Realm of the Black Panther

India – Realm of the Black Panther

Naturetrek Tour Report 12th – 20th (17th) March 2020

Snow Leopard

Dhole Common Langur

Tour report and images by Kaustubh Mulay

Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

Tour Report India – The Realm of the Black Panther

Tour participants: Kaustubh Mulay with four Naturetrek clients

Day 1 Thursday 12th March

The tour started at London Heathrow airport with an overnight flight to Bangalore.

Day 2 Friday 13th March

Our flight landed at 5.30am, and we met Kaustubh at the Airport. We then had a nice breakfast at the Goldfinch Retreat, and then proceeded with our travel to Kabini. It was a long drive and, including our stop for facilities, took us about five and a half hours to reach the lodge. On arrival at the lodge, we were briefed about the lodge by the naturalist, and then we proceeded to our rooms and in a short while met for lunch.

We later started on our first safari in the afternoon. We had some good views of a big bull Elephant just as we entered into the park. The guests were thrilled at the sight! We also watched some Grey Junglefowl, Crested Serpent Eagle, and a few more birds, with mammals including Stripe-necked Mongoose and, Malabar Giant Squirrel. We then started our drive towards the gate, where we got a wonderful view of a tigress which walked away from us in the clearing of a fire breaker, before she went very far away into the dense undergrowth! Just before we exited the gate, we saw a Sloth Bear at the waterhole. Out in the open, it offered us an excellent view and great opportunity to photograph. It was an excellent start to the tour!

We then exited the park and returned to the lodge at the exit time, and later met for checklist and dinner. We called it an early night, as everyone was quite tired from the long time travelling!

Day 3 Saturday 14th March

After an early morning coffee, we were excitedly waiting for the safari to begin. It was misty in the morning, but we had good views of a lot of birds, as they started off their day. We heard a lot of deer alarm calls, We waited there for a long time, but no predator was sighted. We had views of Racket-tailed Drongos, Black-rumped Flameback woodpeckers, Woolly-necked Storks, Osprey and other birds, and mammals like Bonnet Macaque, Langur, Gaur, Smooth-coated Otters, and Indian Muntjac. At the end of the safari time, we returned to the lodge for a well-laid-out breakfast.

After lunch we again left for our afternoon safari. We waited at a spot where we had the information of a Tiger sighting in the morning. But as it was all very quiet, we decided to drive around and check other areas. We had good views of a White-bellied Woodpeckers, while the Langur played, and the Stripe-necked Mongoose scoured the ground, searching for prey. We then came across a pack of three Wild Dogs that were resting beside the road. We watched them as they cleaned each other as part of their socialising and bonding. Then one of them walked up right besides the jeep, and sat down, offering us excellent views and a really close view of him. At the

India – The Realm of the Black Panther Tour Report

end of the safari time, we slowly drove back towards the gate, as it was time for us to start our drive back to the lodge.

Back at the lodge, we met for checklist, and after dinner we retired to our rooms.

Day 4 Sunday 15th March

The day started early, and we met Kaustubh for the morning cup of tea, before heading out for another safari. Having had seen a Tiger, we decided to concentrate on the Black Panther, and Kaustubh had managed to secure our jeep for Zone A. We drove around in loops, over the roads that passed through his territory. We watched quite a few birds and mammals like Malabar Giant Squirrels and Ruddy Mongoose, We spent the whole morning looking for the Leopard, but with no alarm calls or signs of his presence, at the end of the safari time, we exited the park, and returned to the lodge and met for breakfast.

We later met for lunch and then proceeded for our afternoon safari. We had some wonderful sighting of the Malabar Giant Squirrel and Stripe-necked Mongoose and heard very strong deer and Langur alarm calls. We waited for quite a long time, but nothing happened. Just then we received information of a male Tiger sitting in the water on the other side of the zone. We rushed to the spot, to find a couple of jeeps already parked up and watching the big male Tiger nodding off in the water!! We watched it for quite some time, and then decided to check the area further up on that road. We went around and watched Red Spurfowl, Grey Junglefowl and other birds, and then returned to the same spot, where the Tiger had got up, and anticipating his move, we got our vehicle parked in a spot where he might appear. And within no time, he appeared exactly at the same spot! We watched him walk on the road and mark his territory, before he went across the road, and disappeared into the forest! After waiting for a while, we drove back to the gate exited the park at the very last minute and returned to the lodge.

We then met for checklist. That was when we received the news that the next morning onwards, the lodge and the park was to be shut down for all tourism activities, owing to the COVID-19. And that the evening drive we did, was the last one for the tour! We all were disappointed with the news but couldn’t do anything about it. However, we were at least fortunate enough to have spotted the Tigers, Elephants and Wild Dogs during our brief safari time in the park. So based on the information, we were briefed by Kaustubh, and we had our dinner before heading to bed.

Day 5 Monday 16th March

We had a leisurely wake up, and had our breakfast and then packed up, for our return transfer was ready for driving us all back to Bangalore, with Kaustubh and Naturetrek having made the arrangement of rescheduling the flights for the clients to fly back home early next morning.

2 © Naturetrek October 20

India – The Realm of the Black Panther Tour Report

We left Kabini and had a long drive through forest, fields, villages and towns on our way to Bangalore, with a stop for facilities and refreshments; we reached the hotel at 3pm. We had a farewell dinner at the Taj Yeshwanthpur, and after the briefing for the airport departure, we said goodbye to Kaustubh and headed to bed.

Day 6 Tuesday 17th February

The group arrived in London, as our rather truncated but still enjoyable Naturetrek tour came to an end.

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Bengal Tiger Snow Leopard

Tour Report India – The Realm of the Black Panther

Species Lists

Common name Scientific name TL 13 14 15 1 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus 1 2 Grey Junglefowl - E Gallus sonneratii 1 1 1 3 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus 1 1 1 4 Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica 1 1 5 Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha 1 1 6 Southern Coucal Centropus bengalensis 1 1 7 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus 1 8 Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius 1 1 1 9 Rock Dove Columba livia 1 10 Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis 1 1 1 11 Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicopterus 1 12 Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea 1 13 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus 1 14 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 1 15 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus 1 1 1 16 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 1 17 Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus 1 18 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 1 19 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 1 20 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 1 1 21 Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus 1 22 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala 1 1 23 Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans 1 24 Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus 1 1 25 Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus 1 1 1 26 Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger 1 1 1 27 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis 1 28 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1 1 1 29 Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster 1 30 Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus 1 1 31 Red-naped Ibis Pseudibis papillosa 1 1 32 Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii 1 1 1 33 Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus 1 1 1 34 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 1 1 35 Great Egret Ardea alba 1 1 1 36 Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia 1 37 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 1 1 1 38 Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus 1 1 39 Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus 1 40 Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus 1 41 Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela 1 1 1 42 Changeable Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus 1 43 Black Eagle Ictinaetus malaiensis 1 44 Black Kite Milvus migrans lineatus 1 45 Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus 1 1 1 46 Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum 1 47 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 1 1 1 48 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis 1 1 1 49 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 1 1 1 50 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis 1 1 1

India – The Realm of the Black Panther Tour Report

Common name Scientific name TL 13 14 15 51 White-cheeked Barbet - E Psilopogon viridis 1 52 Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus 1 53 Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus 1 1 1 54 Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense 1 1 1 55 Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala 1 1 56 Malabar Parakeet - E Psittacula columboides 1 1 1 57 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri 1 58 Malabar Woodshrike - E Tephrodornis sylvicola 1 59 Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus 1 60 Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus 1 61 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach 1 1 62 Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus 1 63 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus 1 64 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus 1 65 White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens 1 66 Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus 1 67 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus 1 1 1 68 Indian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi 1 69 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda 1 1 1 70 Indian Jungle Crow Corvus culminatus 1 71 Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis 1 1 72 Cinereous Tit Parus cinereus 1 73 Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus 1 1 1 74 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer 1 1 75 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica 1 76 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides 1 77 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius 1 78 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata 1 1 79 Indian (Oriental) White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus 1 1 80 Indian Nuthatch Sitta castanea 1 1 81 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis 1 82 Common Hill Myna Gracula religiosa 1 83 Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus 1 1 1 84 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis 1 1 1 85 Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnia malabarica 1 86 Brahminy Starling Sturnia pagodarum 1 87 Orange-headed Thrush Geokichla citrina 1 88 Indian Robin Copsychus fulicatus 1 89 Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis 1 1 1 90 Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica 1 91 Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos 1 92 Purple-rumped Sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica 1 1 93 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus 1 94 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 1 1 95 Yellow-throated Sparrow Gymnoris xanthocollis 1 1 96 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 1 97 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 1 1 98 White Wagtail Motacilla alba personata 99 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis 1 1 100 Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi 101 Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus 1 1

India – The Realm of the Black Panther Tour Report

Mammals

Common name Scientific name Trip 13 14 15 Mammals 1 Royal Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris 1 1 2 Bonnet Macaque Macaca radiata 1 1 1 3 Common Langur/Hanuman langur Semnopithecus entellus 1 1 1 4 Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii 1 5 Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticolis 1 1 6 Dhole (Asiatic Wild Dog) Cuon alpinus dukhunensis 1 7 Sloth Bear Merursus ursinus 1 8 Smooth-Coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata 1 9 Three-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennarum 1 1 10 Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica 1 1 1 11 Gaur (Indian Bison) Bos guarus 1 1 1 12 Sambar Cervus unicolor 1 1 1 13 Chital (Spotted Deer) Cervus axis 1 1 1 14 Indian Muntjac (Barking Deer) Muntiacus muntjak 1 15 Indian Wild Boar Sus scrofa 1 1 1 16 Asian Elephant Elephas maximus 1 1