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Again inside Bandipur National Park - 3, 4 July 2004
I had a very good time last week inside Bandipur, and was willing to go again
sometime, when a colleague said he too would like to do a similar trek. Hence,
off we went to Bandipur again on Saturday. This time, however, we went by his
car, just the two of us. Again, we left Bangalore at 2AM on Saturday, and were
at Bandipur reception by 6.30AM.
We took the first safari this time, and were lucky to see a beautiful tusker
feeding inside some bamboo thickets. After the safari we started the trek.
This time we went through Dhanadahatti camp to Kullanbetta camp, where we were
to stay the night. Dhanadahatti camp was now deserted, and was no more an anti
poaching camp, just a stop over, or makeshift camp of the STF. We reached Kullan
Betta by around noon, and in the evening with another watcher ventured deep into
the jungles. He appeared to be a good tracker, and often we were in the tracks of
gaur, leopard and tiger. While returning it came on to rain, and again we were
walking back to camp, wet. En route, we did get very near to a herd of Sambar,
which didnt notice us until we were too near, due to the sound of the rain.
A group of STF men were also camping at KullanBetta camp that night, and we spent
the evening chatting with them, and listening to their stories, and encounters with
tigers, leopards and pythons.
At bedtime, the AK47s, and the SLR rifles, which were till now in a corner,
were retrieved and kept by their side. They took turns to watch through the night,
each doing a 2 hour shift. Kullanbetta camp appeared to be more silent than
Volakallare camp that night, or probably it was due to the very bad weather.
The surrounding hills had been covered by mist earlier in the evening.
Morning was greeted by a deluge of heavy rain, and thereafter the skies cleared
and sun came out. By 9AM, we left camp, and doing a long walk, reached Bandipur
by 1PM. Enroute, we did get close to elephants a couple of times, and spotted
Sambar and Chital often. Approaching Bandipur, near Hulikatte & Anekatte, there
was a loud roar - I said it was a tiger, but the guide opined it was just an elephant -
followed by continuous screaming of elephants. The screaming and trumpeting were
loud and terrific, and one could feel a huge lump in the heart, and the heart
pounds in fright. The guide didn't take any risks, and promptly took us through
a diversion of waist high bushes, and we hurriedly left the area, while the screaming
continued. It gave some anxious moments, but we got to the road safely without any
further incident.
We left Bandipur by around 2PM, and after lunch at Mysore, reached Bangalore at
7PM.
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