[Stryker]

Yes, you read the title right. Again. As in, once more. One more time. I can't get over it myself. Read on.

This has been quite possibly my longest break between visits to Kabini. I visited in February and had my first darshan of the Dark Lord. You can read all about it here. Kabini - The Dark Lord. I did visit once in May, but it was a quick on-the-fly thing as I was in Mysore for a wedding and also saying Hi to my horde of relatives there. No sightings during that one day visit, so I didn't post anything here. After that, I was unable to take a break for various reasons, personal and official. I usually make it a point to chuck everything and just go, but this time I couldn't do that. I hope there won't be another break this long ever again.

Being the Christmas Day weekend, we could get bookings only for Thursday/Friday night so we decided to go ahead instead of waiting another few weeks for a weekend booking. Boy, are we glad! I never imagined we will get another darshan of Kabini's most famous citizen this time too. Most people who see him are fortunate to have seen him at all, let alone twice. People like Prakash (one of Kabini's safari drivers, who says he has seen the Dark Lord seventy three times) are not to be counted. There are very few people like me who are not either drivers or local naturalists who have seen him more than once. We are indeed fortunate and ecstatic to have seen him again.

We are on the road to Kabini during the Solar Eclipse, I take this near Mandya. Cloudy day, but that actually works in my favour as it acts as a ND filter against the sun. This was taken on my iPhone.


By the time we check in to JLR, it is quite bright and sunny again.


We don't have any big cat sightings in the first two safaris. Obviously, we are disappointed but the other beautiful animals of the forest are always around.

Like this peacock up on a branch. A heavily backlit situation, so I have to overexpose a lot to get the peacock visible instead of becoming just a silhouette. Some creative post processing in Photoshop gives me this.


A Green Bee Eater keeps watch near the backwaters. A very colourful little bird, this.


A trio of Spot Billed ducks swim away from us on the blue, blue, water.


A Darter (also called a snake bird) dries off after a swim.


We come across a small herd of Gaur and one of them crosses the road right in front. She is so close that I just manage to fit her in the frame at 200mm.


A Crested Hawk Eagle (aka Changeable Hawk Eagle) strikes a pose late in the evening.


An exquisitely lit Hoopoe up on a branch. Oh, to get a leopard in this light!


A Sambar gracefully trots across.


Third safari, late in the evening. We are just roaming the forest in Zone A somewhere on K.V. road, Blackie area, hoping for a glimpse of the Dark Lord. He has not been seen for more than a couple of weeks now. We are hearing loud alarm calls from a Barking Deer which is itself hidden somewhere. We are sure there is a leopard nearby and keep our eyes peeled looking in the general direction, when my friend's son excitedly whispers "Leopard! Leopard!" We are all up in a flash, desperately trying to spot the animal where he is pointing. A small blur of orange brown disappears into the bushes by the side of the road. We slowly drive up there and down in the bushes, we see this.


A baby! It has gotten away from its mother and has crossed the path, thus separated. The mother has most probably killed the Barking Deer's mate or baby. She won't come to retrieve her cub until she has secured the kill by dragging it up a tree, as she is probably aware that her cub is in no immediate danger from say a roving tiger. In the meantime, we get more shots of the super cute cub.



It is waiting for its mother to come retrieve it, but we are in the way.



We decide to back off a bit and let the mother come for her baby. A long wait ensues, about half an hour or so. The light dwindles fast and it is getting quite dim. Slowly, she comes. The Barking Deer is still loudly protesting the disaster that has besfallen her.


She is very wary of us, constantly keeping us in sight while searching for her cub. She growls once to let the cub know she is here.


She searches for a bit, by this time the cub has stepped inside the forest out of our sight.



One last look at us, to ensure we are not going to follow her inside and she is gone.


All the mother leopard shots are taken at ISO 5000, which explains the grainy images. We high five each other and leave the area. This is most probably the Dark Lord's mate and cub and we are sure he is around somewhere. There are rumours that he has been hurt in yet another fight and is recovering from his wounds. Rowdy fellow, this black panther.

Oh, did I mention we are the only vehicle to have spotted the mother and cub? Gives me bragging rights back at Golghar, the restaurant in JLR. Lots of PYTs squealing over my photos of the cub. That is a different kind of high!

Just when we are exiting, we see this young Gaur suckling its mom. Again, they are very close and fitting them into the frame at 200 mm takes a bit of seat juggling and leaning right back out of the vehicle.

[Stryker]

Last safari of the visit. We want to head back to the area where we saw the mother and cub last evening. Prem, our driver and expert tracker, says there is a good possibility that they both may be there in the same general area, as there is a kill. However, as soon as we enter Zone A, we hear Spotted Deer warning calls. The small water pond near the entrance is still rippling, a tiger has been here just a few minutes back. We know it is a tiger, as leopards don't come to this particular pond. We follow the Spotted Deer calls and sure enough, out comes the tiger. Or tigress, to be precise.


It is still very early in the morning, just past 6:30 AM. The light is very low and there is a bit of fog as well. I am back at ISO 5000 to get a half way decent shutter speed, with my aperture as wide open as possible. f/5.6 in my case.


She is walking right in front of us. I tell Prem to stop and let her move off a bit. But there is another vehicle behind us, wanting to get ahead, so we stay close. Fortunately she gets back on to the side and we are able to get better pictures.


She is still too close and it is still not bright enough. We photograhers are never, ever satisfied. But slowly I get enough distance to fit her into the frame. She sniffs up a tree to check who was here before.


And decides that this is her territory, so she sprays the tree to let others know.


A morning stroll to let the forest know that she is here, this is her territory and she is willing to fight anyone who disputes it.


And after ten minutes of gracing us with her presence, she slinks back into the undergrowth.


After a sighting like this, I am left feeling generally blessed that I could see a majestic animal in its natural habitat. Again we high five each other and move off. We are happy that we have seen a leopard, its cub and a tigress in this visit. We can't ask for more, but when it rains, it pours, right?

We are heading back to the place where we spotted the leopards. On the way, we see a rare White Bellied Woodpecker hammering away at a tree, to get the tasty insects inside.


A family of Wild Boars, with the little one very curious about us.


Right, we are back at the same place. There is another vehicle already on location, having heard of our sighting last evening. Their driver says there were some low growls a few minutes ago. We think the mother is in there somewhere calling to her wandering baby. The deer are alert, an indicator that they can smell a predator. See their little white tails up? All of them looking in the same direction? One of them is even giving out alarm calls.


We are expecting the mother, but lo and behold! Out steps the Dark Lord himself! Wow! This is unexpected and everyone is scrambling for a better view. He steps out behind us, which is doubly fortunate for me because we are the hind most vehicle in the bunch, giving me a clear view. Except one gentleman in the last seat of my car, whose head is in the way. And he won't sit down! Bad behaviour, but when it is the Dark Lord, not everyone is considerate. I can't blame them.


I quickly jump over to the back of the vehicle and position myself perfectly for what I know is coming. The sighting of a lifetime! Meanwhile, the Dark Lord is busy marking territory. Like someone would dispute it with him.



He slowly steps out onto the path. We are positioned slightly below him, in a kind of dip in the terrain. This gives me an eye-level view of the Dark Lord. But he is heading away from us! Ayyooo!!



I am willing him to turn, some of the others are even begging him to look around. "Turn, turn, turn" goes the crowd. And let me tell you, there are four vehicles here positioned in various angles. So there are about 25 people, which translates to some really loud whispering.


Maybe he hears us, maybe he wants to know what has got us so excited. Whatever, the Dark Lord looks back at me and I get the shot that many wildlife photographers would sell their first borns to get.


Four seconds later he is still looking at us. In that time, I've got about 40 shots, all of them picture perfect, even if I say so myself.


He walks away and some trees get between me and him, so no more good shots of Kabini's most famous citizen, the rockstar, the one and only Dark Lord. But I'm not complaining for once. I've got what I have dreamed of, ever since the Dark Lord was first seen here, several years ago. Future visits will always be compared against this one sighting and until I see him again, if ever, I am one satisfied photographer.

I'm no longer suprised at the high ISO performance of the Nikon D500, nor its ability to grab focus and hold on to it in very challenging situations. The photos of the leopard cub with so much foliage right in front of the cub is a case in point. I know my old D7200 would have struggled to achieve focus in this situation. Most other cameras also would find it tough. But the D500 still manages to nail the focus exactly where I want it. The Nikon 200-500 lens is the perfect companion for the camera, doing everything I would want of it.

It has been a very productive visit this time. When the most famous eyes in Kabini look directly into your eyes, a shiver runs down the spine, the heart rate jumps up, the breath catches in your throat, the fingers quiver and you know that this is why you are here, this is why you keep coming back, this is the high you crave. I just hope my future visits are half as productive as this one.

As ever, I hope you people enjoy these photos as much as I enjoy taking them. Until next time then, bye and drive safe.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful photographs, again.

[rupdeb]

The last two photos are amazinggggg! I believe any big cat looking back at you is probably the best frame one can get. A leopard, a tiger and the melanistic leopard in a single trip that is some luck and tracking skills combined. Just a query isn't that a blue-tailed bee eater? I read it yesterday in Sanctuary Asia group of Facebook that there is a single black panther in Kabini, do you have any idea about that? The Nikkor 200-500 is a beast of lens for the price it is available for and paired up with a D500, the system offers unparalleled speed and focussing.

Regards,
Debrup

[shankar.balan]

What a superb set of pictures especially those of the Dark Lord.
Wonderful and thank you for sharing these!

[SideView]

Originally Posted by Stryker

As ever, I hope you people enjoy these photos as much as I enjoy taking them. Until next time then, bye and drive safe.

Awesome pics.

Super jealous, had been to Bandipur safari for a team event. Forget dark lord we didnt even get to see spotted lord nor the stripped lord (or any wild animals in general except deer). I blame the timing, our safari was booked for 8:30. (3k down the drain )

[Thermodynamics]

Woah, You must be kidding... After reading your last report on black panther, I visited Kabini although wild life is not my cup of tea. I took the early morning safari bus. There were die-hard photographers with us I suppose from the size of their bazookas. Some were fighting for a window seat that I occupied. Some got bean bags/stand for lens. Some even protrude half out of window. Every one was excited, 3 hours of safari and we barely managed to spot a fox.

Envy you. You must be having good luck moles. Or perhaps there is a correlation between Solar eclipse and animal behaviour or am (it cannot be a phase lag of 24 hours though ). Anyway, those are fantastic shots. Thanks for sharing your gear and photography details and for writing this excellent report in such a short period.

[speedmiester]

Amazing photographs. You are one lucky person to find the elusive black panther and get the pic of a lifetime.

[manjubp]

The last photo is now my screen saver (hope it is okay). What an amazing photo of The Dark Lord. You are fortunate and lucky. Even after multiple visit to Kabini, we are not able get a glimpse of the Dark Lord. Only in captivity @ Shimoga's Lion Safari, we are able to see him. It is so painful to see such a magnificent animal in captivity.

[NPV]

@Stryker - lovely photographs, great sightings and thanks a ton for sharing

The Dark Lord pictures are simply out of the world

[The Observer]

Fantastic shots @ Stryker. Thank you so much for sharing these beauties.

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Beautiful photographs, again.

Thanks, CrAzY dRiVeR.

Originally Posted by rupdeb

ust a query isn't that a blue-tailed bee eater? I read it yesterday in Sanctuary Asia group of Facebook that there is a single black panther in Kabini, do you have any idea about that?

Thanks Debrup. Indeed it is a blue tailed bee eater. Thanks for the correction. My bad.

Yes, there is only one black panther in Kabini. I believe there are very few others in India, in other wildlife sanctuaries like Anshi-Dandeli in Karnataka, Tadoba in Maharashtra. But this one seems to be the most photographed individual.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

What a superb set of pictures especially those of the Dark Lord.
Wonderful and thank you for sharing these!

Thanks, shankar.balan

Originally Posted by SideView

Super jealous, had been to Bandipur safari for a team event. Forget dark lord we didnt even get to see spotted lord nor the stripped lord (or any wild animals in general except deer). I blame the timing, our safari was booked for 8:30. (3k down the drain )

Thanks, SideView. For your info, I've been to more than a 100 safaris in Kabini over the last several years and I've managed to see the Dark Lord only twice in all this, so it is not a regular sighting. No need to feel disappointed, hope you have better luck next time.

Originally Posted by Thermodynamics

Woah, You must be kidding...
...
Envy you. You must be having good luck moles. Or perhaps there is a correlation between Solar eclipse and animal behaviour or am (it cannot be a phase lag of 24 hours though ).

Thanks, Thermodynamics. As I said above, a big cat sighting is not a regular thing, requires a lot of tracking, patience and one should be prepared for frustration. I do seem to have better luck than most and I thank my stars for it, but again that isn't a regular thing. There have been many safaris where we haven't seen anything. In fact, the first two safaris of this visit too, we didn't see anything other than Spotted Deer and some birds. Not even elephants, which is surprising for Kabini.

Incidentally, the sightings were about 48 hours after the eclipse, not 24.

Originally Posted by speedmiester

Amazing photographs. You are one lucky person to find the elusive black panther and get the pic of a lifetime.

Thanks, speedmiester. I just hope the luck lasts!

Originally Posted by manjubp

The last photo is now my screen saver (hope it is okay). What an amazing photo of The Dark Lord. You are fortunate and lucky. Even after multiple visit to Kabini, we are not able get a glimpse of the Dark Lord. Only in captivity @ Shimoga's Lion Safari, we are able to see him. It is so painful to see such a magnificent animal in captivity.

Thanks, manjubp. The secret to sightings is quantity! More safaris you go on, the better the chances. The law of averages will work in your favour sooner rather than later. I didn't know there is a black panther in captivity at Shimoga. Sad, as you say. I don't like zoos in general.

Originally Posted by NPV

@Stryker - lovely photographs, great sightings and thanks a ton for sharing

The Dark Lord pictures are simply out of the world

Thanks, NPV.

Originally Posted by The Observer

Fantastic shots @ Stryker. Thank you so much for sharing these beauties.

Thanks, The Observer.

[Sunny_ST3]

Amazing photographs and thanks for giving us new destination to ride. Leopard in bush is amazingly captured. That "Dark Lord" is simply outstanding . After "Bagheera", we got alternate name for our loved ADV's.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Stryker you seem to have been striking the nail on it's head Must say that you were very lucky with the sightings of the leopard, the tiger and the dark lord in your Safari.

I have been wanting to do Kabini since a very long time now and your travelogue is just making me restless and making my desire grow leaps and bounds endlessly.

Keep sharing such beautiful experiences !!

[SkyWraith]

There is only one word to say for all these photographs.
AWESOME.
The dark lord, the cub and it's mother, tigress and all the birds. Every picture is awesome.
Going to use them as wallpaper. Hope it's ok.
I am also really jealous of you. Unlike you I am very unlucky when it comes to Wildlife sightings. Hope one day that changes and I also can see the Dark lord.

Thanks for sharing. Hope to see more.