A Magnificent Tusker Sighted in the River

Surprised and thoroughly fascinated, we watched an elephant swim for over a kilometer from Bandipur to Nagarhole! Our team was at the right place at the right time as other resort boats had ‘fled’ because they made nil sightings.

A Tusker Using His Trunk to Navigate

I was congratulated with a pat on my back by all present on the boat as we made the most unexpected sighting of the mighty tusker who swam over 80 feet above the river bed! We were full of admiration for this creature’s buoyancy, ‘dog-style’ swimming and the dexterous manner in which he used his trunk to navigate as well as breathe!

A Tusker Raising its Trunk. Picture Courtesy: Vineeth M

The tusker approached the vehicle hesitantly. It was interesting to watch it raise its trunk to sense our presence once in a while. I kept telling the guests to stay still and not to make sudden movements. I also told them not to have loud conversations as this could distract the big bull.

Ever the Gentle Giant. Picture Courtesy: TNA Perumal

Surprisingly, the tusker came frighteningly close to the vehicle. Fortunately, the driver, the human object closest to him, was safely inside the cabin. After watching the tusker’s behaviour, I decided not move the vehicle. The bull kept his cool and came very close to the cabin. Strangely, however, he took a last minute decision to walk away from us. This, however, came as a great relief for some of our guests. Just as the bull passed the vehicle, he turned once to check whether we were following him.

Elephants are short-sighted and have a strong sense of smell and hearing; the slightest sound and movement hence alert them. We were still stationed at the same place, and adoring the bull elephant’s gentle march towards the horizon, as he proceeded with the march as calmly as he could.

A leopard intently looking for something in the bushes!

We were all elated to see the big cat, in its prime, intently looking for some details in a heap of fallen leaves. The leopard was exhibiting an interesting behavior, which made me observe him very keenly!

This predator was preoccupied with the leaves! Once in a while, it raised its head and started sniffing in some direction, its jaw somewhat open and tongue slightly extended. This was an interesting sight to behold, with the leopard’s upper lip curling up and its face seemingly bearing the expression of a smile! The big cat was probably checking out the scent of another leopard, his nerves completely absorbing the smell, and sensing the chemistry of the other cat. The leopard was exhibiting a behaviour called the flehmen response. This response, interestingly, is adopted by animals while examining scents left by other animals of the same species or by prey.

A leopard exhibiting the flehmen response

However, much to our dismay, a small truck came along and parked right in front of us, obstructing our view of this magnificent feline. The driver of the truck got down to have a good look at this creature. It was poignant as the stealthy big cat gave us one last look before sneaking into the lantana bushes!

A Herd of Asiatic Elephants at Kabini

This small herd began walking into the water and some submerged themselves in it to collect the long grass hidden beneath.

Elephants Submerging Themselves in the River

After plucking the grass, it was fascinating to watch these jumbos cleaning the grass while a calf stood on her hind-legs! This was the first time those of us on the safari had experienced something like this, and we were truly amazed. We spent about 45 minutes enjoying this wonderful spectacle!

An Elephant Cleaning Grass

It was conspicuous from the fact that it was standing on its hind legs and looking into the grass, that it was investigating some movement taking place there.

A Mongoose Peering out of the Grass at a Python

As we were observing the mongoose’s interesting behaviour, one of the guests spotted a snake coming towards the jeep track and cried out, “Snake!” After a closer look, I found that it was a magnificent Rock Python, about 10-12 feet long, with a swollen belly – an indication that it just recently had its meal. We were awestruck as we watched it gently cross the jeep track right in front of our vehicle!

A Python on the Grass

What a sighting! The Mongoose was in fact trying to distract the snake, but the Python was not bothered about it, and kept crawling into the bushes. As it moved, the Mongoose followed it for some distance before continuing its routine. In my one-and-a half years of experience working in Nagarahole, this was the very first time I saw a Python and with a Mongoose in the background at that!

A Python Crawling into the Bushes

That was a fascinating experience! This was also the first time I had the opportunity to photograph this magnificent snake.

A Wild Dog (Dhole) in Kabini

Our vehicle came to an abrupt halt, so that we could watch the pack more closely. The pack, fascinatingly, comprised nine dogs. Our fascination at this sighting overcame our disappointment as regards the Leopard. We were delighted to see three adorable pups in the pack. Watching them was a lesson in Dhole parenting. The strategies displayed by the pack seemed related to hunting, but their behavior given the time and context was meant to protect their pups. Spreading around our vehicle, the adult Dholes, along with us, happily watched the cubs play.

A Dhole

We were delighted to observe innocence displayed even in the pack of wild dogs. We were amused as we watched a pup trying to get a grip on a tree, but kept tripping from its slippery bark! After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally understood that he was not built for ambushing from a tree, but for working as part of a team, as Mother Nature herself taught!

A Malabar Giant Squirrel

Further on our journey, we were greeted by a herd of Sambar deer at a salt lick, licking the mineral rich soil and water. Strangely, the deer possessed ‘sore’ spots on their neck; the hair seemed to have fallen off this area and there appeared to be a small circular area with a bloody appearance in its place. It was interesting as there seemed to be conflicting opinions regarding the function and nature of the sore spot, which could be related to their breeding period. I was surprised when I was told that this unique feature was seen only in the Sambars of South India!

Sambar Deer

We last saw a beautiful juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle sitting on a branch by the side of the road, its call echoing through the otherwise silent forest.

A Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle

Indian Peafowl

As we continued on our journey, surprisingly, very close to the road (barely 10 meters away from it), stood this massive Tusker. Captivated by the fact that it was in such close proximity, we stopped next to it for nearly five minutes. And interestingly, this bull was not in the least bit bothered by our presence close to him.

An Asiatic Elephant

From a distance, we were also fascinated by the sight of a majestic Crested Serpent Eagle perched on a tree branch. It was amazing to watch it feed on a snake. This is one time I wished I possessed a longer lens than the 70-300 mm VR that I carried with me.

Crested Serpent Eagle

On our way back, we spotted a shy Barking Deer, also called the Muntjac, because of its alarm call which much to one’s amazement, sounds like it is barking.

A Barking Deer

Interestingly, all these sightings were made from the surfaced main road, before we even entered the dirt track leading to the safari area.

Asiatic Elephants (Elephas maximus)

The water had receded from the dam, exposing a stretch of grass between it and the tree line. This is where we spotted the elephants. We were elated as we watched the gentle giants graze peacefully. As our boat moved closer to the shore, the herd was disturbed by our presence. I guessed it was particularly the presence of the tiny calf that caused them to move inside and hide in the thickets.

Asiatic Elephants (Elephas maximus)

However, the Matriarch, the leader of the herd, brazenly walked towards us, obviously in an attempt to scare us away. We understood that we were intruders in their territory. Hence, much as we longed to stay on and watch these fascinating animals for a while more, we were forced to move away so as to allow the herd to continue with their grazing.

Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus)

I find that wildlife never ceases to fascinate me, irrespective of the number of encounters I have with the same species during safaris at Orange County, Kabini.

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

After waiting for a couple of minutes, the Leopard couple gave us a big surprise; the female stood up and bravely approached the male, inviting it for courtship. During mating, it was interesting to watch the male grab the female by the nape of its neck. The roaring sounds of the Leopards were simply incredible to hear. Until that time, I had only read about such things in books and seen it in a wildlife documentary. However, this time I was delighted to witness it live.

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Within a span of 15-20 minutes, the mating occurred four times. This was another remarkable spectacle. Surprisingly, each time, I found the female taking the initiative to begin the courtship.

What was most amazing about the incident was that the mating took place on a tree with the Leopards balancing themselves on it! Many people lost track of time, intently watching this rare spectacle.

We earnestly hope that the courtship results in a new generation of Leopards at Kabini!