[Torque123]

Kindly click on the images for a better viewing experience. All images are clicked using Canon 5D Mark 4 & Canon 400 mm f/2.8 except for the landscape images. The landscape images are mobile clicks.

It was 3 weeks since my last visit to Nagarahole & Kabini & mind kept saying I need to do another 1 nighter before the Nagarahole side gets completely dry. As mentioned in my previous travelogue, the Nagarahole side was still a lot greener compared to Kabini in beginning of February. A quick call to our regular driver & guide & got to know that the trees have turned dry (read as they have shed leaves) but the grass & other smaller vegetation are still green. So this time decided to do the safaris from Nanchi Gate as compared to Veeranahosahalli gate from where I did all the safaris last time around. The plan was to leave Bangalore by 1 AM on 05th Mar. Booked the safari permits for 05th Mar Morning & evening & 06th morning safaris in Nagarahole & 1 afternoon safari in Kabini. Booked our 05th Mar stay at Gateway Homestay which is like 50 meters from Nanchi Gate. It is a basic homestay with no frills attached but with neat & clean rooms with attached bath. They have 3 rooms. Food is okay & gives you the home made feel & taste. The best part of the homestay is the access to the safari gate & the constant alarm calls of spotted deers that you hear during late evenings & at nights. The cost is INR 2250 per person which includes stay & 3 times meals.

Left Bangalore at sharp 1.15 AM & took the BLR-Kunigal-Chennarayapatna-Arkalgud-Periyapatna-Anchechowkur-Tithimathi-Kutta route. One way distance is around 285 KMS. This is the only shortest route one can take to reach Kutta post 6 PM & before 6 AM as the preferred route (shorter distance & good road conditions) from Hunsur to Kutta via forest (Veeranahosahalli gate) is closed during the above mentioned timings. Google maps was a saviour & was 100% accurate. 90% of the road conditions were good except for the last 25 to 30 kms after the Anchechowkur exit Checkpost. It is ridden with potholes. If this last leg has good tarmac then it would be a bliss for biking enthusiasts as there are lot of twists & curves with coffee & pepper estates on either sides. One can reach Anchechowkur via Hunsur too but it adds on a few kms & am not sure how the road conditions are. Only places for refreshments on this route which are open during the night are on the Nelamangala - Hassan road. Once you get off this road, it is absolutely deserted. Reached Nanchi Gate by 5.40 AM with a tea break post Bellur cross.

Had called the safari driver the previous night & made all the arrangements. The jeep was ready & waiting. Made the camera entry at the forest Checkpost & entered the forest at sharp 6 AM. It was still pitch dark & the first rays of the sun appeared only by 6.20 AM or so. There were no bigcat sightings for the last 6 safaris (3 days) & this was good news for me. I firmly believe that if the safaris have been dry in the last couple of days before my visit then I am kind of hitting the sweet spot. The chances of bigcat movement will then be higher during my visit. We check in and around an area where there were alarm calls the previous evening. With absolutely no pug marks or any alarms the forest was dead silent. We then check a few other areas & waterholes with no luck except for one place where we find the pugmarks of a male tiger which had walked on the safari track for around half a kilometer before disappearing in the core area which safari jeeps cannot access. The pugmarks were from the night stroll that the tiger had. Now knowing that there is no point waiting or searching for this tiger as it had disappeared in the core zone, we head back to the area where there were alarm calls the previous evening.

Early morning in Nagarahole



It is now around 7.45 AM & as our jeep chugs along the dusty safari tracks we come across a jeep who had seen another male tiger sitting next to the safari track & were expecting it to come out again. It was around 10-15 mins that they had seen the tiger & no positive development had occurred post that, so we decided to check another safari track which circles around the forest patch which the tiger had entered expecting the tiger to come out there just incase if it was in a patrolling spree. Circling this patch will take covering a distance of 2 to 2.5 kms. While doing this we have the famous grasslands of Nagarahole to our left & area with treeline to our right. We see a herd of gaurs in the grassland & my friend observes one female Gaur being alert & looking in the same direction as our jeep is heading. So we stop the jeep & take the opportunity to observe them for the next few minutes. Suddenly one Gaur snorts (this is typical warning call given by Gaurs when they smell or see a predator) & the entire herd which also had 2 calves bolt in the opposite direction for a few meters. This confirmed the presence of a Tiger & we waited with absolute silence & cameras ready for the tiger to appear. The tiger comes out of the grassland & enters the treeline area where we are not able to get a clear shot. As it approaches the treeline, a female Gaur sprints towards the tiger & stops abruptly, snorts twice & runs back. This does not even bother the tiger & he continues his relaxed walk & come onto the safari track. This is the same big guy we had seen in our previous trip in Feb. We did have the opportunity to be ahead of the Tiger & try to get him walking head on to us. However we did not do so as we knew he is very shy & will not budge in returning back to the grassland if we had even fired up the jeep's engine. So we allow him to come onto the track & starts walking on the track in the same direction as our jeep is facing.

The Shy Big Male Tiger



We allow him to get ahead of us & once he is around 70-80 meters from us, our driver fires up the jeep & moves the jeep for 10-15 meters & switches of the engine immediately. By now one more jeep joins us & is right behind our jeep. He walks for 300 meters or so & does not turn towards us even once nor does any scent marking & starts heading into towards the grassland again. Took these record images for memories.

Beautiful Morning light & Tiger



Once he disappeared in the grassland again, we observed that he was heading in the direction which again meets another safari track. So we quickly move ahead & position ourselves some 50 meters away from a spot where we expect him to come out again. There are no alarm calls from spotted deers though we saw a few of them in grasslands. 10-15 mins wait & we see a couple of spotted deers rushing out of the grassland & coming onto the track where we were waiting. Again we knew the tiger is on his way. He walks through the grass & comes out onto the track a little closer to Jeep than what we had expected. With the 400 MM lens & no smaller lens with me it was very tough to fit him into the frame. Somehow managed to click the below image. He then walked for 30 meters or so & then disappeared into the forest undergrowth to our left.

The local guides & drivers call him MOOGA because of the scar on his nose



By now it was time to exit the park as well. With a stellar sighting & a wide smile plastered on our faces we exit the forest by 9 AM. All of us are hungry & we head straight to Kutta town which is like 5 KMS from the safari gate. Have some breakfast & head back to the safari gate where our homestay is located. We check in around 11 AM & rest for a couple of hours. Get freshened up & finish our lunch. We then take a walk to the safari gate at 2.45 PM for our afternoon safari. At sharp 3 PM we enter the forest & head straight to the area where had seen the tiger in the morning. There was a waterhole very close (around 100 meters) to the area where we had last seen the tiger & expected him to be in & around that waterhole as it was very warm assuming he wouldn't have continued with his patrolling spree in the morning. We checked for pugmarks & did not find any, so we decided to wait for sometime near the waterhole.

One of the waterholes in Nagarahole



There were quite a few deers grazing on the other side of the waterhole. It was now around 4 PM & 2 Jeeps came by & passed without waiting knowing that nothing significant had happened. It was now around 4.10 PM & we hear 2 spotted deer alarm calls in a span of 2 to 3 minutes & a small herd of 4 to 5 deers run from the left side of the waterhole to right on the opposite bank to us. By 4.20 PM we hear an elephant trumpet loudly which is in the forest undergrowth on the other side of the waterhole. These 2 instances confirmed that there is a predator which was on the move. Based on this we guessed the predator was moving from our left side to right side. But we were not sure if it was heading to the waterhole or go past it. So we wait for another 10 mins & nothing happens. So we decide to check a little further & as we move around 150 meters, we see that the same male tiger has crossed the safari track & heading towards the forest undergrowth. The sighting literally lasted for less than 10 seconds. We then headed to waterhole in the image above to try our luck for a Leopard sighting as one was seen around that waterhole in the morning. With nothing much happening in & around waterhole it was time to exit the park. It was a tiring day with minimal rest. So finished dinner by 9.30 PM & tried going to sleep. There were alarm calls very close to the homestay which kept us awake for another 30-45 mins. Finally called it a day & hit the bed by 10.30 PM.

We were again ready by 5.40 am the next morning & walked to the safari gate. Completed the camera entry formalities & entered the park at sharp 6 AM. Tried our luck first at the waterhole where the Leopard was seen the previous day. There were some spotted deer alarm calls & we spent a good 1 hour in & around the waterhole. Majority of the time was spent scanning the trees. With no further developments we decided to head back towards the area where we had seen the male tiger the previous day. We scan the entire area & did not come across any alarm calls or fresh pug marks. At around 8 AM as we were traversing beside a long stretch of grassland to our left, I suddenly see between the trunks of two trees an Orange object sitting just outside a patch of grass. It took me a few seconds to realise that its a tiger. I tap the shoulder of the driver to stop the vehicle whispering Tiger Tiger. He stops the vehicle & we start firing our cameras. I wish the the tree trunks were not there in the below image. Coincidentally another 2 jeeps arrived from our opposite direction. This was not the same male tiger we had seen the previous day. I feel it is a Tigress but the driver was optimistic that it is a sub adult male. As soon as the other 2 Jeeps arrived the tiger started walking through the grass in our opposite direction, went & sat in a big patch of grass. Its attention was on the few deers that were on the other side of the grassland.

I call it "The Grassland Tiger"



As it walked away from us & was focussed on the deers in the opposite side, we thought it might chase the deers. So we circled around & positioned ourselves on the safari track which was on the other side of the grassland. This gave an opportunity for the Tiger to turn back & cross the safari track on which we were initially found her/him. Later we tried to track it again but were not successful as probably the tiger crossed the safari track & settled itself in the undergrowth.

Tiger in Grass







Post this we headed back to the homestay. Had a sumptuous breakfast & quickly freshened up. By 12.00 PM we checked out from the homestay & headed towards Kabini. We took the Kutta-Kaatikulam-Bavali-Kabini route (approx 40 kms one way). In this route we exit Karnataka & enter Kerala & re-enter Karnataka. No RTPCR or vaccination certificate asked at the Kerala or Karnataka borders on the way. So we reach Kabini Lake View Resort around 1 PM which is close to the Dammanakatte forest office. Played a couple of frames of pool & had our lunch. Our afternoon safari started at 3.30 PM. Kabini was rocking this last week with multiple tiger & Leopard sightings. We entered A zone & checked a couple of waterholes/areas on the way to the black panther's territory. A male tiger was seen in the morning in one of the prime spots of the black panther's territory. We waited at a couple of crucial places to see if we get to hear any alarm calls as there were no pugmarks or alarm calls but to no avail. We continue further & see a small herd of elephants which had a very young calf. Stopped their for a few minutes to observe the calf.

Elephant calf



Post that we reached a famous junction in the forest where a female tiger & the black panther frequent very much. I have seen both of them on separate occasions at this very junction. So it is customary for me to stop at this junction for a few minutes. It was around 4.20 PM and as we are waiting at this junction, we hear two back to back spotted deer calls a little ahead to our right. The adrenaline is high as we know it has to be either for the Bisalwadi Tigress or the Black Panther. I wanted the jeep to be parked a little perpendicular to the track to get a lower angle but that did not happen. We knew the exact spot from where the tiger or black panther might emerge out. So we were all set with the cameras placed on the bean bags. 2 more minutes & we see 1 deer stag coming out of the undergrowth & hear a couple of deer alarm calls from the undergrowth a little ahead to our right. As predicted the Tigress came out from the exact spot we had predicted & peeped at us covering half of itself against a tree trunk. This is a very shy tigress with cubs who is very very rarely seen as majority of her territory is in non safari area & does not even make an appearance if there are more jeeps. We knew that she will only cross the safari track & that is what she has done in the past too when we have seen her.

The Cautious Bisalwadi Female






After taking a cautious peek at us for a second or two, she decides to cross the safari track as we are the only jeep and as we had maintained a good distance she did not see us as a threat. As she came closer to the track the deer stag which had earlier come out running from the undergrowth was in the background. I wanted to have the deer in the background so intentionally compromised on the composition a bit (2nd image below). As she appeared on to the track, for a split second she stopped & looked at us & then continued to disappear in the undergrowth to our left. This made my day. With sightings to our heart's content in this trip, we exited the forest at 6.45 PM after waiting at a waterhole for the remainder of the safari as there were intermittent deer alarm calls there.


Bisalwadi Female crossing the track






Left Kabini at 7.15 PM & reached Mysore by 8.30 PM. Had a quick chaat at Bangarpet chaat house & continued the journey to Bangalore. Reached home by 12.30 PM & crashed immediately. Until next time, CIAO!

[ashishsGT]

Originally Posted by Torque123

It was 3 weeks since my last visit to Nagarahole & Kabini & mind kept saying I need to do another 1 nighter before the Nagarahole side gets completely dry.

Hello Torque123,

Another lovely and detailed travel story for us to rejoice!
You seem to have become a big cat specialist now! Nice framing and great choice of gear too! Nothing beats the f/2.8's in isolating the subject from busy backgrounds. Thanks for sharing and keep 'em coming!

Cheers,
Ashish

[AniChaudhuri]

Thank you for another lovely travelogue. Like the fact that you're completely focused on big cats ��.

I did my own Tadoba trip about 10 days back during the extended Mahashivratri weekend. Had some excellent sightings of Chhota Matka (boy, is he bold !), Chhoti Tara, a sub adult tigress, and also Jharni with cubs.

One of the rare positives of the pandemic has been the renewed interest of Indians in domestic destinations, including on wildlife tourism.

[thirugata]

Awesome photographs and crisp blog.. thanks for sharing..

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by ashishsGT

Hello Torque123,

Another lovely and detailed travel story for us to rejoice! You seem to have become a big cat specialist now! Nice framing and great choice of gear too! Nothing beats the f/2.8's in isolating the subject from busy backgrounds. Thanks for sharing and keep 'em coming!
Cheers,
Ashish

Am glad to hear that you enjoyed the travelogue & images. Luck was on my side and little bit of knowing the terrain & routine/behaviour of Tigers in Nagarahole and Kabini helped. My focus is always on bigcats 😊. Have become a big fan of the 400mm (Nikon or Canon). Have not been using my own gear (Nikon D7200 and 200-500 f5.6) for the last few trips at all.

Originally Posted by AniChaudhuri

Thank you for another lovely travelogue. Like the fact that you're completely focused on big cats ��.
I did my own Tadoba trip about 10 days back during the extended Mahashivratri weekend. Had some excellent sightings of Chhota Matka (boy, is he bold !), Chhoti Tara, a sub adult tigress, and also Jharni with cubs.
One of the rare positives of the pandemic has been the renewed interest of Indians in domestic destinations, including on wildlife tourism.

It's my pleasure to hear that you liked the travelogue. Tadoba is always rocking. With the high density of tigers in tourism zones and multiple gates access, it's a tiger lover's paradise. Nice to hear that you had a wonderful trip. Awaiting for your travelogue.

Originally Posted by thirugata

Awesome photographs and crisp blog.. thanks for sharing..

Glad to hear that you liked the travelogue and images 🙂

[Ulysses]

Excellent and lucid travelogue. Could you share the contact detail of the home stay and the safari driver, that you mentioned. I'm in Mysore and planning to visit this weekend.

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by Ulysses

Excellent and lucid travelogue. Could you share the contact detail of the home stay and the safari driver, that you mentioned. I'm in Mysore and planning to visit this weekend.

Thank you. You can contact Mr. Jayaprakash @ 9945742428 from Gateway Homestay. You can book the jeep safari from JLR website. Below is the link for the same. Ensure to select Nanchi gate while booking the safari.

http://booking.junglelodges.com/book...Code=6U6U68333

[Ulysses]

Originally Posted by Torque123

Thank you. You can contact Mr. Jayaprakash @ 9945742428 from Gateway Homestay. You can book the jeep safari from JLR website. Below is the link for the same. Ensure to select Nanchi gate while booking the safari.

http://booking.junglelodges.com/book...Code=6U6U68333

Many thanks, that is useful. Based on your experience, between Bandipur and Nagarhole, which one has higher siting probability of the Big Cat

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by Ulysses

Many thanks, that is useful. Based on your experience, between Bandipur and Nagarhole, which one has higher siting probability of the Big Cat

In the current situation according to me, Nagarahole has more chances of a bigcat sighting compared to Bandipur. Also very less safari vehicles enter Nagarahole compared to Bandipur & Kabini. So if one gets a bigcat sighting in Nagarahole it will be totally exclusive.

[Stryker]

Wow, that was one productive trip! It's been nearly six months since I visited Kabini, hoping to return soon. I have never been to the Nanchi gate side, usually always the Kakanakote side given that I stay at JLR. I need to explore more on the other side of the reserve.

Originally Posted by Torque123

The Shy Big Male Tiger

Attachment 2282170

He walks for 300 meters or so & does not turn towards us even once nor does any scent marking & starts heading into towards the grassland again.

See his left ear? He is definitely keeping an ear out for your vehicle! Wants to know if you are following him or peeling off in search of his competitors for attention

[sknair]

Originally Posted by Torque123

Thank you. You can contact Mr. Jayaprakash @ 9945742428 from Gateway Homestay. You can book the jeep safari from JLR website. Below is the link for the same. Ensure to select Nanchi gate while booking the safari.

http://booking.junglelodges.com/book...Code=6U6U68333

Amazing write-up once again, very much captivating!

I have always done Nagarhole safari through JLR/Kabini; interesting to see the other side options. when looking at the booking site, it says NC & VS. does this mean Nanchi gate & Veeranahosahalli gate?

Also you mentioned called up the Jeep driver & guide, so we can book a jeep for ourselves (not shared with other guests)? or is it a shared canter (van)?

[ramnath_77]

Superb travelogue once again alongwith awesome pictures to go with.
The Nikon 400 2.8 is a killer of a lens. Hope to get my hands on it someday.
During my recent trip to Kabini (around end of Feb), we did get to see the Bislewadi female and one of her cubs cross the road in the morning. Luckily we were on the only jeep and our guide made sure we kept a long distance away from her to make her feel comfortable. Hoping to put up a travelogue soon.

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Wow, that was one productive trip! It's been nearly six months since I visited Kabini, hoping to return soon. I have never been to the Nanchi gate side, usually always the Kakanakote side given that I stay at JLR. I need to explore more on the other side of the reserve.

Yes it was a super productive trip 😊. You should explore the kutta side of Nagarahole when you get a chance. It's worth it.

Originally Posted by sknair

Amazing write-up once again, very much captivating! when looking at the booking site, it says NC & VS. does this mean Nanchi gate & Veeranahosahalli gate? Also you mentioned called up the Jeep driver & guide, so we can book a jeep for ourselves (not shared with other guests)? or is it a shared canter (van)?

NC is Nanchi gate and VS is Veeranahosahalli gate. Irrespective of from which gate you book, the safari area is the same (Nagarahole range). It's a shared jeep safari. If you book the safari via the official Nagarahole tiger reserve website then the only option is bus/van safari as department does not have jeep safari option.

Originally Posted by ramnath_77

Superb travelogue once again alongwith awesome pictures to go with.
The Nikon 400 2.8 is a killer of a lens. Hope to get my hands on it someday. During my recent trip to Kabini (around end of Feb), we did get to see the Bislewadi female and one of her cubs cross the road in the morning. Luckily we were on the only jeep and our guide made sure we kept a long distance away from her to make her feel comfortable. Hoping to put up a travelogue soon.

Glad you liked the travelogue. Yes, the Nikon 400 2.8 is a beast especially when you combine it with D850 or D5 or D6 body. I prefer it compared to the canon 400 2.8. These images were clicked using the Canon though. Could not get my hands on the Nikon as it was booked & not available for renting. You are lucky to have seen the Bisalwadi female and her cub. She is a tough tigress to track and sight. Waiting for your travelogue on the Kabini trip 🙂

[Satish Pari]

Nice travelogue torque123. Reminded me of my first and only trip to Kabini (Damanakatte) last December. We did a total of three safari's and the king graced us with this presence in our first morning safari for a few seconds. The sighting happened on the old MM road and we were nearing the end of the safari. This sighting was very special for me because I was able to see the king after a long wait of 11 years - despite doing multiple jungle safaris in those 11 years, I somehow missed the king. And this sighting at Kabini was my 13th tiger sighting. Planning to visit Kabini soon.

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by Satish Pari

Nice travelogue torque123. Reminded me of my first and only trip to Kabini (Damanakatte) last December. We did a total of three safari's and the king graced us with this presence in our first morning safari for a few seconds. The sighting happened on the old MM road and we were nearing the end of the safari. This sighting was very special for me because I was able to see the king after a long wait of 11 years - despite doing multiple jungle safaris in those 11 years, I somehow missed the king. And this sighting at Kabini was my 13th tiger sighting. Planning to visit Kabini soon.

Happy that you liked the travelogue. The first sighting of a tiger in the wild will always be etched in one's heart no matter how many subsequent sightings one has got of the Bigcat. Dammanakatte safari is going to play a crucial role this summer and coming monsoon as majority of the tigresse's who have territories closer to Dammanakatte currently have cubs between the age of 3-6 months. Hopefully this will reduce the pressure on the Black Panther. It takes minimum 30 mins for JLR jeeps to reach those territories from Udboor side. I wish Dammanakatte had gypsies for safaris like Bandipur. Am not surprised if JLR increases their tariff shortly