[issigonis]

But where o where is panthera tigris tigris? Where is it in the forests of the night?
Regards

[Roshun]

I'm sweating. The tension in the air is palpable. "While I was clicking the boulder at Aam Sot, I heard a..." Go on, go on, the suspense is thrilling. Next installment please.

Cheers,

[wanderernomad]

GD Bhai ek jungle mein do sher nahin ho sakte. Next time you ought to stay back for the family to see the other one. But excellent pictures I must say. You are quite a BIRD WATCHER, experienced too. And I just could not resist noting the zoom levels on the DOE CROSSING.

[ashthedivx]

I believe it is the picture of the kids we were talking about !!

[gd1418]

Isn't that what everybody looks for when they go to a sanctuary.

Originally Posted by issigonis

But where o where is panthera tigris tigris? Where is it in the forests of the night?
Regards

Switch on the AC in youyr office or car. Nest installment on the way Sir..

Originally Posted by Roshun

I'm sweating. The tension in the air is palpable. "While I was clicking the boulder at Aam Sot, I heard a..." Go on, go on, the suspense is thrilling. Next installment please.

Cheers,

Sir, main sher nahin hoon. Main to Bull hoon. Thanks wander. I sure am a Bird watcher but of the different kind. Isn't the doe beautiful, petite and ravishing? BTW, there are equally zoomed pics of stags as well.

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

GD Bhai ek jungle mein do sher nahin ho sakte. Next time you ought to stay back for the family to see the other one. But excellent pictures I must say. You are quite a BIRD WATCHER, experienced too. And I just could not resist noting the zoom levels on the DOE CROSSING.

Ashish, I didn't understand your post..???

Originally Posted by ashthedivx

I believe it is the picture of the kids we were talking about !!

[kpzen]

Stunning wildlife photography !!

KF with a fish (am i right ?) in its beak is awesome.

Mahout's kids pic - u captured a nice candid moment there.

[ashthedivx]

Originally Posted by gd1418

Ashish, I didn't understand your post..???

Arey dada you were asking me to deliver picture to corbett naa.. Is this was the picture ??

[ranjith.rajaram]

Originally Posted by kpzen

KF with a fish (am i right ?) in its beak is awesome.

+1, for the KF. Excellent snap

[gd1418]

Thanks Prajesh. And yes, you are right; it is KF with a fish..

Originally Posted by kpzen

Stunning wildlife photography !!

KF with a fish (am i right ?) in its beak is awesome.

Mahout's kids pic - u captured a nice candid moment there.

Oh yes Ashish, this is the picture that I was talking about..

Originally Posted by ashthedivx

Arey dada you were asking me to deliver picture to corbett naa.. Is this was the picture ??

Thanks Ranjith..

Originally Posted by ranjith.rajaram

+1, for the KF. Excellent snap

[lordofgondor]

GD sir, you have captures the sights of the forest, and it's fauna, so well that I can almost hear the sounds while watching those pics and reading your narrative. Truly splendid!

[Irish]

Originally Posted by gd1418

The kid sitting on the right hand side, wearing a sleeveless, is the girl and aunt of that boy. Her name is Saheba.

I was also thinking about the same but since you asked to guess, then I thought that it should not be that easy. So I guessed wrong.

Anyways, waiting for a tiger.

[gd1418]

Thanks lordofgondor. Glad that you liked.

Originally Posted by lordofgondor

GD sir, you have captures the sights of the forest, and it's fauna, so well that I can almost hear the sounds while watching those pics and reading your narrative. Truly splendid!

Lol.. Me too waiting..

Originally Posted by Irish

I was also thinking about the same but since you asked to guess, then I thought that it should not be that easy. So I guessed wrong.

Anyways, waiting for a tiger.

[gd1418]

End of the first day jungle safari

Before emabrking on this trip, I had read in the papers and also seen in the news about the raging jungle fire in Uttarakhand forests. This year it was quite severe. Locals in the Corbett Park told me that it had not rained properly in these areas for the last two years.

This was quite evident with the dry beds of the "perennial" sots. The Kosi too had shrunk considerably in width.

In the morning I had seen some large patches of burnt forest, including huge Sal tree trunks. I had assumed that it could have been the yearly selective burning of the grass that had gone wrong or out of control. But it wasn't so.

As I moved further, I saw these results of devastation. While the tree trunk showed no signs of burning, this bellowing smoke from within was the sign of the raging fire in the tree's belly.

The burning Tree Trunk







This devastation resulted in the lessening of the grazing grass and hence according to the guide, the prey had all moved to the higher reaches near Jhirna and the predators too had followed them. The Bijrani resident Panthera Tigris Tigris had temporarily shifted to his/her cousin's home in Jhirna. Isn't that we all humans too do in times of adversity?

The closing time of the Park was nearing and with disappointment writ large on our faces we slowly moved through the thicket & the grassland towards the exit.

A startled Sambhar Doe in a distance looked at us intently.

Sambhar Doe



Asiatic Elephants of the kind found in our jungles are a bit shorter in height compared to their African bretheren. They are of two types - The normal bull with tuskers and then without tuskers called Makhna.

As we proceeded further we saw some movement in the thicket and some rustling sound. Excited, inched closer only to see a herd of 4 elephants almost not visible due to the high elephant grass, having a mud bath.



Mud Bath



Going home with Mud Pack



Elephant grass thus called, because it can hide a full grown elephant within.

After watching them for sometime proceeded further and saw this barking deer rushing away to safety. It crossed a group of Langurs who were squatting on the ground. The guide said that the Big cat is nowhere nearby, hence these primates were squatting on the ground without fear.

Barking Deer





Squatting Langurs



Moved out of the jungle, reached our resort, tired, dusty and hungry. We all had a quick shower, changed clothes and proceeded towards the dining area, where a wildlife picture on the Asiatic Elephants was being shown. Saw the movie, listened to some Kishore Kumar numbers from Jimmy.

Had dinner and went off to sleep, with better luck & hope the next day..

To be Continued....!!

[jacs]

Originally Posted by gd1418

The burning Tree Trunk

Nice pictures and writeup again. The burning tree trunk is my first sight, but sad to see a grown tree giving up its life.

[gd1418]

Thank you Jacs. Yes indeed it is sad. Though it is said that a picture is worth 1000 words, one really has to see to understand the scale of devastation..

Originally Posted by jacs

Nice pictures and writeup again. The burning tree trunk is my first sight, but sad to see a grown tree giving up its life.