[gd1418]

6th June, 2014 - Evening

This was the last safari for all of us and especially for me the final one in R'bore. The last of this season. My annual quota of 12 safaris would be over, but this year it turned out to be 16 safaris including the four that I did in December '13. HJ came to my room and said he and his friends had to catch the 9 pm train to Delhi and then a flight to Chennai, hence wanted to finish the afternoon safari early so as to be back in the room by 7 pm. Did I have a choice? I agreed.

The jeep came at 3:30 as the ground temperatures were around 48+ and no movement would happen before 5 pm. The moment I saw the driver, I jumped with joy. He was my favourite and the daring Mohan Singh. My guide Rajesh Gujar & Mohan Singh make a killer combination.

Since we had not pressed for any particular zone, at random we got Zone 5. I internally groaned. Every single bone in my body rattled and every single muscle ached. Zone 5 would add to the misery. HJ was very happy with this zone. He had a burning desire to see Machhli - T 16, the Grand Dame of R'bore.

Well, we went to the end of zone skipping Bhakola and on our way back waited at the 'छाठा' - a man made water-hole near Dhaakda as one of the sub-adult male cub of the Late T 17 was seen by some forest guards around 1 pm drinking water. But HJ wanted to see Machchli. So we went to Handpump area that she was known to frequent regularly and laid anchor there. Lots of juvenile & adult Paradise Fly-catcher were flitting around and HJ went berserk clicking them.

Because of Machhli's age and her inability to hunt as before, the forest department has assigned one forester exclusively to track her daily on foot and report to HQ. We saw forester Mohan Singh coming on foot scanning the ground & the surroundings carefully. He came near us and we started chatting. He gave one piece of information - Machcli would come to the water around 5:25 or 5:30. She had been doing that regularly for the past so many days.

And this was the time we had to leave the forest if we had to reach our rooms by 7. With a heavy heart we left and reached our resort by 6:50. Bid good-bye to Hansraj & Mohan Singh and retired to our room.

Why no pictures? I didn't see anything interesting to shoot..!

HJ & his friends came at 8 to take leave from us. We had a wonderful time for the last few days together.

I was scheduled to leave the next morning around 10-11 am so took things easy and also to recover.

The score - 5/7...

7th June, 2014 - Morning

Got up late, chilled in the room and by 10:30 was ready to leave. And now the bad news - Nafees Mohammed a very senior and reputed naturalist and a friend, called me and informed - "भाईसाहब, आज सुबह से जोन थ्री लोगों के लिए खोल दिया गया". Goddamn..! This is the zone where Krishna - T 19 with her three newborn cubs stays. Before this zone was closed, Krishna gave tremendous sightings with her little cubs to all & sundry. 

Had I known earlier, I could have done the morning safari in Zone 3 and then left for home. My bad luck.

Said good-bye to Guddu Bhai and left. I had enough time and drove sedately stopping enroute at Alwar, Tijara & Bhiwadi. Reached home by evening.

Thus ended my R'bore trip for this season and for the next three months will satisfy myself with regular inputs from the various forest of North & Central India. Hope you enjoyed my narration & pictures. Thank you for staying with me..

[v&v]

GD bhai, some great pics. Looks like i missed lots of action... Hummm need to make up. May be an October opener or a Dhikala trip...

[gd1418]

Yes Vinod, at your cost I gained...! But I hear HJ is planning something in the first week of Dec and he told me that Anand has dropped out and you are there in the team. That makes it three and he has asked me to join.

But I have not yet confirmed since my office project doesn't end anytime before 24th Dec.

Originally Posted by v&v

GD bhai, some great pics. Looks like i missed lots of action... Hummm need to make up. May be an October opener or a Dhikala trip...

[vickzkool]

GD
Another quality log , fantastic pics delivered with a brilliant narrative accompanied by a great sense of humour , I have spent my entire weekend going through every post of yours both in this and Sariska thread , words cannot be expressed to mention the joy you have given me , unfortunately this also means I will be bugging your for info regarding Sariska and Ranthambore , I'm planning my holidays around Nov / Dec and thanks to your logs both the places feature in my top destinations priority list. Once again thank you very much for sharing all your pics and for all the in depth details , mesmerising log definitely !

[gd1418]

@vickzkool: Thank you so very much for liking and appreciating. Kind words such as those from you and others are a source of major encouragement to me and in that process I get to pursue my passion for wildlife with greater vigour & zeal.

Originally Posted by vickzkool

GD

Another quality log , fantastic pics delivered with a brilliant narrative accompanied by a great sense of humour , I have spent my entire weekend going through every post of yours both in this and Sariska thread , words cannot be expressed to mention the joy you have given me,

I shall be delighted to share whatever information I do have about these two sanctuaries.

Thanks once again..

Originally Posted by vickzkool

unfortunately this also means I will be bugging your for info regarding Sariska and Ranthambore, I'm planning my holidays around Nov / Dec and thanks to your logs both the places feature in my top destinations priority list. Once again thank you very much for sharing all your pics and for all the in depth details , mesmerising log definitely !