Elephants playing with one another at the Manas National Park in Assam, India
This will go down as probably the best moment of all my travels. Setting out early to spot wildlife and birds at the Manas National Park in Assam, I came across a herd of elephants on a dirt track about 50 metres away from me. Initially they seemed just like a couple till I realized they were a full herd – and hidden in the trees and foliage around the track. And what do I see?
They kept coming in and out of the greenery, from babies to giant male members. And all seemed in a jovial mood. They were playing together, pushing each other into the bushes, climbing on top of the other and engaging in friendly duels. I could have watched them for hours – you rarely see such sights. Don’t miss out on their expressions – some are actually laughing.
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This trip was sponsored by TripAdvisor.in and Yatra.com.
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Assam,
Elephants,
forest,
Great Himalayan Drive,
Manas National Park,
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I finally crossed back into India after three weeks in Nepal as a part of the Great Himalayan Drive; I had entered the country on its western border and came out from the west into India’s North-East. The plan was to keep driving till the Himalayan roads ended in Arunachal Pradesh – a long journey requiring multiple night halts. The first of these happened at the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary.
I never knew of this forest’s existence until I started asking around for a place to spend the night. Seems like it is quite a popular destination especially amongst Bengali travellers – the two Government run lodges were both full up. But I was lucky to get a room in the Hollong Lodge, located deep inside the forest – the management usually keep a room free should a last-minute VIP land up. My luck no one ‘important’ was passing that day. It turned out to be a gem of a property – will write about it later for sure. [continue reading…]
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Bisons,
Deer,
forest,
Great Himalayan Drive,
Hollong,
Jaldapara,
Rhino,
Rhinoceros,
sanctuary,
wildlife
A wild male tusker comes looking for a 'female friend' at the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Chitwan National Park, Nepal
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Valentine’s Day can be a lonely affair for many. When it is for a wild male elephant on heat during its mating season, it could spell bad news.
The morning of day 18 of the Great Himalayan Drive started with animated excitement all around Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge, the property inside Chitwan National Park I was staying in. A wild male elephant had sauntered in, walking around the camp. It made its way through the driveway, around the dining area, the front lawns before making his way to the elephant stables. [continue reading…]
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Chitwan,
Elephant,
forest,
Great Himalayan Drive,
National Park,
Nepal,
Tiger Tops,
Tusker,
wildlife
Valentine’s Day is a day of hugs and kisses from those who love you. Not one to be told there is no love lost between you and a rhinoceros.
Out for a jungle walk in Chitwan National Park, I was hoping to see some exotic animals and birds up close and personal. Even a tiger if I am lucky – not giving much thought to what happens when you see a tiger in the wild without being on a jeep or an elephant.
After some tame sightings, we came across a rhino lurking in the tall grasses about 20 feet from the track we were on. As I fiddled to get my camera settings right, I failed to hear some snorts from the big animal. I realized something was amiss when my guide started beating a stick on the ground, making some incoherent noises and gesticulating in the direction of the rhino. In what seemed a long time, the beast must have chosen to play it safe and walked away. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Chitwan,
forest,
Great Himalayan Drive,
National Park,
Nepal,
Rhino,
Rhinoceros,
Tiger Tops,
wildlife
How interesting can journeys get? Very, if you are headed to Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Chitwan National Park in Nepal.
I set out from Kathmandu to Tiger Tops, one of the few places to stay deep inside the forest. And possibly the best considering they have been the pioneers in wildlife tourism in Nepal for decades. The first challenge was finding Meghauli Airport. As I got approached Bharatpur, it was tough to find someone who knew about this airport. I was repeatedly directed to the more popular Bharatpur airport. Eventually though I did reach the correct one.
Tucked away in the forest itself, it seemed more a grazing ground for goats and cows than for flights to take off and land. I would learn later that only limited flights came in, almost exclusively for the elite guests of Tiger Tops. My car would go no further – I had to park it in a private garage of Tiger Tops at the airport. [continue reading…]
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Chitwan,
forest,
Great Himalayan Drive,
National Park,
Nepal,
Rhino,
Rhinoceros,
Tiger Tops,
wildlife
Topslip is located in the Anaimalai Forest Range bordering Tamilnadu and Kerala. The erstwhile Anaimalai Wildlife Santucary is now known as IGWS – Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. A Forest Preserve, this range houses a variety of wildlife and birdlife. Wild elephant and bison sightings are quite common. Quoting from an article in The Hindu, “The IGWS and National Park harbours over 250 species of birds of 49 families and is enormously rich in other biodiversity. According to the latest reports India is home to nearly 1,300 bird species in the diverse habitats.” The neighboring Parambikulam Sanctuary is to the West of Topslip in Kerala.
[continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Anaimalais,
Elephant,
forest,
Safari,
TopSlip,
wildlife
By Shivang Mehta and Kahini Ghosh Mehta
Deep inside the heavily wooded forest of Corbett National Park rests a Machaan that gives shelter to hundreds of photographers, naturalists and tourists visiting Corbett every year. Approximately 30 feet in height, this old machaan gives a panoramic view of the picturesque Dhikala grasslands and the Ramganga river that supports a multitude of life forms in Corbett National Park. “The forest is always buzzing with activity,” I realized this when I spent my 3 hours on this watchtower for the first time in early 2003. Since then the watchtower has been my popular hotspot and has played an instrumental role in helping me witness some of my most memorable wild moments in Corbett National Park. [continue reading…]
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forest,
india,
Kahini Ghosh Mehta,
Kumaon,
naturewanderers,
Tiger,
Wild,
Wilderness,
wildlife
If you read about the injured leopard cub in the forests of Ranthambhore in Rajasthan in India on a previous blog post here, and saw an earlier video here, this may be of interest to you: Lakshmi (that’s the cub’s name) is now growing, and is being taught to hunt so she can one day be left back to survive in the forests on her own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvnNOgemNOw
Tagged as:
forest,
holiday,
india,
leopard cub,
Rajasthan,
ranthambhore,
sanctuary,
travel,
wildlife
This is the story, so far, of a female leopard cub rescued by the forest department in Ranthambhore in Rajasthan in India.
For starters, why did the cub, now called Lakshmi, need to be rescued ? There were two theories going around when I visited the forest during the Christmas week of 2007. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
forest,
holiday,
india,
leopard cub,
Rajasthan,
ranthambhore,
sanctuary,
travel,
wildlife
