One Crazy Safari
Published on: 02/12/2019
Photo title: leopard
|Photo Credits: Bhargava Srivari
Some safaris are so ‘dry’ that you are frantically hoping to see some form of life even if that form of life isn’t a big cat or a natural history moment. Then there are safaris where it rains big cat sightings to the point that you leave one big cat encounter and go looking for the next. Of course, at least for me, the former is much more common than the latter. On this blog, I narrate one of my most cherished jungle drives on which I saw predators like never before.
I and my mom were in Kabini in the peak of winter, and on this morning were the last ones to enter the park. All the other guests chose to go into the park from an entrance where a Leopard was seen the previous evening, hoping that the big cat made one of the trees in that area its temporary home. We didn’t want to end up following every other vehicle in the park, so I asked our naturalist to head to the same broad area but from a different entry into the forest. Although this approach meant we would head to the area where the Leopard was seen much later than the others, I found the idea to be acceptable as the dense mist was impacting visibility anyway.
Not more than a hundred meters into the park, our naturalist whispered the golden words everyone hopes to hear in Kabini, “Sir, Leopard!”. Sure enough, there he was right on the forest dirt track, a huge male Leopard walking ahead of us. Upon seeing us, he decided to alter his course slightly and walked off the track nonetheless still confidently gaiting towards his point of interest. We quickly caught up with his position allowing me to get a few pictures, and then we heard a series of cacophonous calls from Langur and Spotted Deer from the other side of the road. Our naturalist thought at first that the forest dwellers were reacting to the presence of this Leopard in the area, but soon enough the calls grew more and more panicky indicating that the root cause of these calls was a different one.
We left the Leopard to his routine and proceeded to an opening in the forest from where we would have a view of a small pond which was frequented by a resident Tiger. As the pond came into view, I noticed there was indeed a majestic striped cat that had come down to the water for a drink causing the jungle to come alive. We spent a few minutes composing images of the Tiger in the thick foliage on the edge of the water when to our utter surprise we heard more alarm calls ahead of us, and with this incredible luck of already having seen two big cats in less than 500 meters of being into the forest, we decided to go ahead and check the source of the new calls. Sure enough, we found another predator, this time a pack of Dholes (more common as the Indian Wild Dog) on an early morning hunt.
Photo title: tiger
|Photo Credits: Bhargava Srivari
The pack managed to bring down a Sambar Deer quite effortlessly, which they polished off in less than 10 minutes. With the Dholes wandering off into the bush, we decided to go back to the pond where we saw the Tiger and wait it out to see if either the Leopard or the Tiger would make another appearance. We spent most of our remaining morning here, and as the sun rose higher and it was time to head back to the lodge, our naturalist spotted a Tiger making its way to the water, AGAIN.
We assumed it to be the same individual we saw earlier, but it turned out to be a different one, trying to stalk Sambar Deer that were inside the water feeding on algae. The Tiger seemed to have a natural advantage here, with it being at a higher ground and wind blowing from us to the Tiger meaning there was no way the Deer would catch scent of the Tiger and bolt for their life. The Tiger was very patient and held its position waiting for the right opportunity to charge when the Deer were least alert but once again a troop of Langur spotted the Cat and went up in alarm, warning the Deer of the danger that was lurking behind them. With the Deer gone, the Tiger too headed back into the thickets thus bringing our action-packed safari to an end.
This drive was a learning experience for me, that no matter how long you have been visiting a particular forest, you can expect the unexpected and the forest is always a newer experience than it was the last time. Coming to think of it, this is as true for Kabini as it for any other park in the world.
Bhargava Srivari
Bhargava Srivari is a management consultant by profession and a wildlife photographer by passion. His work has been published in national and international magazines and newspapers, and he was recently awarded the distinction of Associate of the Royal Photographic Society Great Britain which is the oldest photography society in the world. he can be contacted at srivarib@gmail.com
The Tiger of the Skies: An encounter with the Peregrine Falcon
Butterfly Safari in the Western Ghats: a possibility? - Part 2
A Photographer’s Guide to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve - Light, dust, dramatic skies and the art of capturing desert wildlife
Butterfly Safari in the Western Ghats: a possibility?
Desert Bones and Dust Trails: Reading the Kalahari’s Ancient Ground
Life in the Sands: The Surprising Riches of the Kalahari
Peek into Coorg’s Culture at Madikeri’s Government Museum
The Kalahari in Miniature: What You Miss When You Only Look for Big Game
Anegundi’s quiet empire of women: the banana-fibre story
Little Feet, Ancient Rhythms: Young Keepers of the Kodava Culture
Water, Wildlife, and the Art of Waiting in the Kalahari
Tracking Wildlife: What the Sand Tells You in the Kalahari
Singing of confluences, tangible and intangible
Strange Encounters: What We See and What We Miss
Water, Stone, and Empire: Reading Vijayanagara in the Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace
The Unusual Suspects: Creatures You Didn’t Expect in the Kalahari
The Ultimate Family Safari: Multigenerational Travel in Africa Creates Unforgettable Bonds
Locking Horns: An Afternoon with the Other King
The Arboreal By-lanes of Coorg: A Street Photographer's Foray into Bird Photography
Lone Warrior: An Encounter with the Grey-headed Fish Eagle
Under the Kalahari Sky: A Journey Through Africa’s Night Sky
Reptilian Sibilances, Mollusc Stillnesses, Fern Rustlings
Sri Purandara Mantapa: A hall that echoes the raagas of devotion
Cultural Extravaganza: Kodava Music & Dance Forms
The Kalahari Skies: An Everchanging Canvas of Colour
The San People of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve: Guardians of an Ancient Culture
Anegundi: ‘Monkey Business’ in the ‘Elephant Pit’
African Wild Dogs - one of Africa's most captivating carnivores and most endangered species
Discovering the Brown Hyenas of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
An Aural Journey through Nagarahole: The Sound of Life
Five Wildlife Sightings You Can Expect Without Going on Safari
Into the Valley of Deception: The Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Cup That Cheers: The Changing Taste of Coffee
Craft Calling: Traditional Lambani Arts and Crafts and the Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra
An Aural Journey through Nagarahole: The Language of Deception
An Aural Journey through Nagarahole: The Sound of Tardiness
Taking Terrific Photos on Safari: Getting the Trophy Shot
Adapt and Survive: Reaching the Pinnacle of Specialisation
Into the night – nocturnal life in the Kalahari
An Aural Journey through Nagarahole: The Seen and the Sawing
Hampi Ruins in the 1900s: Stellar Photographs From A Forgotten Historical Text
Touring Kabini with Your Eyes Closed: An Aural Journey through Nagarahole: Alarms True and False
North Karnataka’s Threesome — Badami, Aihole, & Pattadakallu
Hampi Ruins in the 1900s — The Gateways into the City
A Lone Porcupine fights off an entire pride of Lions!
The cute little denizens of the Kamalapura Palace, Hampi
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Jallad Roti | Akki Roti
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Qubani ka Meetha and Shahjahani ka Meetha
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Murgh-e-Lazeez
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Nizami Machali ka Salan
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Dum ki Nalli
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Anapa Ginjala Pulusu
An Aural Journey through Kabini: Pre-Dawn Critters and Jitters
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Raan-e-Kamalapura
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Baghara Baingan
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Natukodi Pulusu
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Tondekai Palya
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Royala Igaru
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Koli Chuttada
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Karibelle Cutlet
The Battle of Talikota and the Sacking of Hampi
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Kori Ghee Roast
Ten Interesting Facts About the Kalahari Desert
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Vazhachundum Thoran
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Mezze Platter
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Grilled Pork Ribs
An Aural Journey through Kabini: The Beginnings
Harihara & Bukka: founders of the Vijayanagara Empire
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Pazham Puzhungiyathu
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Peppercorn chocolate mousse
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Kabsah Laham Bis
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Vazhakanda Thoran
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Banana Bajji
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Pazham pori
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Joojeh – e – Koobideh
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Vegetable Kurma
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Pandi Curry
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Kerala Fish Curry
Nalknad Palace – off the beaten track in Coorg
Designing the Sidapur Coffee and Culture Museum
Why you should put a backwater boat safari at the forefront of your Kabini visit – 2
Why you should put a backwater boat safari at the forefront of your Kabini visit – 1
Chikka Veerarajendra of Coorg and his Thirteen Wives
The Architecture of Ainmanes: Form follows Function
Kodava Ainmanes – the heart of the Kodava Clan
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Sutta Sigadi Mathu Hannugalu
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Masala Raagi Cheela
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Tandoori Zaffrani Paneer & Tandoori Phool
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Tumbida Ginnu
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Raagi Mudde Bassaru
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Hurida Meke Mamsa
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Masala Hoo Kosu
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Kuruba Adina Saru
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Sutta Naati Koli
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Savatekayi Suttadu
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Kendadali urida sigadi mathu meenu
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Bidirinalli Beyisida Koli
From the Kitchens of Evolve Back – Hurida Koli
First glimpse of god – the Black Panther of Kabini
The Battle of Raichur: The Beginning of the End