Place of xperience: Namdapha National Park
I’m writing ma blog
after nearly one and a half year and hope the readers have not forgotten ma
blog posts. Regret from ma side to ma readers. Will be updating ma blog now and
then from now. Was busy all these days and just got some time to put up ma
xperiences in the field as a blog post writing. Before beginning the write up,
I jus remembered a dialogue from a Hindi Film “Oh my God” starred by Paresh
roval (hope spelling is correct) and Akshay Kumar. In the film, Paresh says
Akshay at an instance when Akshay kumar gives Srimath Bhagawatgeetha (Holy book
for Hindus) to Parvesh, Parvesh tells that he has thrown the book out of his
shop as the book looks uninteresting as there no photos etc. and it makes
readers get bored. So here too, I donn wann make ma readers get bored by
writing paras and paras. What I do is put up some small clips of the forests
and animals. What say people? Ok right. Let me proceed.
As usually, I have
started ma travel with my field assistant Biron to reach the place and as
described in the earlier posts, you people might understand how the journey
will be usually. A long hectic and backbone disk relocating journey I would
say. However, reached the place and got the permits to enter the National Park
cum Tiger reserve. The research officer of the park being ma fren asked me to
stay back for a day as the forest department is celebrating Raksha Bandan Divas
by asking school children to prepare Rakhi’s to tie them to trees and the
enclosures in the zoo having animals. Just as a sort of mass awareness program.
It went on well and I was privileged as being invited as a guest for
distributing the prizes and even biron got the chance to do so. Next day me and
research officer left to camp site and made our stay. It was hot and humid as
one can xpericence how the tropical rain forests would be. It was much irritating
moment for me and staying in the tents have even made the situation worse as we
sweat like pigs inside the tents and literally the tent floor got damped due to
flowing sweat. Ok no more pulling. Coming to the next part.
Initial Walks:
We set on a go for a night walk and on the first lucky
day itself, we got something interesting. I was leading the team and was ahead
of everyone. I saw some shine and the animal disappeared from the path at an
instance. I asked ma assistants to flash the lights n nothing was there. I
described the size etc. and ma assistant (Erebo the 2nd assis) told
that it might be a leopard (as there were lot of sightings of a leopard couple
around the camp site). But ma subconscious mind was not accepting it. As I went
ahead, I sighted the shine and took the flash light to identify the animal and
it was still unclear. I asked ma assistants to flash the spot lights now (which
I usually use less as they literally make the animal blind and deaf, I mean the
animal will not even know whatz happening in its front. That’s it. It doesn’t
hurt the animal). It was the lovely
leopard cat sitting over a liana downslope. It was on a search for its prey and
stayed there for a minute and disappeared into the bushes. I know the questions
flash in your minds, have I photographed it. And I would say no. None of us. I
took a camera which was new and I din even move a muscle looking at the lovely
animal and more over, I have to take out the camera from the pouch, put the
lenses and adjust the settings which would take a whole lot of time and I din
wanted to miss the lovely sighting by doing such non-sense. The walk went on
and there was a Bengal slow loris sighting that night. Few null nights (zero
sighting) went on after that and the research officer left the camp site to
attend an official work. My work went on however as I have to collect ma data with
regard to ma PhD.
Party Time:
After few days came the SriKrishna Janmasthami (Lord
Sri Krishna’s B’day) and my name even being so, I asked the cook to prepare some
sweet dish so that everyone in the came might n’joy it. And the cook did so
even. Around 10.30 in the night, the cook calls me and asks me attend the small
group of people who were uttering some bhajans keerthans and more over it was a
very polite call. I thought of nt denying it and attended it. They gave me some
instrument to play which produces small sound when I hit it to ma palm during
the bhajans and they all were happy that I have joined them. They severed me
the red tea and dishes and after 12:00, we had our dinner all together. The
cook and the local staff were happy as they all had only such moments where
they can n’joy as they live for months inside the jungle where even mobile
connectivity in this 21st century doesn’t even reach.
Rain Forest Experience:
I being from a dry area
I mean hot area have no idea what rain forests are till ma graduation. But I
experienced the true rain forest this time as the name signifies or tells what
all “Rain” forest is. Yes it is named aptly. It rained and rained all day for
nearly 10 days and even rained on the day I left from the camp (more over it
was a forceful retrieval from the camp as it started flooding and I would have
got jammed inside the jungle if I would have not did so). It rained from the
time I wake till I sleep. So there was little work that happened during this
spell. But I never miss a opportunity. I had night walks during the short dry
spells in the nights. So now you might understand what excites you is the what
more sighting might I have made right?? Ok let me go on.
Leopards, Flying Squirrels, Snakes, Lorises, Civets & Leopard cat
retreat:
Frankly to tell, animals
in Northeast India are elusive and very shy. So more sightings would be during
the calm hours i.e., nights. Yes. Also, hunting at rampant in these areas has
made the animals to be elusive I would say. And more overnight hours are ma
favorite to make moves in the jungle. Literally I have habituated myself like
Owls which sleep in the day and active in the nights with their powerful
nocturnal vision. Ok now heading back to the narration path, during the nights,
my walks continued. One night we walked for nearly 4kms and there were no
sightings and I thought that this was even a null night even and continued
walking. I tucked something with ma heavy boots (usually I won’t see the forest
floor as ma search always remain in the canopy with a headlamp mounted over ma
cap for detecting the shine) ma assistant pushed me and I literally tumbled. I
asked him what happened. He showed me a Pit viper (mostly a mountain pit viper)
what I tucked was its head. It was in an aggressive mood and was mocking as if
to fang. I was happy to see it and tried photographing it. As you know in
animal dilagoues “these stupid boy photographs everything which appears in the
path. Sorry buddy I have to leave… Let me search ma food” and it disappeared
rapidly into the bushes. Ma walk continued and there were two pretty slow
lorises and they were utterly cute. Ma walk continued and a rodent was on the
path and I really donn know why it din even move when we flashed light at it
(might be terrified). I photographed and slowly it too disappeared into the
bushes. Ma walk continued and I stopped at another eye shine and ran to the
place. It was another slow loris. This loris posed for some lovely clips. We
took out our GPS, took the reading and I was noting few things in my pocket
dairy. Suddenly, I saw a something heading towards us. It looked like a devil
and the eyeshine was very strong. The gap between the eyes was even less. On better
observation, it was a leopard. It ran immediately when I flashed ma head lamp
at it. I took ma assistants to follow it but we were so unlucky that it
disappeared into the bushes downhill. I was excited. Ma walk continued and I
again tucked at something as usually ma assistant pushed me and I saw a Green
colored Pitviper (in the process of identification, probably might be a new
addition to the snakes of India. Pic sent to herp expert for identification).
It looked so aggressive and the same after photographing, it disappeared into
the bushes. The other nights were even delightful with the sightings of Masked
Palm civet and Leopard cat. Ok I have not mentioned flying squirrels right they
being ma part of research, were sighted on all ma search nights as ma main
focus was on them.
Return back:
After all these
xperiences, as it was raining like hell and it started flooding, on the advice
of the forest staff, I left the camp and returned back to ma university as even
the ration that I carried was about to get emptied. The same disk relocation
journey back way. Long sleep after ma return to university continued. Ha ha.
Bye for now. See you all on ma next blog post. Tata.
