A Tusker on the Kabini Banks

As we approached closer to it, the big bull delighted us with some elephant ‘acrobatics’; he drilled in the mud on the river banks, flinging it in many different directions! The guests were excited to sight the giant so close to Kabini’s waters and gaze at it swing its long trunk.

Craning through my binoculars, I discovered that mud (a wet patch) was more prominent on the right of the pachyderm on its hind region, very close to its thighs. On further examination, I spotted a little wound close to the tusker’s thighs.

This large bull was really concerned about this ‘patch’ on his skin; the elephant was itching as the wound irritated it.

Hence the tusker used his indispensable tool – his trunk, to nurse the wounded spot by applying mud on it, flinging the mire to his right in the process. He then used his tail to massage the mud in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction on the wound and around it. This would also help to keep flies at bay.

When I explained to the guests accompanying me on the safari what was actually happening in the elephant’s mud ‘scub bath’, they were left spellbound.

The Healing Mud!

The Langur Troop!

However, the highlight of the evening was a Langur. Perhaps the leader of the pack, he was guarding his troop, perched comfortably on an uneven stump, surveying all directions possible for the presence of a predator.

He observed the bushes, once in a while throwing a glance at the Kabini waters, being on the lookout for his enemies – a leopard, tiger or crocodile.

The Primate Watchman!

I referred to the Langur troop as ‘the watchers’ as they spot the maximum predators, and ‘ring the warning bell’.

The Sambar!

The majestic Sambar can grow as tall as 150 cm at the shoulders and live as long as 20 years! Some males are also known to weigh up to 300 kg, and possess 90-95 cm long antlers that are shed once each year.

This deer is among the most preferred of the tiger’s prey, due to its sheer size! However, the deer possesses highly developed sense organs that also help it detect predators!

It was during a morning safari from Orange County, Kabini that we got to sight a Sambar stag with velvet on its antlers. As I explained to guests the role of the leathery ‘velvet’ that assists blood circulation in the antlers, we spotted another stag with fully grown antlers. It was a sheer spectacle watching the flamboyant stag slushing around and ‘posing’ for us in the process!

A Stag Displaying its Antlers!

Speaking their Own Language!

The bulls were within the bushes when we sighted them. However, our wait paid off, as after a couple of minutes, they came out to the view line. We moved our vehicle slightly forward, creating some space for the elephants to cross, imagining that they came for water.

We then witnessed the two bulls pushing each other using their bodies. Later, the one that seemed older chased the other. However, the latter was not in a mood to give up that easily.

Fighting Each Other?

Male elephants fight each other in search of a female partner. We also observed the older bull raise his head high and place it over the other – a show of dominance. These bulls, almost of the same size, were pushing each other with their trunks as if wrestling.

At one point of time, we also watched them use their feet to kick each other. This was the first time I saw something like this, while I have heard of such behaviour. However, while it lasted for about 20 minutes, it never resulted in a serious fight as the younger bull adopted a submissive posture by digging his tusks into the mud, and later moving away from the dominant one.

We continued on our safari looking for more wildlife.

The Lurking Big Cat

I then sighted a Wild Boar sitting still close to the bamboo thickets.

The question in my mind was whether the Leopard was attempting to kill the Wild Boar. However, I then noticed that it didn’t make that serious an attempt at the same. It was merely attempting to scare the Wild Boar away as the carcass of a Spotted Deer lay on the bank close to the water. This was a wonderful sighting, and we didn’t want to leave the place.

Usually, leopards have a difficult time guarding their food, as they have a host of competitors like tigers, Wild Dogs, Wild Boars, crows and others. The leopard was hence attempting to safeguard the kill from ‘pests’.

Watching Over Its Prey?

A White-bellied Woodpecker

With its powerful hammer-like beak, it began hammering the log. In some time, we spotted termites being eaten by the woodpecker. All this was happening very close to the vehicle. As we proceeded to the river side we could see some Barn Swallows on a tree stump, which are always busy feeding on the little flies.

Barn Swallows

Our next sighting was  the juvenile of a Night Heron on another stump in the river.

A Night Heron

At Close Quarters: An Asiatic Elephant

As we continued to watch the young tusker, we sensed some movement in the bushes. A huge tusker emerged on the scene out of nowhere. He stopped and smelled the air in the direction of the young tusker. Subsequently, he began slowly and gently moving towards it.

As he approached the same, the latter stopped feeding for a while, and stood still, except for its trunk which he twisted. The large tusker moved gently in the shallow waters to get closer to the young tusker.

Soon, they were seen standing together, smelling and feeling each other. There was no resistance or sign of aggression from either side. Rather, there were a few ‘gentle communications’.

Enjoying Each Other's Company!

Finally, the big bull took over the feeding area, as we watched the other tusker slowly move to a different feeding spot.

A Bull Gaur at the Nagarhole National Park

During the monsoons, the dry deciduous forests turn into thick vegetation, making spotting wild life a real challenge. However, one can see all shades of green in the forest; the flora of the forest in full bloom is a treat for the eyes.

The forest slowly begins changing to a brown colour as the winter approaches, with the trees shedding their leaves. This is done chiefly to avoid transpiration (loss of water from the leaves) during winter.

The waterholes within the forest begin drying up, causing animals to migrate towards larger waterholes and rivers. It’s during this time, just after the rains come to a halt that the park management, along with the Kabini River Lodge deposits salts in predetermined spots.

Places where the salt has been deposited are referred to as ‘salt pits’. These pits are largely created for the ungulates to feed on the salt, thereby aiding tourists to obtain better animal sightings.

Predators also come looking for ungulates. Salt is among the components in a wild animal’s diet. During one of my routine morning safaris just a day after depositing the salt, I sighted this massive bull Gaur feed in the salt pit.

A Bull Gaur at a Salt Pit

An Elephant and a Dhole on the Kabini Backwaters!

The Wild Dogs are back on the backwaters, with some action this time; Jumbo the elephant was chasing a pack of six Wild Dogs. I think Jumbo was not happy with their presence there, and chased them back to the bushes. I am so happy that the Wild Dogs are back on the backwaters, and hope to see more action in future.

Action Packed!

Elephants Sighted during a Boat Safari

The sightings of elephants, which barely amounted to one elephant during the vehicle safari, have now increased to a few, and sometimes, several elephants can be seen during both vehicle and boat safaris.

I enjoyed both watching and showing guests a group of Jumbos feeding on soft water grass, and breaking bamboo on the Kabini backwaters and on the view line during the Jeep Safari.

Many elephant mothers look reluctant to approach the Kabini backwaters on account of the disturbance caused by boats and vehicles. Hence, when they spot boats or vehicles, they beat a hasty retreat to the forest to safeguard their calves.

It could hence take a while more to get up close with these gentle giants of Kabini and capture them on camera. However, we are sometimes fortunate to make good sightings of these pachyderms during boat or vehicle safaris.

Elephants Sighted During a Jeep Safari