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Dulahajra Safari Park

Into a different wilderness

Our car headlight showed a drizzly shower to the rhythm of the wiper as we entered inside the safari park. Even in the dark, we could make out the strange shapes of dinosaurs, and Bengal tigers and deer, all made of concrete and in suspended animation. For the first time, we started thinking we had come to a wrong place this time. Whoever has heard of ugly statues of animals in a safari park? The bungalows dampened our spirit even further.

Lore of Lowdope

A full moon always has a profound impact on individuals. They get moon-struck. Some like a full-moon night on hill stations, some like to enjoy it on a sea beach and some even like its influence on the forest.

Wilderness Close to Home

ALL lovers of the wild have their own crush on certain places to which they will return again and again.

Your Natural Discovery Channel

THE first thing you will probably get to know about Lawachhara reserve forest is it is a place where the film "Around the World in 80 Days" by Michael Todd was shot.

Flames in the mind

When we saw our shadows staring at us, we knew we had made a mistake. Well, not only one but quite a few.

Flames in the mind

ACross the road from the Ramgar Horticulture Centre stands a deep lush green forest. We find a narrow dirt road to follow. It is a much trodden path as the trampled pattern of the grass shows. Tall Shal trees frill the road.

Long walk to Keokradang

The most charming adventure tour in Bangladesh is to explore Keokradang, the highest peak of the country. Our team consisted of only two persons -- Rahul and I. So the tour was more of an adventure for us. Many suggested us not to go on this venture, but defied them one by one.

Call of the Wild-1

While you are in wilderness, whether in forests or wetlands, you expect to see birds and animals in abundance. In the East African Savannah or in the Indian plains, large herds of animals and flock of birds can be seen in their natural surroundings in the reserves. But Southeast Asian nature reserves, especially rainforests, do not offer a tourist much of its wildlife in big groups. It is not that the rainforests do not harbour a good number of wildlife. But watching them is a bit difficult in these forests. These forests can be described as closed high forest, having evergreen and deciduous trees, with dense undergrowth and a copious growth of climbers and epiphytes and usually their zone extends to the altitude of 200 to 2,500 feet. While the dense vegetation restricts vision, uneven and rugged land equally obstructs to getting close to the animals. Elephants, pigs and some species of monkeys congregate in big numbers, but other mammals such as Samber deer, Serow goat antelope, rhino, Goyal and bears form small groups of three to five. The barking deer, the most common animal of the area, lives a solitary and night-active life like that of a tiger and other flesh eating civets -- leopard, clouded leopard, fishing cats, jungle cats and leopard cats.

Call of the Wild-2

Returning to the Bungalow in the full heat of the midday sun was exhausting. After drinking a fair amount of water and tea I regained my composure both physically and mentally. Maybe last night's vigil and fatigue was taking toll on me as I felt sleepy. Suddenly, I detected a moving object on the electric pole and aligned my binocular to identify it an irrawady squirrel, a typical animal of the area. To my astonishment, the tiny animal walked over the electric wire to another pole with the support of its twisting tail, showing its amazing ability.

Call of the Wild-3

Wonders of Dulahazra

Every forest rest house has its own story to tell. Whether it is inside dense forest or on the edge of the woodland, one must feel the isolation while sitting in the rest house in the evening. As the sun went down, birds of different colours, sizes and shapes passed over us, heading for their roosting places. Scores of warblers were settling in the vegetation around us and a big geko lizard known as Mertin's Tokey, began its evening incantation -- a quiet chuckling followed by a loud Gec-ko … Gec-ko ... gek-ko. A fruit bat flew past us and a barred owlet called. Crickets and cicadas joined them with their high-pitched orchestral chorus. But still I was missing some thing, the howling of the foxes and calling of the nightzars.

Gorumara sanctuary

Before going to Darjeeling, we wanted to visit the famous rhino sanctuary at Jaldapara of Jalpaiguri.

A book and a trip to Mainimukh

"This is stirring stuff,” Khosru reached into his bag to produce a green A4-size book with a sky blue jacket.

The elephant trail

It is a beautiful rest house in the middle of nowhere. Standing high on concrete stilts, the white-walled, tile-roofed building looks alluring on a hilltop. Two huge balconies were just waiting for us to slump. The breath-catching scene made us forget our journey fatigue.

Kasalang chronicle

We were once again cruising. First, we crossed the lake into the creeks and then we found our way into the Kasalang river.

Mountfort's bird paradise

A Flight of steps up the steep slope led to the Pablakhali bungalow. We toiled up it, carrying our backpack and camera equipment. We passed a small pond by the woodland and then the white structure came into view. It is just a copy of the Mainimukh bungalow -- the same design, the same wide balconies. On the sofas laid out in the shaded balconies, we sat down to have tea.

The enchanted forest

In the mild afternoon sun, we wanted to take a better look around. to feel the changes that have taken place since Guy Mountfort, the famous wildlife expert and WWF trustee, visited this place and recorded his fantastic observations. But even before we set out we knew not much of the forest is left today: the land has gone through a lot of stress by humans -- first by building the Kaptai dam that had flooded and destroyed the forest land, and secondly, by illegal loggers.

Down the realm of rain forest

It was just afternoon we got down from the 'Srimongal to Bhanugach' local bus at the 'Lewwa' bus station. The helper was shouting, "Ei lewwa namen, lewwa". Stephen was with his entire house on his back, the huge belongings seem to the same length and weight of him!

Korerhat Part-1

A forest, untrodden, depleted but vibrant

Stretching down to the south-eastern corner of the country the hill forests of Chittagong north division is among the least known scenic tract of the country. On our return trip to Dhaka from Pablakhali wildlife sanctuary we saw a fantastic patch of forest along the Ramgarh-Dhaka highway. Although some of the hilltops are depleted of plants but the valleys were still clothed with dense vegetation.

Korerhat Part-2

Barking Deer, an eves dropper's glimpse

We got up very early in the morning, anticipating our guides (two forest guards) to join us. But they did not turn up till the sunrise. They had promised to show us Barking deer, one of the most elusive creatures in the wild. The rest house was built on the western foothills of the Korerhat Hill range, which obstructed the incoming sunlight from reaching the western slopes where we were.

Madarbaria santuary--another Sangri-la

Guy Mountfort, one of the trustees of the World Wildlife Fund, made an expedition to the forests of the Sundarbans in 1967. In his inventory report presented to the then Pakistan Wildlife Appeal, he suggested three sea facing areas of the Sundarbans to be declared as wildlife sanctuaries where all forestry operation should be suspended; shooting, trapping and catching of any form of life must be prohibited by law. After the independence of the country a wildlife law (1974) passed by parliament declared three areas of the Sundarbans, as suggested by Mountfort, as wildlife sanctuaries.

Kaptai-1

Hornbill's way

"Ah, we will have a nice night," Khasru scanned the sky above and said. A half-moon was hanging out there, pale and almost translucent against the deep blue afternoon sky. Still looking sleepy, waiting to wake up but unable to make up its mind. The cool winter breeze whipped our face. Long shadows of the teak and shal trees lay lazily on this hilly precipitous road. On our right and left, the green-canopied hills looked like some giant prehistoric lizards sucking up the last rays of the sun.

Kaptai-2

Hornbill’s way

“Wake up! Look at the sight outside," somebody tucked at my jacket. Slowly I opened my eyes, they focused on Khosru's. "It's Japanese paining! Look at the miracle," he sounded excited.

Kaptai-3

Hornbill’s way

The Kaptai Khal lay before me -- wide and winding, mysterious and forbidding -- shriveled in the winter. The shores on the banks were now wider than the flow itself. Huge stones carried down by the mighty monsoon streams shone in the sun like some sunbathing giant turtles. Huge bamboo rafts were stationed in front of the forest bungalow -- the bamboo traders had called a halt here. Away, thick forests stood silently. From high up here, it looks so mysterious.

Kaptai-4

Hornbill’s way

Khorsu broke the silence. "Ok. There's no point in going any further." We headed back to the river and found an engine boat waiting for us.

Trekking to Kudung Guha

It was Dr Reza Khan, the zoologist, who once told us about a mysterious cave somewhere in Teknaf. He enchanted us with the description and photographs. A elongated gap in the hills through which you can see the green vegetation outside. The cave floor filled with water. The picture remained with us as we dreamt of stepping into that cave one day.

Dulahajra Safri Park

Into a different wilderness

The rain-soaked road glistened in the diffused afternoon light as it snaked through the forest, like the wet hair of a woman lying on the grass. We followed it to reach the other side of the lake only parted by the road. The water level here is however maintained at a much lower level with the help of a water regulator. And a long wooden bridge, at least 20 feet above the water had run over the lake almost in a loop. It made little sense to us what purpose this pier like bridge served.

Elephants of the sylvan shadows

It was another dreary morning. The rain continued in its endlessly monotonous beat. The moistness in the air was gone and it was feeling rather cool. I checked the time -- 6:30am. We should have left the bungalow half an hour ago, but the forest officials told us it was no use going in this weather. Even four-wheelers would not be of any use in the hills, they said.

Part 1

Journey to a bat cave

As far as I can recollect, the mountains have always fascinated me. I still can vividly recollect my first trip to the mountains of Beluchistan in Pakistan at the age of four. When my uncle called my name aloud to the mountains, the mountain replied back my name. It was a sheer magic to me. Then he explained what an echo was.

Part 2

Journey to a bat cave

Next morning we resumed our journey at the first light of dawn. Towering peaks and emerald green forest patches lined the riverbanks. As the river was very shallow and the rapids very swift, we had to walk most of the way while Aung-shoy and Kong-la dragged and pushed the boat up the stream.

Rema Kalinga

Lonely trail

How time makes us forget things until you come full circle. When our car swerved from the Srimongol road onto a narrow by-lane, we hardly remembered the journey ahead. The metal road ended fast and a perilously curvy dirt road began. The microbus rocked dangerously as it rolled steeply down and then moaned to climb the slope looking like moon craters.

Frosty forest

We were virtually wading through the mist. It hung around like a shroud. On this early winter morning in the Rema Kalinga forest, only the tree trunks were visible -- dark and silent, looking like some mysterious spirits. My thoughts veered to death -- that mysterious, blissful, eternal affair. How some of us yearn for it, how we lovingly touch its hand. If death is like this winter forest morning then we can sail on it.

Part 1

Sundarbans Sonata

The moonlit night offered no other sound except a very low pitched drone of the Andharmanik on the top deck of the boat, where I stood facing the approaching fringes of the world's largest single tract of mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, as it was engulfing me like a blanket.

Part 2

Sundarbans Sonata

The first morning on the River Poshur en route to the Sundarbans dawned with a calm punctuated with chirping of birds. We found ourselves anchored as we had our breakfast of pancakes made by our host Manju, with honey from the hives of the Sundarbans, and ghee fried luchi with a thick spicy preparation of split Bengal chic peas.

Watch them thrive again

The Sundarbans has resuscitated from the Sidr devastation caused about a year ago. The battered forest was a cause for worry for many who thought this world heritage site may be lost for ever. There was no harm in thinking like that -- wherever you went in the mangrove forest, all you could see is fallen trees and mud. Prospect for tourism looked bleak.

Lauachapra

Looking for the Elephants

I called Ronald Halder to tell him about the civet caught at Ramna Park. He gave me a different piece of information. He was in Gazni to watch a herd of elephants roaming the forest. It took us a few minutes to rent a car. Luckily, Dr Reza Khan was in city. He said he would love to join us. So, in the morning we set off on the elephant trail.

Lauachapra

The evasive elephants

The morning was full of fog. We came out of our rooms and emerged in a dreamy world of mists. The fog gloomily dropped down like rain. Visibility was so low that we knew we could not drive now. You could see nothing of the road.

Looking for the Temple Tiger-1

The forest in the rain

As the bus pulled in by the harbour, we got down sleepily. The river in front of us lay dark and mysterious. A few lights from moored ships amplified the late night loneliness of the Rupsha river. We dizzily hauled ourselves onto an engine boat and the loud chug of the engine shattered the silence of the night. The lights dissolved and stirred in the waves.

Looking for the Temple Tiger-2

A treat in wildlife

A bend in the river and a wooden pyre came into view. About 15 feet above the water, there was a nice round cubicle in the front and you climb directly on to it. This is Sutarkhali forest station.

Looking for the Temple Tiger-3

Aila's fallout and a day with a broken engine

Night crept up on us with the stealthy feet of a tiger. And before we knew it, it was murky dark. An owlet hooted from one bank of the river and it was replied by another from the other side. A little later, a crescent moon appeared on the sky and cast a mesmerising subdued glow on the forests around. The forest silhouetted against a dark sky and looked like a huge ancient animal breathing in deep slumber by the riverbank.