inch claws are certainly goose-bump worthy!

I think it will be prudent to add details on 'How to get to Panna Tiger Reserve', thanks for the suggestion, will do. Rest will PM you.

Thank you, will PM you the details.

There is so much more in a forest for one to learn and experience; every tiny thing happens for a reason and its pure poetry unfolding in front of you. Will keep updating this.

Cheers,

Reading a travelogue with some thrilling narration after quite some time. Lovely experience you have had there. Pics are top class

Beautiful photos OP!

Interesting fact: My father was the first & founding Director of Panna NP. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of this park. Good to see it portrayed so beautifully in your photos here.

What a coincidence, i am from that region and have been to national park and around 100+ times in day and night. You may know Ken River lodge :)
half a decade back big cats population was dwindling, how is the situation now?

Great Travelogue. The narration was very captivating. Which camera & lens did you use to capture the birds?

Thank you! I used a Nikon D7000 paired with Sigma 150-600 for these.


I have always believed that life is a circle and that belief is getting proven everyday that it is in fact a much smaller circle than one can imagine. What coincidences and certainly a privilege to know, this is crazy. If memory serves me right, Panna National Park was founded in 1981, and I can only but imagine what it must have been at that time.

@ Shubhendra - looks like we have a few things in common, Panna & Pune included. It would be great to catch up, will drop you a PM.

The situation has turned for the better and is a role model in its case of being one of the most successful turn-arounds for a Tiger reserve which was literally poached of all its glory. At present the numbers are over 40-45.

I will attach one of my favorite pics (posted on Tiger Day) which I had clicked of the Queen of Panna T-1 looking back at me, in one of my earlier visits. It had felt apt to add the poem from the movie The Grey - best describes the current state and battles that the pride of our country has to go through.



T1 is one of the most successful Tigress' siring most of the cubs who now form the current population at Panna. I also do have a family pic of T1 with her fifth litter T151 & T152) of which T151 is now known as Rider - a very bold Tigress, definitely not pertrubed by vehicles.

For all readers,
Note: (T1 denoting that she was one of the first of the nine tigers to be relocated to Panna as part of the reintroduction plan
T151 denoting that, she is T1's 1st cub from her fifth litter, T152 would denote 2nd cub)

Cheers,

A great travelogue. The photos are as beautiful as the narration is.

Super narration, almost poetic!

How far is the camp from Pune? How many can be accommodated?

Are there guided navigation into the tiger reserve available as well?

The lock-down has given some much needed time to sort out the tons of footage that gets accumulated.

And within them lie the exciting encounters that a forest provides, again I would reiterate that one must not venture into protected areas without due permission and always have an authorized local Guide/Naturalist along with you at all times, the difference can be lethal. A lifetime of experience in the Jungle teaches a lot of things, most importantly it teaches one when and how to react, and this is important if one wants to return back on their own two feet.

While roaming the forests, it also gives me the opportunity to indulge in my second favorite sport of driving on trails and off-roading. Mind you all of this is need based and not for pleasure, forest trails need to preserved and while driving in such areas one SHOULD always stick to the trails which are in use and not make new ones.

Making new trails spoils the entire ecosystem around as multiple vehicles start using it. Its a folly to think that I will be the only one crossing so that is ok, because the Forest floor has memory and the trails/tracks made last for weeks if not months.

The river here is one which we need to cross once in a while, due to the extended rains this year, it still has plenty of water, the depth of which is visible once the vehicle wades through it. The ground below is soft and slushy coupled with smooth roundish rocks, which make traction a difficult task.

Added to the fact that my Scorpio is a 2WD was an element which needed to be factored carefully, getting stuck would mean a definite recovery which is OK but in order to get to recovery, it would need us to walk to a point where we would get mobile reception.

The odds in my favor were
- I knew my car well
- I had driven on this river bed before

This gave me enough confidence to go for it and the Scorpio performed flawlessly, albeit with a little hesitation towards the end where the rocks were too slippery.

https://youtu.be/duHKaf7J89w


Thank you Maverick0986, sorry for the delayed reply, hope you enjoy this part too!


Thank you Rahul! Am glad you enjoyed reading it, yes Google Maps can guide you right to the camp.


Cheers,

Of Leopards and Bears ...

We had been hearing about the Leopard and in fact some sightings from the villagers as well, reportedly of a Leopard with a cub. Now this was welcome news, but it also meant one thing, loss of livestock left astray.

The mother was coming out in the evenings training the cub the nuances of hunting and for a young leopard, a prey proportionate to its size is needed, which in this case were goats.
A few hunts hunts were carried out, unfortunately I was not at the camp during that period else would have tried to capture some action, such is life.

The villagers I must mention are very accommodating of such attacks and of course there is monetary impact, but the Forest Department has worked a lot on compensation model which has worked in their favor and deterred them from carrying out acts of vengeance.

During the Diwali week, we reached there with family for a well deserved break. One of the evenings while enjoying the evening sky with some amazing company, we heard the distinct alarm call of a Nilgai.
Nilgais are almost always quiet and hardly make any sounds even to communicate among themselves.
The call was coming from the field right behind our camp and we immediately rushed towards the Machan to see what was going on.

The machan like the name suggests gives us a vantage point over the surrounding areas and provides for a great spot for birding and other sightings such as this. With flashlights put to good use, we located a herd of 8-10 Nilgais (Blue Bulls) which was in the field, all of them on high alert and focused squarely on the bushes lining the fringes. With the evening fog settled in, visibility was not the greatest but still the powerful flashlights picked up 2 pairs of glowing amber eyes. We shut off the lights as we didn't want to disturb the hunt which was in progress and the leopards had to cover some bit of ground before they could come within pouncing distance of the Antelope (Nilgais are in the Antelope family)

Apart from me and wifey, for the rest of the family this was a first time experience and something which they would talk about for a long time.



Not the best resolution but Nilgais are visible in this image.

I believe that feeling the presence, using all your senses to understand the movement, trying to listen to sounds and different alarms provide a learning which is otherwise not possible if the Leopard were to let's say present itself daily at a certain time.

Panna Tiger Reserve, apart from Tigers is well known for its population of Leopards, Hyenas and Sloth Bears. The topography of the region, the numerous hills dotted with caves and gorges, provide an apt landscape for these lesser cared denizens of our Jungles.
It pains me that there is hardly any statistic available which tells us their current population.

Now I had heard plenty of stories about Sloth Bears and how they move around in our area almost on a daily basis. But in spite of spending so much time over 3 years I had never seen one clearly.
The only time I had seen one was once while driving to the camp post sunset, a Bear had crossed the track, with agility which defied imagination, so much that only I could catch a glimpse.

This left a definite void and the desire to see one grew exponentially. Of course I had seen plenty of tracks made by them, lot of tell tale signs of their visits, all attributed to the fact that they are very clumsy in their feeding habits.



Evenings at the camp usually includes a short walk or drive along with our Naturalist and one fine day my prayers were answered.

Its funny with wildlife sightings, you can go out in the forest with anticipation for multiple drives without sighting anything and when you least expect you are rewarded. The point is that one must enjoy every moment spent in the forest and not be focused on any particular species.

So like any other day we were returning back to the camp in the car and we thought we saw a fresh pile of Nilgai dung (Nilgais have a habit of dropping dung all together and at one place), since we had not noticed it while going, I got out of the vehicle for a closer look.

The time was around 730pm and quite dark, I had my flashlight with me and then I saw it... just around 100ft to my right was a Sloth Bear and of course he had seen me pretty much at the time I got out of the vehicle and started doing normally what all animals would do - move away.

It was my good fortune that I caught the movement due to my flashlights wide range of focus and was able to capture this footage 'On Foot' :D:D

There I used both the smileys from the quota because nothing, i repeat nothing comes closer to the thrill and excitement to experiencing something like this 'On Foot'.

https://youtu.be/lGnnqsbd7BQ


I couldn't help but follow the Bear for a short distance before he climbed up a ridge and was no longer in my line of sight - which would now put the Bear in charge of the situation.

I did not venture further and headed back to Scorpio with a grin as wide as the vehicle itself. After many years I had finally sighted one of the most underrated animals of the Indian forests.

But lady luck was shining in all her glory, as we continued back to the camp, we had probably covered around 300 mtrs when again we came to a clearing and their he was again, the Bear was there as if waiting for us and gave an opportunity for a better and closer view which we thoroughly enjoyed after switching off the vehicle.
In the background you will hear the two nocturnal birds which are active in these forests, I will leave the identification to the reader.

https://youtu.be/fTzW2o0bjCg

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed narrating the same, in the coming days I will try to share a lot more of these stories and experiences plainly because they need to be told.

Cheers,