JUNGLE JAUNT

TRAVEL

Excited, our family left the concrete jungle of Bangalore and drove for 5½ hours, past Mysore and Gundalpet, to venture into the verdant jungles of Masinagudi at the foothills of the Nilgiris. Rolling down the car windows, we took in the fresh forest air and lush, green surroundings.

As we entered the Mudumulai Wildlife Sanctuary, we were greeted by black-faced langurs swinging on branches and squatting by the road, grooming each other.  We spied spotted deer foraging behind a screen of scrub as we made our way to our temporary home in the jungle – a world that was one with Nature.

I awoke next morning to the cock crowing and hens scratching outside my window.  Setting off on an exploratory expedition, I walked by a large water body surrounded by bamboo.  

Hearing a loud splash, I turned to see a turtle diving into the water, while a long, fat water snake lay coiled on a rock, basking lazily in the sun.  A cormorant with its sleek, wet body sat preening itself on a tree stump that stuck out of the pond. Looking up, I stared open-mouthed in utter disbelief, at a turquoise blue kingfisher perched on a tree, holding its catch of the day - a chameleon (not a fish!) in its bill.

I followed a lapwing as it called out, “Did-you-do-it?” and led me further away from its nest on the ground.  A bird watcher’s paradise – we spotted robins, koels, mynahs, wood-peckers,  sun birds, Indian rollers, barbets and the elegant Paradise flycatcher with its trademark long, white streamer-like tail.

That evening, we drove into the jungle.  A mongoose scurried across our path. We saw herds of chital led by stags. Stately peacocks roamed with peahens. We were lucky to observe one with its brilliant blue-green fanned tail, open — dancing for its mate.

We saw a herd of elephants foraging by the main road. The protective mothers kept their babies in the centre of the group.  Traffic came to a stand still and people watched in awe as the matriarchs led the calves across the road. On the other side of the road, another group of elephants were enjoying dust baths; sucking up mud in their trunks, they showered it onto their backs.

A little further on, we came across a tusker with a reputation for being a rogue and overturning vehicles. Keeping at a safe distance, we watched as a taxi zoomed past us honking away noisily, blatantly ignoring the signs that say one should not disturb the animals by blowing horns or throw plastic which pollutes their pristine habitat. The elephant decided to teach the taxi driver a lesson and lay down the law of the jungle.     

Suddenly, it trumpeted as if sounding the war cry and charged straight at the approaching taxi.  

The driver had to brake and reverse full speed before turning around and zooming back in the opposite direction, leaving us in splits of laughter. The elephant sure showed him who ruled the jungle!

At dusk, we spotted sambar and a big bison grazing. We feasted our eyes on a wild boar gorging on some jackfruit that had fallen by the road. As the light faded, we returned to the resort, to the chorus of crickets singing their evensong, having had our fill of the sights and sounds the jungle had to offer.

On our way back the next day, we stopped at the elephant camp at Thepakadu, where one could observe plenty of tame elephants being fed and bathed. Quite a contrast to the wild one we had seen the previous evening!

We returned home feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, carrying with us vivid memories of the fascinating wildlife we’d seen at the Mudumulai Sanctuary.