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Camping, Trekking at Brahmagiri WLS - 11, 12 Jan 2003

Organizers: Youth Hostels Association of India, Bangalore chapter

YHAI organized a two day camping and trekking activity at Nagarhole national park and Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary during the second weekend of 2003. Nagarhole National Park and the Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary are adjacent to each other, and both form a part of the great Nilgiri biosphere. Nagarhole NP is on the western side of Bandipur NP, and is bordered by the Wynad sanctuary in its southwest. Brahmagiri WS in the south of Nagarhole NP. Nagarhole NP has its own importance, for the park is home to approximately 55 tigers, the most endangered species at the brink of extinction. For we have only about 3000 tigers left in the wild, and Project Tiger has taken great efforts to save the tiger. The tiger remains one of the most protected species today. Nagarhole NP is watered by a number of streams and rivers, and the Kabini River flows through the park. In Kannada, Nagarahole means 'Snake River'.

The extinction of tiger is a serious threat, not only for the tiger, but also for the existence of human beings. For, in depth studies will show that the tiger stands at the top of the food chain, and its extinction will mean a great imbalance in the forest cycle, and the healthiness of the forests plays a major role in sustaining life on earth.

I was much excited, and eager, to take this trek into tiger country, for trekking inside such territory meant a chance of sighting the tiger or the elusive leopard, if I am lucky enough. Our group was 20 strong, with a few software professionals, a doctor, some veteran trekkers, a wildlife photographer, a journalist and the organizers. Also present was Captain Srinivas, a famous naturalist and trekker. We assembled at YHAI at around 10pm on 10th, and after an introductory briefing, we left Bangalore by an arranged van.

The route to Nagarhole NP from Bangalore, is through Bidadi, Mandya on the Bangalore - Mysore state highway, pass Shrirangapatna, take a right turn that goes to Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary, and move on to Hunsur, from where a road takes you to the entrance of Nagarhole NP. The journey was slow, for the Bangalore-Mysore highway is one of the most treacherous and accident-prone stretches, and the driver needs to be on extra alert always. I am of the opinion that the numerous rumble strips at many points, absence of proper road signs, and the hilly, curving nature of the terrain, are the cause for the frequent accidents that occur in this stretch.

28 kilometers before the office of the Nagarhole national park, is a check post. Vehicular traffic beyond this point is not allowed during the dark hours, and the post is opened by a forest ranger after dawn, a few minutes past six. We reached the check post at 4AM, had to wait till light arrived. I spent most of this time atop the van, dozing off. The air was a bit cold, and the night very silent, and being at the entrance of the park itself was thrilling enough. At dawn, two more vehicles drew up, one full of tourists, on their pilgrimage to Sabarimala, and the other full of enthusiastic school pupil. They had to wait for a good 30 minutes, for the forest guard didn't open the check post till good daylight had come, at around 6.30 pm. We, very slowly, started our drive into the park, after that. This stretch winds through the dense park, covered by dry deciduous forests and open grasslands on both sides. There were plenty of spotted deer grazing on the roadside, and a gaur (Indian Bison) was also spotted. Birds were aplenty, and all the trees and bamboo shoots were full of bird life, and the air filled with chirpy bird sounds. A Saturday morning in such an environment, amidst natural surroundings, inside a forest that is housing a variety of mammals, both herbivores and carnivores, and a wide variety of birds, is something very pleasant to the human mind and body, I feel. The ride was very slow, observing all life around us. At around 8AM we reached the office and quarters of the park. They had been informed previously of our arrival, and a breakfast of cooked rice was ready. After washing up, we breakfasted. Elephant safaris and Van safaris were being organized for the other tourists present there, a British family, on vacation probably. Our target is the Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary, a 45-minute drive from here. The sanctuary could be reached by driving along the national park, and then through a township by name Kutta, surrounded on both sides by coffee plantations. Coffee plantation is very famous throughout the district of Coorg, or Kodagu. At around 11 AM, we reached the Irpu falls, a famous enough tourist spot, inside the Brahmagiri WS. This place is almost on the borderline between the two states of Karnataka and Kerala.

From the falls, a beaten track on the right side goes to the Narimala camp, where we are to camp for the night. Narimala camp is approximately 8 kilometers from the falls, in the higher up hills of the mountain range. The camp provides shelter to forest department rangers and officers, when on a visit or patrol, and sometimes the forest department allows such organizations as YHAI to camp here. Individuals also might be allowed, if proper permission is taken with the DCF of Srimangala. Srimangala is the headquarters of the forest department protecting the Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary. The camp is situated on some land cleared, high up on the mountains, just below the open shola forests, and elephants, tigers and leopards frequent the region, among other animals such as the sloth bear, gaur, barking deer which live in the shola forests above. The altitude meter showed roughly an altitude of 1300 meters, in the camp.

Two forest guards joined us at the Irpu falls, along with three tribal porters to carry our vessels and some rations. We started trekking up our way to the Narimala camp, at a few minutes past 11 AM. A coffee plantation of about 80 acres is located a little away from the path, and has eaten up a good amount of forestland. The trek, for the first couple of kilometers, took us in and out through dense forest vegetation, and steep terrains. The path was steep, and the trek had to be slow. It was too difficult for the girls, but their spirits were high, and with frequent breaks, they kept going. After the first couple of kilometers, the path wound through the shoulder of the hills, with a big stream running in the ravine, a hundred meters below the path. The route was throughout strewn with elephant and gaur droppings, ample proof of their proximity, though we didn't sight any on the way. By noon, we reached a point where the track crosses the stream, with crystal clear and chilled water. Packed lunch of chapathis and jam was had here, and a good 1 hr spent relaxing and wetting out feet in the refreshing water. From this place, the track went up onto open grasslands and shola forests, high up in the hills. The path kept climbing up the hills, amidst these open grasslands, and one could see the higher crests of the mountains, full of shola forests. A little ahead, the track again entered into thick vegetation, and led us to the steps of a small camp, surrounded by forests. It was afternoon now, and after depositing our baggage here, a little time was spent on gathering up firewood from the surrounding forests, for our stay here. When a considerable quantity had been gathered, some stayed behind to help with the cooking and other chores, while a majority left the camp, to see a group of caves called 'Pakshi Pathala' meaning 'Dungeon of the Birds', 5 kms away, guided by the forest guards.

It was around 4pm now, and I was sure this is great time to spot game in the shola forests, and one need not be too much surprised if a tiger shows up in the path. A little away from the camp, a hundred meters up, the track again entered open grasslands and shola forests. The view of the surrounding green-capped mountain range was breathtaking. A line was long, and silent. I was in the first half of the line, and as we plodded on slowly, two gaurs were sighted grazing, on the grasslands, a good 300 meters away. They had seen us, and looked confused whether to run for cover, or to remain there. But the gaur kept moving, and disappeared behind the hills. The last of the line weren't lucky enough, and by the time they came up, the gaur were out of sight. The trek continued, and further up, the first few stopped, and signaled all to stop. But I couldn't see anything in the patch where they were looking at, and I drew up to them and enquired. They'd seen wild boar, which had immediately disappeared into the forests. The trek continued further on, and we reached a place high up in the mountains, from where the great valley thousands of feet below could be seen. The guards said we were right on the borderline, lined up by intermediate stones. Here I was, one foot in wild Karnataka, and the other in God's own country, Kerala. As far as the eye could see, only green mountains of the great Western Ghats were visible. The guards also claimed having sighted tiger and leopard in this region. A little descent on the Kerala side of the mountains led us into a series of huge rocks, forming many a cave. The caves were very dark, and with torches, we managed to climb in and out. An estate worker near the Irpu falls later told me that these caves had an underground passage that led to a temple, further down the valley, many miles away. We were able to see the temple, far away, in the valley, as a white spot. The region around the temple is supposed to be much more dangerous, and tiger country. I decided to return to this place sometime later, in my life, and trek to that temple.

It had started becoming dark, and thunders roared above our heads. If it rains, and gets dark before we reach the camp, we're sure to have a tough time. We kept a fast pace, and trotted down the slopes. At one place we crossed a very muddy stream, and in the mud tiger pugmarks were spotted. We kept going, and it was almost dark when we reached the camp. Subsequently, it started raining. We all huddled into the main room of the camp, a pretty big one to accommodate 20 people. A few hours were spent discussing many things, one of the most interesting being the talk given by the doctor, a gynecologist, narrating his experiences. By 9pm, the rains had stopped, and food was ready. Supper of rice and sambar was served, and after supper, campfire built up. Jokes, songs, and other stuff, we had a great time, and while the fun was not over yet, I retired, and drifted into deep sleep, for I had not slept the previous night during the journey, and of sleep I was of urgent need. The night was cold, and I kept opening up my eyes every couple of hours or so.

At around 5.30 AM the next day, I woke up, and after washing up in a small stream a little down the track we'd come up the previous day, I again went down the track, to lie up and wait for some animals to show up. The grass was very wet, and the air cold, for it was around 6.45AM. A little ahead, the track starts descending down the hill slopes, and there was a huge rock overlooking a great expanse of valley below. On this rock I lied up, motionless for around 30 minutes, when a deer started calling in the valley below. I was sure that the deer was warning about the presence of a predator, and it kept calling for the next 20 minutes, at regular intervals. But unfortunately I couldn't spot any movement in the valley, and had to leave for the camp, to join the others on a small nature walk up the hills.

Around 10 of us, with the forest guard, went out for a small walk on the hills. We went up to a peak, and stopped. An hour was spent here, enjoying the view and the breeze. The sun was slowly coming up, and this side of the hills was very foggy. A lot of snaps were taken, and while everybody had a free hand roaming, Vincent and myself walked up to a dense forest belt nearby, and sat in silence for around 15 minutes, listening to the birds. We then retraced our steps, joined the others, and walked back to the camp. Breakfast of cooked rice was being served, and after Breakfast we started packing up. The camp was cleaned up, group photos taken, and after another small briefing, we left the camp. One guard, myself, the captain and another trekker kept the pace ahead of others, and were almost doing a jog down the hills, non stop. I kept jogging down, and eventually, myself and another man were the only ones running down to the falls. We both reached Irpu falls well ahead of others, almost a 30-minute gain. It was around mid noon now, and the falls was heavy with tourists. A lot of people were there, and I immediately wanted to get away. Previously, the organizers had said we would be breaking at the camp for an hour. Wanting to get away, I retraced my steps, along the same route I'd just come. One by one all others appeared up, and Vincent joined me then. While all others went straight to the falls for a good bath, we both, wanting to explore, took a deviation, and went up a small beaten path on the right side. The path led up to a corner of an estate, where coffee had been planted. The forest on the left side was full of bamboo thickets, and we were standing on the path, when suddenly a crack was heard, and when we lifted our heads to see up, a huge bamboo came crashing down on us. We just managed to step aside, while it crashed down into the estate. Looking up, we saw a man cutting the branches. He seemed to be an estate worker, and after telling him to be careful, we passed. We had to come back the same way, and having nothing else to do, we turned back. By now, the worker had climbed down the bamboo, and greeted us. We learnt from him that the estate was 80 or so acres big, and owned by someone at Bangalore. He also admitted that there were two of them cutting the bamboo outside the estate illegally, and doubting us to be forest guards, one had taken to his heels, while this man had remained silently hidden inside the bamboo. After having a snap with him, we went back to the falls, where a huge crowd was having a great time. It was very touristy, and we all then reached the van, which had been parked nearby. En route to the van, our forest guards joined their superior, the Range Forest Officer, who was standing there. Mr. Lakshmanan, RFO, is in charge of the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, and head quartered at Srimangala. Vincent and myself spent a good 30 minutes talking to him, on various subjects concerning wildlife. He was a grand old man, and gave straight and clear replies to all our queries. He seemed to have great experience behind him, and talking to him was a great experience.

Lunch was to be had at Nagarhole NP, and after 40 minutes, we were at Nagarhole, where we had breakfasted the previous day. Lunch of rice, sambar and Mysore pahu was had, and it was around 4pm by now. We all settled down in a room, of the forest office, where we were shown a documentary about the park, videoed by the famous wildlife photographers Krupakar and Senani. These two men became famous a few years ago, when the notorious sandalwood smuggler and most-wanted Veerappan kidnapped them. Nothing serious happened, and Veerappan released them after a few days. The document highlighted many aspects of the park, its history, and the present activities. After the video, a high-ranking official of the forest department addressed us, and we had a great time interacting with him and knowing more about the park and its tigers. He was a young man in his thirties, and exhibited great cheer and life.

Nagarhole NP is about 650 sq. kilometers, and was declared a national park in the year 1974. The park has 7 distinct ranges, and the forest department watches over this huge terrain. The forest department has around 22 patrol camps situated in sensitive areas of the park, and the whole region is patrolled regularly. The park is home to approximately 55 tigers, a number of leopards, thousands of elephants, gaur, chital and sambar. Poaching has been a major problem, and the park has lost many a fine elephant or tiger to poachers. For example, few months back, a tigress was rescued from a wire trap, but unfortunately she lost her paw in the accident. Now the Mysore zoological garden takes care of her. Then there was the incident of the Madhya Pradesh poachers, who come in large groups to poach tigers.

Renowned naturalist and tiger conservationist, Dr. Ullas Karanth, associated with the Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, visits the place very often for the past many years, and it was here that he studied a few tigers by radio collaring them, in the nineties. There seems to have been a lot of hue and cry about this, after which the practice had to be abandoned. In the early nineties, there seems to have been a lot of tension between the park staff and the local people, which broke out when a poacher was killed under mysterious circumstances. A 500 strong mob led by local politicians arrived at the park quarters and office, and plundered the forest office and ransacked the quarters. Many places of the park were also set on fire, and parts of the Brahmagiri WS also were burnt. The park suffered heavy losses, and the incident remains a black mark in the history of Nagarhole. Subsequently, a lot of curative measures were taken, and today the staff and the local people enjoy a pretty good relationship, with the forest department helping them in many ways and educating them on various aspects.

Learning about the park and its history was very interesting. When I came to know about the burning incident, I felt very sad. I now strongly believe that no animal is more dangerous than the deadly human being. The most senseless, and the most idiot of all creatures, the human being often exhibits very foolish behaviour, and a minimum of understanding. Poaching, hunting, killing, burning, ransacking. What else? What great feat that man achieves, by putting a bullet into an unsuspecting chital, that approaches you innocently? Why? Why should he viciously trap an unsuspecting tiger in a wire trap, and then beat up the tiger to death? The cruelest, and the deadliest, of all creatures - Man.

No tiger ever harms a human being wantonly. Jim has once seen a huge tigress stalk a human baby, in a village. The child saw the tigress when she was still a little distance away, and smiled and beckoned at her. The tigress, much surprised at this, gave up stalking, and walked up to the baby, and for one great moment, (as Corbett puts it), the Queen of the Jungles and the child stood nose to nose. The tigress then retreated, and went back its way. The Law of the Jungles, where the stronger have the compassion for the weaker, remains.

We left Nagarhole at around 5pm, after a conclusion briefing. It was dusk, and the road to the check post was full of life. We spotted elephants inside the jungle, a peacock that flew across the road in great majesty, many chital, sambar and the common langur. The tiger, preferred not to show up. But the day may not be far, when I spot one, in the wild and stalk him.

After supper at Mandya, we reached Bangalore at 1AM, Monday, January 13, 2003. And that is the end of this piece of roaming.