Nagarhole

After breakfast, we set out for an hour journey from Gonikoppal via Srimangala. In the beginning, it almost felt like doing the calm chilly drive because of the weather and the altitude. Normally I don’t prefer to visit such places but few months back I visited with my friends because of its popularity and location.

 

After crossing the forest gate we continued on the road deep into the reserve to where the activities begin. We had our first wild animal sighting– Dotted Deers! Seeing elephants was very exciting. We were peering out of the vehicle at the forest around us, scanning them for wildlife, abetted by the predawn lighting and the mists.

 

Within about 10 minutes driving on the Park road we reached Forest office, after paying the park entrance fee we shifted to forest vehicle. During the Safari we didn’t have the luck of more wild animal sightings the common animal was Deers. If any elephants or bison were grazing upon the forest we drove through, they were impossible to see because of the cotton-thick mists blanketing the tall grass and trees that covered the terrain

During the morning session doing Safari inside the jungle was Elusive, elemental, and extremely beautiful – this natural phenomenon is breathtaking and actually quite simple to explain. Commonly known as light beams, crepuscular rays are caused by an effect similar to Rayleigh scattering, and are rare to see in a natural environment save near the twilight peripheries hence the name. Steam, smoke, and dust during the rest of the day makes these beams visible to us from all angles, but short of these mediums, angle and hour are the most significant factors for seeing them.

The next wild animal we had the good fortune to see was the Malabar giant squirrel, also known as the Indian giant squirrel. They were very far away but visible with the naked eye and the fact that it was too far to get a clear view or a picture of it and it was very exciting. Further into the forest, we sighted huge pair of Sambar deers from a distance.

Only about 30 minutes after this encounter, we arrived to see a small herd of wild Indian Bison also known as Indian Gaur. However, these particular specimens were very close to the road, which enabled me to take decent close-up shots of them.

It really drove home the fact that wildlife sighting is really a matter of luck. But that phrase should be viewed in two ways; it’s not just the luck of being in the right place at the right time, but also anyone who has the opportunity to spend time in a wild, natural environment should consider themselves lucky indeed, whether they have the good fortune of sightings or not.

Now a days all National Park's became commercialized and money making systems and the experience has opened my eyes to how damaging the nature system by people can inadvertently be. Anyone who travels to delicate ecosystems should be fully educated, or at the very least informed on how to behave in situations such as these. it's similar in the sense of disturbing wild animals that would otherwise be living their natural habitats without concern for human activities.

End of our excursion we visited on unknown almost dry waterfalls near to Vuirajpet. I think the trip to Coorg was one of the most exciting trip I did in the in this year start. I felt totally enclosed in nature.

Photos By- I & Ashoka S B