Nov 2023
An impromptu weekend getaway with the family to Nagarhole found us staying at the Jungle Lodges and Resorts near the forest entry gates. Two safari drives hoping to sight the resident big cats left us wanting. To think that Nagarhole has the highest density of Tigers with 125 of approximately 750 in the Nilgiri Biosphere reserves and we didn’t spot a single one. But as they say, you have to give a park its time to reveal its secrets to you. One night does not hack it.
White Socked Gaur, a few Elephant, Spotted deer, Sambar, Langurs, and a host of birds were what we had to be content with. Even a Mongoose that crossed the road in front of us, contrary to popular belief, did not change our luck.
We did have one exciting moment when after driving around for about an hour in the Core, we were back on the main road and we had reports of movement spotted on the western side of the road. Together with about 6 other jeeps we all rushed off to that spot and waited patiently for the Tiger to appear. It seemed to from the alarm calls we could hear and movement in the brush that it intended to cross the road somewhere in that area but, after 30 minutes of waiting, the alarm calls diminished, and the forest became silent once again. The sighting was set to be only a teaser for the next trip.
Enjoy a few pictures of A Crested Serpent Eagle, A Crested Hawk Eagle, White Bellied Woodpecker, Indian Black turtles sunning themselves and some magnificent views of the sun peeking into the forest early in the morning
