There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
01-28-2019, 07:45 PM( This post was last modified: 01-28-2019, 08:53 PM by Rishi )
(01-21-2019, 08:33 PM)Rishi Wrote: Day 5. Date: 06/01/2019
Mostly spent travelling east from Jalpaiguri District to Alipurduar District (both named after respective dist. headquarter tariffs towns), our destination was Jaldapara NP & Buxa TR.
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Way to Jaldapara Forest Lodge entrance.
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The lodge...
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...& Jaldapara National Park's jungle behind it.
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I did visit the Khayerbari Rescue Center, located inside a forest nearby. Saw some leopards hiding in the shelters in the back, waiting to get some peace & tranquility at night. Not only is its maintenance or management much inferior to the one in Jharkhali of Sundarban, but the noisy crowd was absolutely unruly.
Atleast FD designated picnic-spot further away to stop them from littering all over the place. Future plan is to turn it into a zoo. Hope they would fence some of the forest & create proper enclosure. It's too small for wildlife anyway...
I strongly recommend everyone not to waste time going there.
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Near the lodge there's a small "Jaldapara Museum" that had taxidermy of a tigress, a huge leopard of almost her size & a black one. All of these were once shot at Jaldapara. Couldn't be very old, as it was not very well maintained. Even had dim lights that looked 1000-years-old.
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Day 6. Date: 07/01/2019
Jaldapara is almost half grassland and has reached its carrying capacity with more than 200 rhinos, 4 times that of densely wooded Gorumara-Chapramari, despite being not that much larger than them combined. Wild-buffalo was once abundant in North Bengal.
Morning car-safari at Jaldapara starts at 5:30am. There's nothing like wind of 2-3°C against your face in an open Gypsy in complete darkness.
There aren't many moments in an Indian's life when he misses the sun. This was one of mine.
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Sunrise over Jaldapara's grassland...
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...clearing away the thick fog. Bhutan in the backdrop.
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Didn't see anything other that this barking deers behind.
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Hollong Tourist Lodge inside Jaldapara is an old elite Bungalow, where you'd need to be lucky to get to stay. FD does a lottery from whoever applies, same for elephant safari, that starts from here. That also needs a lot of luck, as only 3-4 elephants are allocated for it & the rest are for patrolling duty. At this time one of them was soon to get off-duty due to pregnancy.
Beside Hollong lodge there's another salt-lick, less than 50m from the lodge. No barriers except a tiny stream... The lawn has a sign warning the rhino sometimes come upto there.
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Droppings. Can't tell whether elephant or rhino.
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Parakeet.
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This video looks like it was taken there, the gaur being jumpy because people are standing nearby.
(01-13-2019, 08:51 PM)Jimmy Wrote: One of the nice side view of a bull gaur walking I have seen, gaurs although large no doubt seem quite agile and alert, they appear more athletic than bulky, a bit twitchy perhaps it's a requirement in tiger territory.
Rest of the day was free & we decided to move on to Buxa Tiger Reserve.
It's larger forest tract is almost 600sq.km in size & this is a place where the forest is densest in probably all of Dooars.
Beautiful Buxa
Buxa Tiger Reserve from up the h
This is where the Jayanti river flows by (Places here are often named after a nearby river). Once a small stream, in 1993 there was a flash flood through the mountain & it washed away half of the fort, the nearby settlement up there. Down here it tripled in width taking away forest offices on its banks, a century old bridge etc.
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This used to be a road. Now it is stream. Still used as the way to the watch towers. Looks better IMO...
Day 7. Date: 08/01/2019
My last day in Dooars.
We got lucky to have an elephant safari in the morning. Got on the train back-home later that day.
Same schedule as last day. Had to be there at Hollong before su
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When was evident that he had no intention of moving away, the lead elephant went forward & challenged him. Hearing her trumpet he slowing walked aside.
This was one of the two males that fought last night. The one that lost. He had horrible wounds on his rump, apparently inflicted by the chasing victor's horn.
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What about quality of accommodation in the local lodges? For those who love wild nature of course question of accommodation, luxury is a second rate issue, but if you want to go make safari with your family members, and they not necessary are nature lovers, questions of quality of accommodation become quite important. I think in India still don't have something like this, some photos from luxurious African safari lodges, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania:
