Serai Tiger: Tadoba’s Tented Wildlife Camp

There are not many wildlife resorts at one of India’s lesser known tiger dens, the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. In fact, there are only three of them running base on the fringes of this tiger reserve. One of them is run by Maharashtra tourism, while the other two are managed by private players. The last time I was there, I decided to stay at one of these private wildlife resorts and thus ended up at Serai Tiger, a luxury tented camp situated 5 kilometres from the Mohurli gate.

I stayed here for 3 days and had a great time at this tented wildlife camp. The place is ideal if you seek some luxury while not wanting to spend too much for it. A little bit of luxury is required here given the fact that Tadoba faces some of the most extreme weather throughout the year. Summers can be terribly hot at temperatures above 45 degrees, while winters can be bitterly cold. And early morning and late evening wildlife safaris will make you even more vulnerable to this extreme weather.

In such extreme weather, the Serai Tiger, offers 11 great luxury tented accommodation, each with an attached bathroom, an air-conditioner and an air cooler. The tents located slightly above ground level are even fitted with nets to prevent mosquitoes and other insects from entering inside. These tents, which come with 2 beds are large enough to accommodate an extra bed, if required. Backup generators ensure that power supply is available round the clock. These tents, if I remember right, cost about 3,500 rupees per tent and this includes 3 meals for both the occupants in the room.

In addition, there are 2 dormitories that can accommodate 16 people each. This is ideal for large groups, who are on a tighter budget. Food is served in a central dining hall that has a television in it, though I am not much in favour of television while I am on a wildlife trip. But, I am sure a lot of travellers would love to catch up on the latest news n stuff. The food here is homely and the cook can dish out some fancy fare, vegetarian and non-vegetarian both. Breakfast is generally packed to be had during the morning safari. The lunch is between the morning and evening safaris. A cup of hot tea and a plate of biscuits greet you when you are back from your evening safari and then dinner from 8 to 10 pm. In between, one can admire the various photos in the dining halls, read the assorted collection of wildlife books in their library, enjoy the serenity while walking in the garden or climb up the watch towers in an attempt to spot any stray wildlife.

Another thing in favour of the Serai Tiger is its location. It is situated very close to a hillock and its perimeter is frequented quite often by the leopard especially in the late evening hours and the night. And i you are interested in bird life, then the surrounding dam waters offer tremendous opportunity. The service is also quite impressive with each employee ensuring that your trip is great fun.

The resort also helps arrange wildlife safari tours, though might charge a bit more than the jeeps available at the gate. But, they also make up for the extra cost by providing great drivers and forest guides. They also offer pickup services from Nagpur airport and back through their tie-up with local travel operators. Bonfires are arranged upon request and on a full house, tribal dances are arranged, though I did not get a chance to see the tribal dance.

I would definitely recommend Serai Tiger if you wish to indulge in some luxury while on a wildlife trip to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. It may be a bit pricey, but it is totally worth it especially in the summers, when a little bit of luxury is needed and its location offers much more than other properties.

To book, you can lookup their website www.seraitiger.com, reach them out on their email id: seraityger@gmail.com or call them on their phone numbers: +91 – 9552224149, 9373663219, 9868920498, 9810062078, 9665053505, 9910069567.

Nearest airport: Nagpur at 135 kms from the camp, roughly a 3 hours drive.
Nearest railway station: Chandrapur at 30 kms from the camp, roughly 50 minutes away.

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Wildlife Photography: 3 different generations

I am sure a lot of you are aware of the tantrums that the pachyderms throw up in Assam, especially during the paddy harvest season and locals having to chase them off by bursting crackers. But, this is one side of the story. On the other side of the story is the peaceful living elephants of Kaziranga National Park. These massive mammals also look a bit weak and thin as they don’t get variety in their diet.

 
But, amidst the good and the bad, you can appreciate the aura of Indian Wildlife by seeing these elephants exist in total harmony in the Kaziranga National Park. And on top of this, if you see a special moment, you are totally transfixed. Such a special moment it was when I saw these 3 generations of Elephants during my jeep safari inside the central wildlife range of Kaziranga National Park.

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Reflections in the Wild

I was enjoying my evening jungle safari at the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka when I came across this very interesting sight. I guess this was a regular jungle moment, but to me, it was a special experience in the wild.

 
I saw this grey langaur (Hanuman languar) drinking water from a rainwater puddle and may be also checking its reflection in the water. A natural mirror for the denizens of the wild!

 
Even though the day was grey and the lighting low, the reflection of this grey langaur in the wild sure did brighten up my evening. It is such a moment that gives you the sense of satisfaction during your jungle exploration.

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Wildlife Photography: Wild Dogs (Dhole) from Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka, India

Like most other predators across India, their numbers are dwindling and one can see them only rarely and that too in very few wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across India. And hence my joy new no bounds when I spotted these Wild Dogs (locally known as Dhole) during my visit to Nagarhole National Park.

 
These predators hunt in packs and are known to even take down very large prey water buffaloes, wild boars and the deer species. These predators are highly endangered, but survive in good numbers at Karnataka’s Nagarhole and Kabini National Parks.

 
I saw these wild dogs twice during two separate jungle safari trips. Both times, I saw two of them. Once early in the morning when they were catching the scent on the trail and second during an evening safari trip when I saw them stalking a large group of spotted deer (chital).

 
Here are some more pictures from these two different sightings.

 
 
 
 
 

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Wildlife Photography: Proud Antlers of a Barasingha (Swamp Deer)

It is the branched and interconnected antlers that give the Barasingha its unique look. The Barasingha or Swamp Deer is one of the deer species that is found across India’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. It is most popular at the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh and the Kaziranga National Park in Assam where it is found in huge numbers.

 
Only the male species of the barasingha grow antlers. These antlers are shed every year and then a new set replaces them. As is the case with most of the animal kingdom, the one with the best set of antlers gets to call the shots. These antlers, when fully grown have 12 different branches on the same antler piece and hence are rightly called Barasingha in Hindi, which translates into Twelve Horns.

 
I got these shots of this beautiful mammal during an elephant safari at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. If I remember right, it was evening time and a huge herd of swamp deer were grazing in front of me. However, it was after a lot of waiting, that I managed to single this one out. This guy was just re-growing his antlers and hence they were not fully developed.

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Bird Photography: Peacock Mating Dance

When I was a kid, I used to see a lot of peafowl and their vivacious dances in my residential area. Sadly, peafowl are not that common in our cities anymore and one has to go to the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to catch them in their full splendour.

 
This time around, I was at the Yala National Park in Sri Lanka and was lucky to be treated to a lot of peacock mating dances. It looked like the monsoon had come early here. I would have spotted more than 50 peafowl here and all this within 3 hours of jeep safari. It is only after I got out of the Yala National Park did I find out that that the peafowl density here is the highest in Sri Lanka and much higher than India. So much for it being the national bird of India.

 
The peacock mating dances are always a very pretty sight. During this dance, the peacock opens up all its feathers, looks at the pea-hen and dances in such a way that all the feathers shake right from the top to bottom making for a thrilling experience. And at the same time, the peacock kind of jumps and runs behind the pea-hen with the same formation, but this time its feathers are tucked closer to its body.

 
Below are some more pictures of the peacock mating dance. Hope you enjoy the show.

 
 
 

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Early Morning Birding Moment at Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

It was dawn and about 15 minutes were left for the sun to rise. Five decade old Land Rovers and Isuzu jeeps were chugging their way into the Yala National Park (also known as Ruhuna National Park) in the south eastern coastal belt of Sri Lanka. Me and my friends were sitting in these jeeps watching the countryside go by, when all of a sudden all the jeeps stopped to capture this pristine early morning birding moment.

 
This birding moment comprised of a painted stork and a peacock sitting next to each other on a deserted tree branch. The bright colours of the painted stork shone even in the murky early morning weather and it was this moment that set the right precedent for the rest of our wildlife safari at Yala National Park, which is a very special place.

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Bird Photography: Changeable Hawk Eagle from Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

I was lucky to get some brilliant mammal, reptile and bird photographs during my recent wildlife safari trip to Yala National Park that is located in South Eastern Sri Lanka. One of the more special ones out of the lot was this Changeable Hawk Eagle that posed a long while for me.

 
And the best part was that this bird was pretty close range. Hence, I got some super sharp close up shots. In my mind, it is the eyes of the raptors that make them so special. It is their eyes that make them spot their prey miles away and it is these pair of eyes that can be quite scary and pretty at the same time.

 
I was happy that I got good shots of the eyes of this Changeable Hawk Eagle. I am sure that you will enjoy them too.

 
Below are some more close-up and full body shots of the Changeable Hawk Eagle.

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Sri Lankan Sambar Deer Stag enjoys its Afternoon Siesta at Horton Plains National Park

I had just finished my 9 kilometre trekking trail across the Horton Plains National Park in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. I came out, had a cup of tea and was catching my breath when I saw this Sri Lankan sambar deer stag sitting under the shade of a nearby tree and enjoying its afternoon siesta.

 
This guy was handsome enough for me to take my camera gear out in spite of being tired and famished. His antlers were large and offered a brilliant frame. Intermittently, the sun kept shining on the sambar deer’s face and horns providing great natural lighting.

 
I didn’t have my tripod on me at that point in time, but I found a bench nearby, put my camera bag on top of it and propped the camera on top of the bag helping me get great stability.

 
It looked like the stag was taking total rest. He hardly seemed to be moving though his eyes were focussed on me. It looked like he was chewing the cud and may be digesting his food together.

 
I took snaps of this Sri Lankan Sambar Deer for nearly 20 minutes and may be say about 400 photos, but here are some of the very select few for your eyes.

 
 
 

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Bird Photography - Green Bee Eater from Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

Yala National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South East Sri Lanka, like most of the Indian forests is a great place to spot the bee eater species of birds. I had a great time spotting this green bee eater and many other birds including others of the same species.

 
Below are some of the shots that I took of this very pretty and colourful bird.

 
 

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Green Lizard at Mini World’s End

I was standing at Mini World’s end, a very picturesque natural drop at Horton Plains in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The sheer beauty of this location was empowering, but the cynosure of all eyes was this green lizard that was basking in the sun at the cliff’s edge.

 
The lizard was very well camouflaged in the bushes, but that wasn’t enough to escape from the prying eyes of my friend who spotted it and showed it the entire group. Soon, I began changing from my wide angle lens to my telephoto to capture this beautiful creature in great lighting.

 
This lizard posed for a good 10 minutes before deciding to take care of some other business. I would certainly say that this green lizard was the highlight of my visit to Mini World’s End.

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Land Monitor Lizard from Yala National Park, Sri Lanka

The land monitor lizard is a fairly large sized reptile that is found quite commonly at Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. This reptile, though very slow owing to its large bulk is pretty strong and is known to even kill an adult deer for its meals.

 
I was lucky to spot many of them during my wildlife safari trips into Yala National Park, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is situated near the South Eastern coastline of Sri Lanka. They are locally known as ‘thalagoya’ (thanks to Heminda for the local name). Some of them that I saw here were significantly huge and much larger than the ones I have seen in India.

 
I was also lucky to spot these reptiles in great light. For e.g., I saw one of them clinging onto a tree in the golden hues of the early morning light. I saw a couple of them crossing the road and some of them amongst the bushes.



It is said that the land monitor lizard, like the crocodile has extremely powerful digestive juices and can digest nearly anything. But, if you intend to get close to these creatures, do watch out for their poisonous saliva, which if ingested by your body can cause serious damage. And for their long tail, which can deal a solid blow.

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Western Hoolock Gibbon in Pictures!

This was the first time I saw an ape (no homo sapiens please) in real. And it was also the only Ape of the Indian Subcontinent. It was the Western Hoolock Gibbon, a small sized ape species, but extremely fast.



And I saw these magnificent creatures at the Hoolongopar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary near Jorhat in Assam, North East India. It took me a good three hours of trekking in the morning to see them.



The morning trek inside the forests was uneventful till we heard loud laughter and some kind of singing coming from ahead of us. My guide told me that was the gibbons singing. Apparently, the Hoolock Gibbons sing when they are happy.



Soon, the sound of the Gibbon song led us to the Hoolock Gibbons. The Hoolock Gibbon stay in families and are rooted to the upper most branches of the tallest trees. Unlike the other primates of India, they do not have a tail, but are blessed with highly flexible and lightning fast limbs.



These Gibbons love to hang by their limbs on these trees. These hanging positions actually looked quite graceful to me. And they love to jump across the branches in extremely quick movements.



These gibbons are diurnal and arboreal. My guide told me that these Hoolock Gibbons fed primarily on fruits, leaves and insects. During my sightings, I saw a couple of families. One of the families had 2 young ones and a juvenile. The juvenile seemed to be jumping from branch to branch and was posing for us.



The male Hoolock Gibbon has black fur and white eye brows while the female gibbon has brownish-grey fur that darkens near its chest.



My best moment during the Hoolock Gibbon sighting was when I saw a fight between 2 males. Apparently, one male had wandered into the territory of another Hoolock Gibbon family.  The head male of this Gibbon family then proceeded to chase this outsider and thus began the super quick flying on across trees.



All I could see was black bodies whizzing from branch to branch. The lightning quick Gibbon movements are a sight to be treasured. Finally, the outsider was chased away.



The other interesting moment came when I saw a young Hoolock Gibbon suckling on its mother. Both mother and child were staring at us from above. After a long photo shoot, we left them alone to enjoy the antics of the other Gibbon families.



In total, I saw about 4 Hoolock Gibbon families and about 14-15 gibbons during that day in the Hoolongopar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. That visit was total paisa vasool (value for money).



Here are some more pictures of the Hoolock Gibbon in various positions and performing different stunts.

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