AFTERNOON SAFARI
Details and bookings
After settling down in the resort, a hearty lunch and a refreshing nap, our jeep driver Chandan picked us up from the resort for our pre-booked afternoon Safari.
Safaris begin at 4:00 pm however it is better to report to the main gate a good half and hour before as there is some paperwork apanning three queues which needs to be done. The time for safari varies with season, so prior information must be gathered.Only 50 jeeps are allowed inside the reserve at any given time to protect the sanctity of the forest. It is advisable to book your safari online especially on weekends rather than losing out a slot.
Finally at around 10 past 4:00 pm we entered the reserve.
Feast for the eyes, and ears
The forest was painted in hues of green and browns. The may heat was soaking up life out of the trees.The forest was not heavily dense, or green, rather turning to yellow and brown. There was a slight wind even in the afternoon perhaps carryig the tales of the wild.
We saw very many interesting trees, shrubs and water bodies.There were some excusitive root formations and lush red leaved trees which gave a whole new character to the forest.
The forest was teeming with langoors, peacocks, nil gai, deers and the varied birds. We even spotted the occasional bara singha (twelve horned deer), jackal, wild boar, birds (tiger brush, owls, kingfisher, vulture etc). However the elusive Tiger was yet to be revealed.
Nature and animals each have their own way of communication. We got news from the base camp and from other tourist jeeps in the reserve about the Tiger calls being heard at a water body called Junewani. Like all other jeeps we rushed to the water body and waited patiently listening to the call of the tiger. In peak summers tiger spotting is higher as the forest is drier. Plus, water bodies are a frequented place, hence the logical wait.
However it was nearing 7:00 pm and the calls had not yet stopped. There had been no spotting today at Junewani. We had to leave the Reserve with a heavy heart as the time slot for tourists was over for the day.
However at the Reserve exit we met Dr. Abheek Ghosh. He is a doctor based in Nagpur. In his time off his duty he is an avid wildlife photographer and also runs wildlife photography camps at neary reserves.
It was only Dr. Abheek Ghosh and his team of photographers who spotted a tigeress as she crossed the gravel path right in front of their jeep. Well, I suppose they got lucky by venturing out in a different direction rather than following the other jeeps to Junewani water body.
Even though we did not spot a tiger, we were filled with a sense of peace and a feeling of being such a small speck in this God's universe. There was the Tiger to look forward to at the morning safari. And hope keeps me alive :)
Credits:
Photographer: Pranay Datar
Trip itinerary/planning: Harshad Datar of Reflections
Read about Getting to Pench and Accomodation here
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