←Day 1 Part II - The Evening Safari
Our Weekend Trip to Dudhwa : Day 2 Part I - The Morning Safari
So, we woke up early the next morning and got ready with a tea.
We had realized after the previous evenings safari that the woods here were really dark and deep, the temperatures were much lesser than what we expected and the chill factor in the open safari vehicles made it worse.
So, today for the morning safari we were nicely wrapped up
Wrapped and ready for the chilly morning ride
Morning Mist
चलो, आज का खाता खुला
More 'Misty Morning' shots
Jungle Bridge
There are many wooden bridges like this on the trail to cross over the frequent swamps
Diversion ahead, Road closed
Thank God for the Sun
Aah, the hope of warmth...
Well kitted foreign tourist from the private resort nearby
Then a guide of crossing jeep told us that they had heard alarm calls some time back, and we scouted around, did not hear any calls, but saw some fresh tracks.
Fresh Pug Marks
See the pug marks are superimposed over the previous vehicle's track. Also by the size it appears to be of a mother and sub adult cub. That means two tigers have crossed this path after the previous vehicle and before ours. The tracks came down from a low rising mound on our right, continued along the path for some time before going into the grassland on our left.
Talking about pug marks, well they have interested me a lot ever since I read about the way Corbett literally "read them like a morning newspaper" as described in his books (especially 'The Jungle Lore') and I have always been trying to look up onto some source of information for knowing about them in books or internet, but nothing much useful turned up, until this trip that is.
Hung innocuously on the walls of Dudhwa's Nature Interpretation Centre are these gems of information. Posting them here for posterity...
Pug/hoof mark of various wild animals
Geometry of Pugmarks
Differences between front and hind pugmarks of tiger
Attempting to translate the text of above pic for non Hindi reading viewers...
👉 The front part of body of the Tiger is heavier than the rear. Therefore, the front legs and paws are bigger and stronger than the rear.
👉 Compared to the front paws, the second thumb is more ahead of the third in the rear.
👉 The central lobe is more depressed inside than the axial lobes in the front, the rear has it protruding out.
Deciphering Pace of Walk from Pugmarks
We hung around the area for a while but go no further clues in form of alarm calls or more pugmarks or trails or movement. So we hung around this beautiful little stream for some time as the pug marks apparently led here.
And then we heard one short and weak alarm call from the grasslands, we waited and kept moving slowly up and down along the edge of grassland, but had no joy.
Well the way these deer were behaving in a carefree manner, we were pretty certain that we had missed today's chance.
But, yes the deer and the grasslands were beautiful, especially with the sun out now.
We again heard a faint alarm call and decided to trace back our route along the grassland edge till the stream. But the attempt was futile, so we decided to stop by the stream to remove one layer of our clothing, as with the sun out, now it was getting warm. The kids tanked up on biscuits etc. which we had carried along.
The beautiful spotted deer or chital may seem very common to the Indians, but surprisingly its endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
We spotted some crocs and monkeys by the stream, remember the Panchatantra story of 'The Monkey and The Crocodile'.
Mist in the making
And then we heard one short and weak alarm call from the grasslands, we waited and kept moving slowly up and down along the edge of grassland, but had no joy.
Scouting the grassland
Well the way these deer were behaving in a carefree manner, we were pretty certain that we had missed today's chance.
But, yes the deer and the grasslands were beautiful, especially with the sun out now.
Doe with stilettoed toe
Sun Kissed
Bambi, The young one...
...moves...
...and hides...
...while the Stag stands guard...
The deers onto the high mound to our right
We again heard a faint alarm call and decided to trace back our route along the grassland edge till the stream. But the attempt was futile, so we decided to stop by the stream to remove one layer of our clothing, as with the sun out, now it was getting warm. The kids tanked up on biscuits etc. which we had carried along.
The beautiful spotted deer or chital may seem very common to the Indians, but surprisingly its endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
Range Chital, courtesy IUCN
We spotted some crocs and monkeys by the stream, remember the Panchatantra story of 'The Monkey and The Crocodile'.
The Monkey and The Crocodile
A zoom in of the waiting fellow
Croc, Croc
More Croc
We then went to the Salukapur Elephant Camp, for a cup of tea.
Dumbo, the young boy
The elder one feeding jaggery to an elephant
Scared, am I...
Nominal roll of elephants of Elephant Camp Salukapur (as of Jul 18)
Nominal Roll
The Elephantine Diet
The elephant safari for Rhino enclosure starts from here, but was cancelled for the time being as few wild elephants had broken the rhino enclosure fencing.
We also spotted this giant on our way back
The giant Croc
Lovely forests of Dudhwa
Hope you enjoyed going though this post. Request continue following and sharing our pics, posts and logs to motivate us to keep posting...Love and regards
#dudhwa #dudhwanationalpark #dudhwtigerreserve #terai #sal #chital #threatened #vulnerable #endemic #muggercrocodile #mugger #indianmarshcrocodile #nikon #d7200 #nikond7200 #upforestdepartment #upecotourism #incredibleindia
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