The Jungle, an addiction! Nagzira Wildlife Sanctury

Its 4.30 in the morning and we sit silently at the balcony of our log hut. We hear the dew drops fall. One of the many magical moments for me at Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary.
This thrilling property is right in the middle of the jungle! The nights here are alive with calls of different animals. The leapords are known to frequent this place in late nights. And so on the light outside the room or stepping out of the hut is prohibited.

Afternoon view from our stay place

This magnificent jungle is only 3 hours away from Nagpur. On our safaris we spot the neelgai, numerous deers and missed the leapord just by a few minutes. Our best citing was that of wild dogs eating their prey. While one dog eats, the others keep a watch around. Food is important after all, For all. Period!

The wild dog

Our first cold night at Nagzira was spent in the tents alongside the bonfire. While my friends played cards even in the wee hours of the night, I kept myself busy with the bonfire. 

Tent stay just outside the Sanctury

We clubbed Umred Sanctury too on this trip. Umred is lesser known place to tourists and therefore has a rustic charm to it. But nothing compared to the beauty of Nagzira!

This was one of the most memorable trip for me not only because of the beauty of the jungle, but the amazing people who came along. It was an excellent combination of a doctor, engineer, wildlife photographer and 2 social workers! Phew! And we had a blast!!

Watching.. from the watch tower!

The Jungle an Addiction: Tadoba Wildlife Reserve

Green Rustic Exciting TADOBA

This is what I felt when I first entered “The Real Land of Tigers” as the gate at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) describes it.  About 180 kms from Nagpur via Chandrapur, this wildlife sanctuary is a well known reserve for tigers and other wildlife species.

On this trip to Tadoba in the monsoon, I was accompanied by Shalik and Manisha. The journey from Nagpur to Mohurli was marked by flooded fields and broken bridges and Shalik’s tales of the jungle. When he accidentally spotted a tiger; when sometimes his instincts would push him in the direction of the royal animal or when he saw wild dogs going for a kill of Sambar fawn.  Exciting!

After a four hour drive, we checked in at the MTDC hotel which is easy on the pocket with decent rooms. A pre- booking for safari and hotel is a must.

The next day, we were the first ones to enter the park. The jungle as always is beautiful. It is lush, alive and bright. We were greeted by thick vegetation and trees on both sides of the road and the cold fresh breeze. Manisha christened the little streams on the road as “baithe hue jharne” or sitting streams. We remembered the owlets who greeted us at a particular tree at Kanha National Park. And I longed to see owlets even here (which I happened to see the same night just outside our room).

Bison.Pic by Manisha.G

Being in the jungle gives me sense of freedom. I taste it when I stand on the jeep and feel the breeze across my face. At that moment there is no office or nagging colleagues; worried parents or a tensed me to pay rent. When I am in the jungle, I just am. Nothing exists before or after. It’s just is.

On our safaris we saw numerous birds and animals. A beautiful huge eagle welcomed us on almost all our safaris. The ‘Stork-billed Kingfisher’ greeted us thereafter. We were told it is a difficult site but well, as luck would have it, we caught it on camera FIVE TIMES on that day!

Picture by Shalik Jogwe

I wondered if it was for real, the jungle, rustle of the leaves, chirping birds and insects. It is so amazing that such beauty exists. We spotted a mongoose crossing the road and soon after a number of peahens. Manisha prayed to see a peacock and we saw one that day. She then prayed for a dancing peacock. But hello! When do all prayers get fulfilled! The treat of the day was the bunch of wild dogs we saw in the evening. 

Wild Dogs. Pic by Manisha.G

Villagers in Melghat call the wild dogs the real king of the jungle; a thought fiercely challenged by Shalik- a royal tiger lover.

During one of our safaris, the sky poured its heart out to us. The jeep splashed the water on us driving through the “baithe hua jarne”. We shivered against the wind and water. We got drenched. We just loved it. 

Even though Tadoba is known as the land of roaring tigers, we didn't spot any on this trip. But no regrets as the beauty of the jungle made up for it. Tadoba is rustic and beautiful. The villagers here have been employed as guides or drivers for the safaris. If you know the right people, you may be welcomed for homestays where you can experience the simple life of the village. We had the opportunity to visit Ganesh’s house, who was our driver.

We visited Tadoba to visit again. To organize your trip to Tadoba Wildlife Reserve get in touch with Shalik Jogwe, who organized this trip for us. His email is tadobatiger@gmail.com.

The Jungle an Addiction: Kanha Wildlife Sanctuary

It is said that Rudyard Kipling wrote the jungle book inspired by the beauty of Kanha. After reading the book and visiting Kanha myself, I felt that the beauty and serenity of the jungle can never be captured in words. Visit the jungle once and it becomes a part of ones existence. For me it is becoming an addiction.

On this trip, I was accompanied by Manisha. We would get up as early as 4.30 a.m. to be ready for the early morning safari.. Once out of bed, our first words would be, “will we get to see Munna today? And the other would respond with an affirmative “of course”. 

Munna is  a gorgeous tiger at Kanha famous for giving some amazing photography poses!

Kanha ka Munna:Pic by Shalik.J

The Kanha jungle is thick with sal trees, grass and bamboo. Some areas are also marked by meadows. Each and every road at Kanha has a story to it. Each and every part of the jungle is striking.

We saw numerous beautiful birds. by our third safari, we knew where they nested and caught them there almost on each each safari. We saw the knew we would find a kingfisher bird on a particular tree, the owlet on a banyan tree.

Owlet: Pic by Manisha.G

And yet each and every safari felt new. There were times when we would sit very quietly so the deer would be near our jeep or the egret would not fly away. 

The picturesque Kanha has numerous stories of tigers. It is a tiger reserve. But beyond the tiger reserve, the jungle itself is beautiful even in the harsh summer. There are water holes for animals at spots, the fire line to prevent fire. We are not allowed to get down from the jeep. They forest department tries to keep it “human free” as much as possible.

Like I said before, the jungle is known for its tigers. Each and every guide and driver is tuned to listen to the “calls”. That’s the way birds and animals communicate to be safe,, They make calls i.e a particular noise to communicate danger or to call for mating.

Manisha and I wondered what if human life was like the animals- eat, sleep and mate!! :P Our driver told us that it is not that simple for animals, including the tiger. Hunting for food, or protecting oneself from danger is a work for animals. The jungle has its own rules and animals follow a simple rule. “you don’t mess with me, and I won’t with you”.

One of our guide said” the jungle is the territory of animals. And no human should ever forget that” if he/she has to survive here.”