23 match's found in 'Wildlife' category -

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.

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.

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.

The animal kingdom

Animals are creatures of habit and have distinct daily and seasonal patterns of activities. An understanding of these patterns increases our chance of seeing them.

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.

Part-1

Swatch of no ground

I was getting bored in Dhaka in the restless early months of this year when I got the invitation to a special treat on F.B. Baba Loknath. I fought with parents, ducked through corporate darts, tricked the weather, and finally made it to the Cabin No. 11 of MV Chhuti, anchored at Mongla port. We were to set off the next morning on a very special trip few have taken before -- a trip to the Swatch-of-no-Ground, a weird deep canyon in the Bay of Bengal, where you can have the rare chance of watching dolphins and whales.

Part - 2

Swatch of no ground

The night fell and darkness engulfed us. I was spellbound by the wonderful silence of nightfall; serene, peaceful and tranquil. The silence was broken by the call for dinner. Sobhan bhai, the cook, had already fixed the table, or rather the pati, and laid scrumptious food on it. The menu was simple; rice, daal, two types of vegetables and fish curry. Due to my low intake of food it was very difficult to convince the cook that the food was absolutely delicious. Consequently I was nicknamed 'chorui pakhi' (sparrow). Yet mealtimes were always enjoyable, as Master Shaheb, the captain and senior most member of the boat would hypnotize us with his stories, ranging from outlaws invading his village home to unknown sea creatures jumping on deck, while Kalimullah bhai, the engineer cum sculptor, would try to counter with his smart logic and Jakir bhai, the all-rounder, doing everything from cutting onions to helping Master Shaheb maneuver the boat through the freezing nights, would sit at a distance and smile discreetly. It took me little time to feel at home on Loknath. I was very comfortable just lying on deck watching the night sky, or Kalimullah bhai carving a piece of wood into 3 small cute dolphins with a simple chisel.

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.

Googleing around unknown

We came here to paddle around the unknown green territory of Sylhet. Our five days programme started from the night of Eid, relishing the happiness of Eid in the shape of adventure. We are, after all, “Kewkradong,” a community biased to adventure.

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.

Birds of Baikka Beel

Nine kilometer towards Moulvibazar from Sri Mongol and you find a gas station. A small, little-used metal road runs to the left. Our car followed that path and in two minutes the landscape began to change. It looked like a vast wasteland. As far as eyes could stretch, there were hardly any signs of human habitation. The look and colour of the earth made it clear -- this land remains under water for most of the year. The whitish big chunks of fine silted earth. Only in winter the water recedes and the land surfaces. And then agriculture is practiced here, mostly rice. The variety is different. Not the HYV that cannot tolerate flood, but long-stemmed local varieties.

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.