An Dedication to Elephas maximus

After being around on Blogger since 2004, the 100th post is finally here! Made me look back at some of the old posts and also got  me thinking as usual about how lazy I have been! Surely there were so many things that I could have penned my thoughts on for the last 6 years but since nothing can be done about it, I proceed to dedicate my 100th post to a creature I have come to love and admire. Just a sight of this giant among beasts pierces my soul and makes me offer a silent prayer to mother nature for I have been privileged to see this wonderful creature several times in the wild. Carefree and of course born free! Ladies and Gentleman a standing ovation for Elephas maximus aka The Asian Elephant.

Most of us in India do not need an introduction to the Elephant, for it symbolizes perhaps the most widely worshipped god in the country - the elephant headed remover of obstacles - Lord Ganesha. It would be impossible for me to imagine anyone from my generation not having been told the story of Lord Ganesha either when getting fed by their dear grand parents or when getting tucked  into bed by mommy or daddy dearest, so I shall spare the reader from going through the details of how Lord Ganesh got his elephant head. I also don't consider myself an expert in Zoology to be able to fill this post with details of the elephants anatomy, behavioral traits etc. Rather, I wish to share some of the memories I have had with these creatures during my numerous visits to the forests of South India.

The Western Ghats harbors the largest wild population of wild elephants in southern India. There are eight main populations in southern India, each fragmented from the others: northern Karnataka; the crestline of Karnataka–Western Ghats; Bhadra–Malnad; Brahmagiri–Nilgiris–Eastern Ghats; Nilambur–Silent Valley–Coimbatore; Anamalais–Parambikulam; Periyar–Srivilliputhur; and Agasthyamalais (Source: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/7140/0)

My first memories of seeing wild elephants are probably from my college days when I happened to see a few on the Mudumalai-Bandipur stretch but these were just fleeting glimpses. Years later, when my income allowed me to afford the luxury of having a camera, I had my first opportunity to photograph them in the wild. I still remember that day. I was on a weekend biking trip from Bangalore to Bheemeshwari with a close friend when I noticed tree branches scattered along the road. I shut the engine immediately and parked the bike to the side. The road was narrow and was flanked by a small gorge running to the left and hilly terrain to the right. I looked to my left and caught the sounds of twigs being trampled upon. After a few seconds, I finally got to see Elephas maximus not more than 100 yards away. She was lazily picking on some tree bark and din't bother to look at me. Is stood mesmerized by the sight when it struck me that my camera was lying in my backpack. Cursing myself I made my way across to the bike as silently as I could and pulled out my camera and fixed the 70-300 mm zoom and went back. I could see about 5 elephants but none of them were fully visible. Nevertheless I spent the next 10 minutes observing them and photographing some of them.

Mother and baby Elephant - Bheemeshwari - 2008

My next encounter with Elephants was to occur at Waynad in 2009. This time I managed to get close-ups of a female elephant. 

Female Elephant - Waynad WLS - 2009

I had the chance to photograph my first male elephant at Waynad/Nagarhole. He was just about 50 meters away from the jeep and offered me a couple of very nice shots.

Young Adult Male - Waynad WLS - 2009

I had the good fortune of getting some real close-up snaps of a young adult male in Nagarhole when I visited the Kabini River Lodge in Sept 2009. Below are some of the photographs:

 Adult Male Elephant - Nagarhole 2009

 Like any other species, Elephas maximus is facing a massive threat from all fronts. Human encroachments into their wild habitat have deprived them of space to live at peace and conflicts with man continues unabated with Elephants increasingly turning violent against us in their rightful quest for survival. Our forests are also de-fragmented and do not allow for free passage of elephants between national parks. This is something that is vital to not only the protection of elephants but also to vital to the preservation of a healthy gene pool. Enough has been written and spoken about the plight of these gentle creatures and true to the Indian way, we seem to have greater emphasis on talk and speech and not in action. We simply do not understand how important the species is to the well being of the eco-system and our quest for development at all costs will come at a price that will be too steep for our children to bear.  


I would urge people to take that ride to a nearby wildlife sanctuary and observer these gentle giants. Ten minutes spend with these creatures is all one needs to have a change in perspective and hopefully some will to do what one can to defend the rights of this wonderful animal. After all, can India survive without the real Ganesha roaming freely in her forests? I think not!

Paradise Found

Spent the last couple of days at the famous Kabini River Lodge that is run by Jungle Lodges and Resorts and the place has left an everlasting impression in the mind. The property is set in the banks of the Kabini Reservoir about 230 kms from Bangalore and as the cliche goes, you really need to be there to get a feel of the surroundings. Simply brilliant.

The drive from Bangalore took me about 4 hours and 30 mins. The road from Mysore to entrance of the Nagarhole National Park (also called the Mysore - Mananthavadi Road) is superb and is scenic too. Now the only problem is that from Mysore getting directions is a real pain. Everyone seems to have a route of their own and it took me a good 30 mins to get out of the city. I reasoned that the best way to ask for directions is to ask a traffic cop for directions to H.D. Kote.

The Kabini River Lodge occupies about 5 or 10 acres of land beside the Kabini Reservoir. There are other private resorts that have come up in and around the area too but are way beyond the budget of the middle class Indian. The entire Nagarhole area was the private hunting property of the Maharajah of Mysore before good sense prevailed (god bless Indira Gandhi) and the area was sealed off the the public and made a National Park.

The resort has 3 kinds of accommodation. Tented cottages (the one I chose), bungalows and individual rooms. The tents are the cheapest (3500 a night per person incl food and 2 safari rides). The middle of the property houses an old British type bungalow which houses the quarters of Col. John Wakefield (affectionately known as Papa John and the person responsible for making Nagarhole what it is today) on one side and has a conference room, with an attached bar of course.

I also noticed over the course of my 2 day stay that the property attracts the following categories of visitors:

• The typical Indian family (papa, amma and the kids) visiting the jungles for the first time.
• The honeymooners who obviously have other interests in mind than wildlife and being one with nature and such mumbo jumbo.
• Retired people who come down to probably get a last and final glimpse of the big cats in the jungle.
• Typical Indian group of men who stop over for weekend booze party and chat politics
• Last but not the least the avid wildlife enthusiast and photographer to which I feel I belong

Part of reason why the facility attracts all kinds of people (and I have nothing against any of them as long as they learn to appreciate silence) is the comfortable accommodation that is provided and the food which I must say puts most city restaurants to shame.

Almost everyone who comes to Kabini wants to spot the tiger and leopard and is totally un-interested in anything else. Whilst this is understandable, it is rather sad that people come with set notions on what they want to see when coming to such a place. I for one and guilty of wanting to spot and photograph a big cat but I also have learned to appreciate nature and for a lot of city dwellers, this seems hard to come by. My hill billy instincts may have come to the fore here but again it's just my opinion.

The evening safari on the first day was not very eventful. I however did manage to get the first picture of an adult male Sambhar. Truly magnificent. A fully grown male weighs about 200+ kgs and maybe stands about 5 feet 8 in plus and it makes you truly appreciate the strength of the Tiger which is known to bring down such adults in one swift move!

Photograph 1: Male Sambhar, Nagarhole

We spotted a herd of female gaur towards the end of the safari but that was it. The monsoon season is clearly not ideal for spotting wildlife. The jungle is so green and the undergrowth of lantana so dense that we would miss spotting a tiger even if it were 10 or 20 feet away. But nevertheless the appearance of the Indian jungle after the rains is a sight worth beholding. Even for someone who is totally color blind like me, the array of colors you see in the forest is dazzling to say the least. The air is a little damp but the smell of the jungle is totally intoxicating.

I was left cursing my luck the next day morning. The driver turned up 10 mins late and the jeeps in front of us had luck on their side. They spotted a leopard just off the main road. We spent most of the time that morning waiting for the leopard to show up again but lady luck didn't want to do me any favors. The highlight was that the jeep got stuck in several inches of slush and without the 4 wheel drive it was left for us to heave and push the vehicle out of mess it found itself in. I met a couple on the safari and the guy has been visiting Nagarhole for the last 20 years! As he narrated his tales of seeing 5 tigers, tigers chasing gaur the likes I was left depressed wondering when I would have the chance to see such a spectacle.

The morning was spent reading a Kenneth Anderson book and was truly enjoyable! The evening safari was uneventful too till we came up to a herd of about 16 elephants consisting of both females and young males. I took a few snaps only to find that my battery died out! Was left cursing myself again. The Canon battery that I have seems to have developed some problem and it's going to cost me a fortune to get a new one. I also had to tolerate the constant giggles of a newly wed couple that came along with me on the evening safari and the chatter of an elderly gujju couple. I had half a mind to give them a mouthful but restrained myself. People who cannot keep quiet should not be allowed to go into the jungle and if that is made a rule, it would actually rule out 99% of the Indian population. We just cant seem to keep quiet for an extended period of time. It is a pity!

Photograph 2: Young male elephant, Nagarhole

Earlier in the day I also managed to get some snaps of the black cormorant and the painted stork. and afew close up photos of the Serpent Eagle. You can view these photos here. I was left feeling even more exasperated when I was told that the last group (made up of 6 old folks) spotted a leopard on the way back!

The safari on Tuesday morning was uneventful too bar the sighting of a mother and baby elephant. This time I had a Palakkad Iyer family for company and we spotted almost nothing and I found myself showing the children a few photos I had taken. Had a fleeting glimpse of the Malabar Pied Hornbill.

Each trip to the wilderness has taught me something and the I have come away with the feeling that I have been extremely privileged to be able to not only afford going on such trips but to have the god given ability to truly appreciate nature and silence. I left Kabini, committed more than ever to spend as much free time as I can in the pursuit of what truly is closest to my heart.

More pictures can be found at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ganesh.raghavan/NagarholeSept2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXOppje2eyIWA#

More Info on Kabini River Lodge:

Bookings: Reservations can be made online at www.junglelodges.com. Weekends are almost impossible to get. My suggestion would be to use a weekday.

Time to Visit: Dec to April is probably the best time to visit Kabini.

Getting There: Approx 240 kms from Bangalore. From Bangalore head to Mysore and then towards HD Kote. Detailed instructions are found here

Clothing: Wear either greens or browns. Most people seem to wear all kinds of dark colors which is not advisable when visiting the jungle. Winters are pretty chill.

Other Tips: Carry medicines with you if you are the type that falls sick due to weather changes. The nearest medical shop is about 20 kms from the property.

In the Land of Biligiri Rangaswamy

It's a boring (as usual) Tuesday afternoon at work. Yes, I have to do minutes from the call yesterday but it's a tad too boring. Speaking of boring, the past weekend was anything but boring. We (Mom, Sujeet and Supriya) set off to the K.Gudi Wilderness Camp located in the Biligirirangan Hills, about 250 kms from the claustrophobic confines of namma Bengaluru.

The journey took us a good six hours (we of course made the mandatory stop at Kamat's on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, had the usual Maddur Vada etc etc) and not surprisingly the roads after Chamrajnagar were pretty bad and I have come to expect this from most roads in Karnataka (If I ever have the kind of money Vijay Mallaya has, my first act of philanthropy would be to gift the Government of Karnataka a couple of road rollers).

We reached the gates of the BR Hills Wildlife Sanctuary at about 12. We moved slowly through the 10km section towards K.Gudi in the hope of seeing some wildlife. I was pretty amazed the the type of vegetation that grew in the area. The lower reaches are mainly shrub vegetation but I as we went up the vegetation changed to dry deciduous, grasslands, sholas and then to tropical evergreen at some parts. Truly wonderful and unique. We din't have any luck with wildlife considering the time of the day, but Supriya seemed horrified seeing a snake cross the road (managed to only get its tail). We spotted a couple of drongos, a few white crested kingfisher and the spectacular Paradise Flycatcher (no snaps unfortunately).

We reached K.Gudi at about 1:20 PM and were blown away by the place. There it was, a nice little resort tucked away right int he middle of a wildlife sanctuary. The tented accommodation we opted for was superbly done. The very first statement of bravado I made was to promise everyone that we would come here once a month. (Realizing what I has just said, I dint bring the topic up for the rest of the weekend).

We grabbed some lunch at the camp and needless to say it was good. I had some spasmodic bouts of depression when I saw some of the guys carrying their the digital SLR's and flaunting it. Someday I kept saying to myself (been saying that since the Rupee/$ exchange rate was at 35). The first thing I noticed when we reached the camp was that ominous clouds that hung over and I knew rain was not far away. True to my word, the rain came promptly at 1:30 and lasted an hour and a half. Reminded me so much of the Nilgiris.

We had tea at 4PM and got ready for the evening Safari. Our guide, Mr.Narayanan was a local tribal who is now employed by Jungle Lodges. With the gang of good luck charms I had, I was hoping to get a glimpse of a leopard this trip and the the entire group was hoping for the same. This was only made stronger by the fact that the previous evening the groups had spotted not one but two leopards. I even went to the extent of uttering the Gayathri Mantra before we started off. The photographic equipment that some folks got along was truly amazing (a lot of them had the huge telephoto lenses that I can only get to see on TV when they broadcast cricket matches). One of the jeeps broke down in front of the forest gate and we had to accommodate an extremely talkative gentlemen who would keep throwing random comments for the next 2 hours. But I've learned to live with such folks during a safari and concentrate instead on just admiring the natural beauty of the jungle. My friends on the other hand couldn't tolerate talkative folks (at least it gave us something to bitch about on the way back).

The group in front of us managed to spot a pair of wild dogs (Cuon alpinus- aka Dhol) and this information was communicated to the rest of the party through wireless but by the time we reached the spot, the dhols were long gone. We however managed to spot the elusive Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) and the regulars (Bisons, Elephants, Spotted Deer, Sambhars etc). We even had a female elephant give the jeep a brief charge which got everyone excited. Enough of text. Time for some visuals.

Photograph 1: Whitethroated Kingfisher
Location: BR Hills

Photograph 2: Bos Gaurus Herd
Location: BR Hills


Photograph 3: Elephas maximus
Location: BR Hills


Photograph 4:Trees at a Water Hole
Location: BR Hills

Photograph 4: Female Gaur (Bison)
Location: BR Hills

I managed to stand up throughout the safari and inhale the fresh air that somehow always carried a strong smell of herbs and eucalyptus . Each breath I drew seemed to have a magical effect that was soothing the mind and I was on my own trip (a very enjoyable one I must say and one that's done me a world of good). The only gripe I had was the sight of a large number of eucalyptus trees that the forest department has planted in the midst of all the other trees. I can never quite understand the purpose of doing this given the fact that blue gum eucalyptus is notorious for sucking the water table dry. Education for the forest department anyone? I also made it a point to tell mom and my friends how lucky they were to spot a sloth bear. Its not often you see one in the jungle and these creatures are known to be very shy. It seemed that they still had their beginners luck going (which Sujeet will vehemently deny and counter argue by saying that they had planned all this all along and strategized etc etc).

We made it back to the camp at 7:30 and were treated to a nice little video on the Indian Wild Dog. The whole thing was shot in the Nilgiris. We headed back to the tents and settled down and had a few pegs of nice Bacardi rum. Sappad followed and we hit the sack at 9:30 and the lights were off. I could hear the grunts of wild boars just outside the tent and the calm was broken at times by the call of a barking deer nearby.

We were ready by 6:15 next morning and were kept waiting for ages by this couple who ambled towards the jeep at 6:40 am (the other groups had already left much to our chagrin). A customary sorry followed and we were off. Unfortunately the safari turned out to be a damp squib for everyone. We only managed to spot the same elephant herd from the previous evening, barking deer, a couple of bisons and the usual spotted deer. Still I managed to take a few good snaps. The one below has managed to some rave (OK I'm going overboard) reviews from friends.

Photograph 5: Early Morning
Location: BR Hills


Photograph 6: Early Morning in the Forest
Location: BR Hills


Photograph 7: Male Barking Deer (Muntjac)
Location: BR Hills


We checked out at 10 making a promise to return soon. We headed towards the Biligiri Rangaswamy temple that was about 20 kms from K.Gudi. Sujeet and I opted to stay in the car and let mom and Supriya go to the temple and we busy appreciating the scenery from the temple when I noticed that the left front tyre had suffered a puncture. We spent the next hour or so trying to replace the tyre and managed to draw hearty giggles and laughs from passers by and with the help of a taxi driver we managed to replace the tyre. Mom and Supriya firmly believed that the puncture was caused by the almighty himself since we did not go and visit him at his abode. I felt a strange sense of guilt of not doing so and quickly made a trip to see the lord who was in all in glory (decked with ornaments and flowers). It was a truly remarkable sight that made me all humble. No one messes with the almighty.

We made the trip back to Mysore through an alternative route and car took a severe beating on the roads (if you can call them that). We reached home at about 6 but my thoughts were still at the abode of the almighty who rules the Biligirirangans.

After 12 Long Years!!!

Whatay weekend! The image is frozen in my mind and will probably stay with me for a long long time. It was about 7:40 AM on a misty morning at Nagarhole National Park (now called Rajiv Gandhi National Park) and there she was..an adult tigress lurking in the undergrowth about 50 or 60 feet away from the bus.

I saw her beauty for all of 3 or 4 seconds (before the other idiots in the bus started yelling and clapping causing her to retreat further into the bushes and disappear) but it was a wait that I had endured for 10 or 12 years..to see a tiger in the wild.

Apart from that the trip was a totally enjoyable one. Mom, Sujeet and Supriya (friends) were all on their first ever wildlife escapade and they got to see a tiger. What luck I say!

Spotted a lot of Elephants, spotted deer, barking deer, Sambhar, Bisons etc. All in all a fantastic trip. My heart is really in the forest and I keep thinking (albeit never seriously) if I should be in a different profession.

For anyone who wants to visit Nagarhole, I highly recommend a stay at the Jungle Inn (www.jungleinnnagarhole.com). Room rates vary from 1800 Rs to 2000 Rs per person per night (inclusive of meals). A wildlife safari into Waynad (the Kerala side of the sanctuary) will cost you Rs 600 per person. Jungle Inn does not take you for a safari ride into Nagarhole as they do not have a contract with the Karnataka Forest Department which apparently asked for a sum of Rs 9 Lakh per year to renew the contract. (At least that's the story the Jungle Inn owner told me). The Karnataka Forest Department conducts its own safari and a very affordable Rs 98 or so per person and has safaris at 7am,8am,9am,3pm,4pm and 5pm everyday. You will need to take your vehicle into Nagarhole park to the visitor center and will then have to board a mini bus (with about 20 other people) that takes you for a one hour ride inside the jungle. (BTW we saw the tiger on such a safari after expecting to see nothing at all when we boarded..Lady luck sure has her own strange ways).

Enough of text..now for the action:

Snap 1: A female Elephant (Elephas maximus)
Location: Waynad
Date: 28 Feb 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm

Snap 2: Early Morning Mist Through the Trees
Location: Nagarhole
Date: 1 Mar 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm


Snap 3: Female Muntjac a.k.a Barking Deer (Muntiacus reevesi)
Location: Nagarhole
Date: 1 Mar 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm

Snap 4: Young Male Tusker (Elephas maximus)
Location: Waynad
Date: 28 Feb 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm


Snap 5: Spider Web
Location: Nagarhole
Date:1 Mar 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm


Snap 6: Spotted Deer (Cervus (Axis)axis)
Location: Nagarhole
Date:1 Mar 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm

Snap 7: Enchanted Forest
Location: Nagarhole
Date:1 Mar 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm

Snap 8: Adult Male Bison (Bos gaurus)
Location: Nagarhole
Date:28 Feb 2009
Camera: Canon EOS300 ISO 200 film
Lens: Canon EOS EF - 70-300 mm