Bandipur and Nagarhole
DEC 18TH 2009, FRIDAY.
Its over 6 months since having gone out into the jungles or using my cameras. Work and extended monsoon has kept me away from the jungles and I am very glad to be in the outdoors again.
A quick trip in the weekend to Bandipur and Nagarhole. It was the first day of my daughters Christmas holidays, and Ruthu accompanied me on this trip.
It is December and its Winter in the South Indian jungles. Chilly and Misty early mornings in the forests can be quite enchanting. This year has been very different – ITS STILL WARM AND ITS RAINING!! Does anybody why this is happening??
I only hope that the world leaders can work together and drawup a workable strategy to reverse the changing weather patterns and ofcourse we all, as citizens of the world humbly contribute to Conserve and Preserve all forms of our diminishing Natural resources.
We were quite lucky to see the beautiful Lady of the Bandipur forests. Tigress Ganga!
When she saw first saw us, she immediately walked off the jeep track and into the bushes. She is quite a shy tigress and it was only because of the expertise of the accompanying guide that we were able to predict the route that she would use on her evening stroll. We had a good 12 minutes with this tigress and on one occasion she walked very close to the jeep. It was a very nice experience to see a tiger upclose in a South Indian jungle and cant mention Ruthus excitement.
We were told about a Big male tiger called Agasthya who roams around in the same area and is extremely tourist friendly. There is also another tigress called Gowri. Dont you all think that naming the wild tigers is a good idea? This should help effectively keep a track of various individuals.
Bandipur National park in the last two or three years is very frequent Tiger sightings. Well managed clearing of the undergrowth and also the Tigers becoming tourist friendly has helped this. The national highway that runs through the park is now closed for traffic in the night, which should further help animal movement and drastically bring down road kills.
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I read your blog a while ago and there’s was a strange gnawing feeling that I couldn’t put my fingers on – anyway I now know what it is so here goes… firstly I have a big problem with wildlife tourism, it’s fine if one is working to conserve and therefore has to go into the jungles to analyze/research etc but I think that if we love them then we should let them be and not be intrusive. Anyway the part of your blog (last paragraph) that talks about frequent tiger sightings, I feel that one shouldn’t encourage the fact that sightings of tigers have become more frequent in fact we should condemn it. The undergrowth should not be well managed and tigers should not become tourist friendly.
Hi Priya,
Sorry for the late response. You have bought up a issue that is being debated and has been debated in the past by many of the think tanks.
I have the following points to make
* Wildlife tourism cannot be promoted as just another form of tourism, but needs to be RESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE TOURISM. The objective being creating Awareness and Knowledge amongst tourists. Most wildlife tourism happens in a very small area called the buffer zones and the entry into the park is only for 3 hrs in the morning and 3 hrs in the evening.
* Frequent sightings of individuals is a proven method of keeping track of individuals. Forest dept. officials most often raise an alarm if some individuals are not spotted for a long time. This way you are able to monitor the poaching menace, which is most often the biggest reason for loss of Tigers.
* Tigers being at the apex of food chain, is an iconic animal whcih can inspire a lot of awe among first timers. The most important ingredient for COnservation and Preservation is Passion ( apart from Knowledge). It is this AWE among most first timers, that gets converted into PASSION, which promotes Continous Learning. I would say that the very presence of Tigers in a forest is an indication that most of the things are right with the ecosystem in that area.
* Undergrowth today in the forest is mostly non native species of plants like parthenium/lantana/euphitorium….and have very little value to the animals. Apart from being fuel for raging forest fires in summer. Effectively managed undergrowth is not just helpful for sightings but also for promoting the proliferation of natural plant species.
One example that I need to cite is that in Kabini tourists were banned from entering the forest in Monsoons. This used to be the time when the poaching activity used to get most rampant and when the tourist season reopens, most animals were found to be missing. Now the Forest dept is allowing tourist vehicles in Monsoons, as it means that there are more Eyes and Ears in the forest year round. Forest Department has now realized that WILDLIFE TOURISM can be a effective MANAGEMENT TOOL and not just REVENUE.
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hey srikant,
i’m sorry but the only part of your argument i agree with is that our wildlife/forests/tigers (the apex of our food chain) have to be preserved.
i think our fundamental cognitive orientation towards ‘how’ thought vary greatly.
* responsible wildlife tourism is very difficult to achieve. I’m sure that a very small percentage of the tourists are conscientious. for example, when i drive down home via nagarhole, i invariably see tourists parked on the forest roads eating/drinking/playing music – it’s most frustrating – and the guards stationed kilometers away do nothing to stop this. i just get an uncomfortable feeling that we are invading.
*i also don’t agree with the ‘awe’ theory – passion to conserve comes from within, with an understanding of us/nature and everything in between – the truth about where we are headed is so blatant in front of us – one doesn’t need to see the majestic tiger to want to save it.
*you talk about the undergrowth in the forests mostly consisting of parthenium/lantana/euphitorium and that they have very little value to wildlife. but the weeds that have been around for 200 odd years cannot just be gotten rid off by effectively managing the undergrowth, they cannot be cut, they need to be uprooted before they flower and spread etc etc, a tedious procedure which cannot obviously be applied to a forest – but the animals need the undergrowth as a means of protection/camouflage. also doesn’t it mean that the poachers now find it easier to spot the tigers as opposed to if they had undergrowth to hide in? i do hope the researchers can come up with a permanent solution to eradicating the obnoxious weeds and restoring native species of undergrowth sooner than later.
someone recently told me that it’s because of pet lovers that pet stores exist and flourish and these are the very places that ill treat animals… well, it shouldn’t be that animal lovers themselves pave the way for the endangerment of the natural world.
Hiya,
Like I told you this is a debate that has gone on for ever…and its no different now and neither of us can be correct!
* Responsible Tourism…..is very intuitive and instinctive. Its just got not to do with Tourism, but encompasses all aspects of everyday LIFE. I would say it starts with a “WHAT I SHOULD DO” attitude than “WHAT I SHOULD MAKE OTHERS DO”. Making all those 30 yr / 40 yr olds drinking and eating on the roadside @ Nhole to appreciate Nature and Contribute to conservation is frustrating – not just for you but me too!!
Frustration with inaction and no concentrated effort is as good as being irresponsible and no different from many others. My view is, getting out of the car and telling them about the right things to do or picking up all the Trash infront of them is more action oriented. We both know that the outcome of this is going to be some hard stares or even some dirty comments, and they will get on drinking/eating ………but mind you the result of this effort cannot be measured only by what you have taught just those 40yr olds, but there are lessons that you would teach your co passengers and especially all your young cousins in the car or the other cars behind you about the RIGHT THINGS TO DO…today and tomorrow!
* For somebody born in COORG it never needs any inspiration to appreciate nature, but for somebody born in Bangalore who has always lived with CO2/CO spitting automobiles and enjoyed watching roads being widened by chopping trees etc.,etc., there definitely needs to be something very inspiring or even tragic..like the 8 hr power cuts in Bangalore now and the Flooding last year or may be even a Drought tomorrow?
* Parthenium got introduced only in the 1950’s, though Lantanas and Euphitoriums are much recent. The population of Tigers in the years before Partheniums were I am sure more than 1411 nos, and you will have to agree that the Partheniums and Latanas have not helped. One more piece of information is that most animals get poached (get snared) because of the regular trials they use and these trials get very easily noticed because of lack of freedom for movement in the thick Lantana undergrowth. My opinion is that thick undergrowth hides snares and traps more effectively than it hides the animals!
Undergrowth helping animals to hide is a blantant lie used by Forest department to hide their mismanagement! Pls don’t get carried away with that….
Lastly, I would like your instincts to over rule whatever other people say and just doggedly pursue what you feel. You don’t need to agree to any points and change your stance, but my advise is if you are feeling frustrated, be so VEHEMENT about it so that everybody HEARS it. I am sure we can chat over a lot of coffees and still be inconclusive!!
my basic point was that your blog did not reflect you as a true conservationist.
but there is something that i do agree with – we could chat over a lot of coffees and still be inconclusive…
p.s when i am VEHEMENT enough, i hope you HEAR!!!