Holocene year 1 issue 5

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

World after 5th Extinction Featured Topic : We are at….

WAR RISK (Part – 3) Editorial : Tomorrow’s Ours Interview with Mr. K. M. Chinnappa Story Room : Call of Corbett Arnab Basu

The environmental legacy of warfare and mass violence has recently emerged as a recognized dimension of environmental history. Military historians have routinely written about the significance of terrain and weather for the planning and management of campaigns. Moreover, they have frequently traced military planners' concern for manipulation of the natural resources that are essential (or at least valuable) for their strategic purposes, and even the use of natural processes (such as fire) as weapons. But their interest lies almost exclusively with the human drama; they almost never go beyond that to consider the resulting transformations of ecosystems. They see Nature as context, but not as consequence, of mass violence.

From reading a variety of war and environment case studies as well as recent writing in military history, we have noticed characteristic periods in the interaction of environment and war, as follows: 1. The Run Up to War 2. The War Itself 3. The Immediate Aftermath 4. Five to Ten Years after the War 5. The Long Term, a Century or more after the War 1|Page

Coming Next : Polar Bio Modeling

Diversity

Theme Poster – The Boss

To assess and understand the impact of war on environment, we would focus on period of the war itself and more specifically discuss Environmental Stress during Wartime - in this edition of Holocene.

This thumbnail discussion will be based on work of Lisa M. Brady, “The Wilderness of War: Nature and Strategy in the American Civil War,” Environmental History 10:3 (July 2005), pp. 421-47 and the fuller treatment in her recent book War upon the Land: Military Strategy and the Transformation of Southern Landscapes during the American Civil War (Athens:

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

University of Georgia Press, 2012).

The most direct and unambiguous environmental consequences of battle are the immediate impacts of conflict, military movements and operations behind the lines. Military historians and geographers have described these impacts many times, though their focus has been on military operations themselves and the geographical information necessary for planning strategy and tactics. Historians of military and society have indicated many close links between the complex, shifting place of civilians in warfare and the environments where they operate. The work of environmental historians converges with those traditions, but with a different narrative focus: on the natural and built environments in play. The centennial of World War I has given great impetus to studies of the two world wars of the twentieth century, but until now the best work on the immediate environmental stresses of warfare has been in studies of the American Civil War of 1861-65.

Lisa Brady’s work is highly regarded among both environmental and military historians. In her 2005 article she focuses on fields and forests and their devastation in war. In General Sherman’s 1864 traverse of Georgia, cotton fields that had been turned into cornfields were systematically disrupted in a wide swath, as if “some giant plowshare had passed through the land, marring … the rolling plains, laying waste the fields and gardens … and razing even towns and cities.” (p. 421). In the same penultimate year of the war General Sheridan and his forces in the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia systematically destroyed crops, livestock, buildings, even wood supplies. These and other campaigns also damaged forest cover and swamplands in battle areas.

Reflecting the rich trove of literature on the psychological and intellectual experience of that war, Brady and other environmental historians have also been sensitive to the perceptual dimensions of the natural environment. But despite their vividness and detail, these eye-witness accounts of destruction present difficulties for establishing the actual ecological legacies, as distinct from disruption of the produce of the land. Typical rhetoric of the time describes “total destruction,” “desolation,” “a return to wilderness,” and so on; but what did those epithets mean for the longer run? As she points out in her conclusions, a study of the longer-term environmental legacy of the war’s campaigns would have to take into account rural societies’ determination to rebuild their farm buildings and return to growing crops. But that is research for another day. The scope of Brady’s book is limited to the war years. Like most studies of immediate environmental impacts of conflict, it invites studies of the aftermath.

Wildcraft: Preparation of miniature model of Polar Biodiversity.

Tentative start Date : 31st December 2015.

Project Lead : Arnab Basu.

Place : Bengaluru, India.

These projects are interactive and fun to learn about terrestrial biodiversity. Kids may find them interesting and while playing with my models and toy animal replicas they may get lot of information on biodiversity.

At the same time these handmade models may make them interested in crafts and drawings and awake the hidden creativity and innovation within them.

The fun of discovery, learning and creation together can be found in this project.

marginal soils? Did wartime needs trigger increased building of infrastructure, such as roads, railroads, cart tracks, or coastal defenses? Did new military roads significantly change drainage patterns?

Were forests stripped for road building or coastal defenses?

Did armies on the march directly stress the environment by cutting trees, foraging food, hunting and killing grazing animals? How large was the impact area? How long did an army stay in one area? What happened to the surrounding environment during an extended siege?

For comparative studies we might consider some wider questions related to the actual duration of the war. Was there increased resource extraction to replace direct war losses, for example, wood, cloth, iron and steel? What were the environmental impacts of increased resource extraction if the war stretched into In the next edition of Holocene, years? What were the environmental effects of billeting of troops we would focus on The in homes and on farms? How about the increasing needs for Immediate Aftermath based on fodder and food? Was there increased hunting? Was either side the Destruction and Recovery: forced into increased food production? Did it consist of plowing The Immediate Aftermath, work commons or pushing agriculture into upland slopes or other 2|Page E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

of Carola Hein, Jeffry M. Diefendorf and Ishida Yorigusa, eds., Rebuilding Urban Japan after 1945 (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003).

Till then keep reading Holocene.

Editors’ Desk :

Tomorrows’ Ours…. A Leap towards Future Biodiversity conservation, Forest and Wild life protection, Ecotourism...…… are now catch words for today’s world.

New generation activists across the world love use these words as an indication to show case how cool and up market they are. On the other hand multinationals corporations are earning huge revenue by “selling” eco-tourism and “biodiversity conservation”. In the recent global recession, like other parts of the travel industry, eco-tourism was also hammered —but it's on the comeback trail, as operators expand beyond the traditional highend core market. For the successful “seller” of this newly developed “commodity” or “service”, luxury has always been a hallmark of this niche market. At the same time, as in other industries, the growing interest in sustainability also means a wider clientele.

"Eco-tourism is such a broad and often misleading term, which can encompass everything from a conservation-based adventure travel program to vacations in high-end luxury hotels that use recycled toilet paper and avoid washing towels every day," says Jason Halal, manager of Sierra Club Outings. "One thing is for sure — travel companies and services are all beefing up their eco credentials in order to attract the rising number of customers seeking a ‘green’ experience.”

Annual surveys of Americans headed abroad show eco-travellers accounted for 5.8 percent of the traffic in 2009, up from 5.6 percent in the previous year, but down from 6.3 percent in 2007. Revenue from eco-tourism industry grew 42 percent between 2008-2010, despite the global downturn, surpassing $150 million. According to the Costa Rica Tourism Board, ICT, approximately 49 percent of 2 million visitors who flew into Costa Rica in 2010 participated in eco-tourism activities during their stay. Ecotourism revenue was close to $1 billion. CEO Deborah Calmeyer of The Sierra Club of Africa says her clients often spend up to $30,000 per person to have a customized, environmentally friendly African adventure.

Ceballos-Lascuráin (1993) reports a WTO estimate that nature tourism generates 7% of all international travel expenditure (Lindberg, 1997). The World Resources Institute (1990) found that while tourism overall has been growing at an annual rate of 4%, nature travel is increasing at an annual rate between 10% and 30% (Reingold, 1993). Data which supports this growth rate is found in Lew’s (1997) survey of tour operators in the Asia Pacific region who have experienced annual growth rates of 10% to 25% in recent years (Lindberg, 3|Page

1997). WTO (1998) stated that ecotourism and all nature-related forms of tourism account for approximately 20 percent of total international travel.

Multinational Corporations are making lot of money by successfully putting the word “Sustainability” in the forefront of their business model.

On the other hand, as per 2010 United Nations Environment Programme report, only $5 of every $100 spent on vacation remains in the country. The underdevelopment theory of tourism describes a new form of imperialism by multinational corporations that control ecotourism resources. These corporations finance and profit from the development of large scale ecotourism that causes excessive environmental degradation, loss of traditional culture and way of life, and exploitation of local labor. In Zimbabwe and Nepal's Annapurna region, where underdevelopment is taking place, more than 90 percent of ecotourism revenues are expatriated to the parent countries, and less than 5 percent go into local communities.

When the next generation ecotourists and biodiversity explorers are confused with this conundrum, there are few unsung heroes, who are working diligently to protect Mother Nature. In line with the philosophy of Exploring Nature, they also believe working for biodiversity conservation is not just promoting “eco- tourism”.... it’s about “encouraging responsible & sustainable tourism”; it’s not about” wildlife photography”..... It’s about “ethical nature & wildlife photography” and it’s not at all about just “buying artefacts and crafts made out of forest produce by forest dwellers”..... It’s about to learn biodiversities in a more exciting manner.

One of such unsung heroes is - K.M. Chinnappa, a 76 years old ex-forester from Nagarhole and current resident of Coorg (South Kodagu). Chinnappa, a forest ranger, fought a dangerous battle against poachers and rehabilitated tribal. Today, after his retirement, Chinnappa teaches village

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

kids on the need to value the forests they live in. He was interviewed by one of the Editors of Holocene – Arnab Basu at his South Kodagu residence on 27th December, 2015 on the issues of poaching, tribal resettlement issues of Nagarahole and eco-tourism.

Following is the detail interview for the readers of Holocene: • Exploring Nature: What moved you to devote your entire life to wildlife and forest protection?

• Chinnappa: I joined Forest Department in 1967 after completion of my basic training as an ordinary forester, like any other common man, to earn my livelihood. Of course I always had passion for forest and wildlife, but apart from that there were no other motivation. Initially I joined Forestry division, which was primarily involved in forest and tree management. But I didn’t find it exciting. I wanted to join Wildlife management division which was far more exciting. Then DFO of Nagarhole helped me in getting transferred to wildlife division. Traditionally more experienced and senior people were preferred for that division, and I was just 27 that time. So, many department colleagues didn’t want me to work for wildlife division. But gradually, when they realized I was a dedicated forester, few likeminded people started recognizing my effort.

I spent my whole service life in Nagarhole, when I was getting transferred to wildlife division; the same DFO asked me if wanted to move to any other department. But I told him, that I would like to work for at least two years in wildlife division. That time Nagarhole was very different than how it is now.

There were no vehicle for patrolling, communication system was not good. No proper security system, anybody could enter the forest at any time. It was like an open ground. Therefore, apart from my love for work I had nothing to motivate myself. My main agenda was of course conservation, but besides that I also started working on spreading information and awareness on forest and wildlife among people. Conservation was my professional duty, but I thought dissemination of information was equally important role of a forester of that time. That was how I started my career and once it started there was no end, even now also I have been doing the same work (dissemination of information) through my organization “Wildlife First”.

• Exploring Nature: Currently you are the President of Bangalore based NGO “Wildlife First”; would you like to talk about the role of “Wildlife First” in conservation and spreading of awareness on biodiversity?

• Chinnappa: Through Wildlife First, we teach kids about conservation. But we limit our interaction with kids only up to basics of conservations, considering their limitations in getting actively involved in hard core forest and wildlife protection activities. For kids it is important that they learn conservations (why do we need to conserve, objectives of conservation etc.) and gradually they may get involved in other aspects of forest and wild life management, if they are interested. But our interaction with media is definitely at advance level and we are getting lot of support from them in our activities. We are involved in so many activities, and the key of them is of course information dissemination. If anything goes wrong in forest, we are the first in most of the cases, who come to know about that. Our primary job is passing on such information to right person. Getting the information and acting on that – both are important. We cannot act, so our other job is searching for the right person – it could be police or forest official – who can act based on our information. Sometime forest department official get surprised on the level of information we get, which they cannot get in spite of being closed to forest and forest related activities. Whatever information they get from us, 4|Page

some time they act upon that some time not. But always there is a fear in their mind that people are aware of what is going on inside forest.

• Exploring Nature: So, how do you get such information, what even forest department does not get?

• Chinnappa: That is a secret, how can I reveal that (laughing)? But, I can assure you, if anything goes wrong in forest, first we will get that information and then we will pass on that to Department. I know lot of people inside forest, even villagers.

Nowadays, they are also lot more aware than before - of importance of forest and wildlife conservation and they come proactively to me to share such information.

• Exploring Nature: You have become a legend, because one of the very crucial changes you brought in Nagarhole – and that was nabbing down of notorious ivory poacher Parari Thimma. Would you like to talk about your experience in dealing with such poachers, who were once active in Nagarhole?

• Chinnappa: I don’t think I am a legend……probably people say that because of my age (laughing)…..but yes, that time was different. When I came to Nagarhole, nothing was there. The forest was disturbed by tree smuggling activities. There were two wings of forest management – territorial and wildlife and wildlife team had no control over administration.

Administration was controlled by territorial team and it was big task for them. Today’s scenario is different, now there is only wildlife team, in that day it was not easy to convince territorial team who were responsible for administration, neither they were ready to listen to wildlife team. Anyway, we used to work hard to overcome such obstacles. If you work hard, you will get result. Our initial target was restraining department people from poaching. They used to take koongyi elephant (timber elephant - an

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

elephant used to catch other wild elephants and used for the most difficult tasks) for border inspection. That was a practice, and nobody was allowed to question that. While coming back with koongyi, they used to poach animals and hide somewhere. Most of the Coorg festivals require elephant and meat of wild animals. Forest Department staff used to poach or capture animals to meet that demand.

Infrastructure was also a big problem that time. I was the only ranger responsible for 250 square km forest area and of course after 1972, it got expanded to 635 square km. I was provided with two guards and one watcher for that entire area, and no vehicle. After 1975, when two ranges merged, I got few more staff and my strength increased a bit. I used to petrol twice in a day – one in morning and another in night. Every day we used to walk 50-60 km.

Poachers were quite clever, they always used to keep track of my movement, and therefore I opted for a different trick. I always used to give false trail of my movement. For example, if I was heading for Mysore, I would say Gonikoppal. If I said, that I would be back to Nagarhole in morning, I would actually come back in the evening. Higher officials of Forest Department supported me a lot in dealing with poachers. I used to depend upon wild lives rather than human being to trace poachers. Many times it happened so, they gave me the trace and in night I reached at poachers’ hide out and seized their weapons, when they were sleeping.

These are not exaggeration; if you have interest then you can do such things.

• Exploring Nature: So, you mean there were forest officers who were involved in poaching?

• Chinnappa: A lot of them, even now also there are few instances of poaching in Nagarhole. In the eastern side of Nagarhole, there are still some poaching issues. The forest rangers and officials are not efficient enough in that part and that’s why the problem still persists.

• Exploring Nature: Do you think the current infrastructure of Nagarhole is sufficient enough to protect the forest?

• Chinnappa: Definitely, I interact with current officials of Nagarhole quite often, I know their strength. They have staff, vehicles, equipment. Now they have night vision equipment, what we didn’t have in our time. Definitely they can do lot more now. In that time with lot of limitations and only one old jeep of 1960 model, we could bring down poaching by 85%.

• Exploring Nature: Had ever your life was threatened by wild animals or poachers?

• Chinnappa: I was chased by wild elephants many times, but I was always cautious and would not call such incidents as threat to my life. But as far as poachers are concerned, yes I had lot of bad experience. I was accused wrongly in 1992. Someone got killed in forest, and people started blaming me. They burnt my house. I was arrested, spent 12 days in jail. That’s why I never believe in human being. I believe tigers, elephants but not human being. If you don’t act as per their wishes they will hurt you. Everybody will be united if their interest is not full filled – police, forest officers, politicians, villagers, poachers. For 24 years I protected the forest, and despite of that they could ablaze my house in front of me. After that incident I decided to quit my job in 1993.

• Exploring Nature: And how life was changed after that?

5|Page

• Chinnappa: I took one year break after that and then I thought, there was something wrong in communication. The awareness was not enough and that’s why all such things happened and then I started working with schools. I visited every school of coorg, conducted awareness programme and slide shows. That worked like magic.

There was a time, when everybody in coorg used to hate me, but after that people started recognizing and liking me.

• Exploring Nature: Are you satisfied now?

• Chinnappa: I can’t say that, because what is happening is really painful.

Even Government is not ready to listen to us, they are with timber mafia. Without any thought they have given permission of tree cutting for 20 different varieties of trees. Sometime forest department official also do not take any action against smugglers and poachers. Of course some of the officers are good and when they are in charge situation improves for a period of one or two years. But once they get transferred again it deteriorates.

Every day one elephant or one tiger is dying, then how can you be satisfied. It’s a very sensitive issue, if you go deep into this. Every day some bad stories I hear from forests, if you shut your ears, eyes and mouth then only you can remain satisfied. But I cannot keep quiet, after hearing such horrible stories.

• Exploring Nature: What do you think about tribal settlement situation in Nagarhole, 192 cases booked against Jenu Kuruba tribal people between 2001 and 2011, on account of trespassing forest land, collecting honey and growing ginger in the forest?

Around 4000 families resettled since 1972. As per Karanataka High-Court appointed committee, chaired by political studies professor at the University of Mysore Muzaffar Assadi, many resettlement areas lack water, have

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

no access, no public distribution system and house are too small.

• Chinnappa: You have to look into other side of the story as well. These tribal are nomadic people, they are hunter and gatherer. So if you try to convert them into cultivator, there will be always resistance. At least 50% of them will not be happy with this change. But at the same time think about their next generation. Their kids now have better opportunity for education; they have access to health facilities. So, we need to motivate them for living their new life outside forest. When they were in forest, they were always afraid of villagers, so their role in forest conservation was not so significant, although some of them were really good trackers and I used to take their help quite often.

Now while living outside of forest, they are not going to starve. You know there is always scarcity of labourers in Coorg. Here they can get job worth Rs. 500/- per day and besides that they can do their other work. They are hardworking people; there will be never dearth of job for them.

Only Government needs to ensure that whatever fund they are allocating for their welfare, are reaching completely to them. Also instead of making them lazy by providing free food, Government should motivate them to learn new skills and earn their own food.

• Exploring Nature: What’s your opinion about ecotourism opportunity in Nagarhole and is there any area of improvement?

• Chinnappa: Better not to talk about that, in India there is no meaning of such word. Educated, rich and “English speaking” and so called aware people come from Bangalore to Nagarhole and Coorg and leave their all junks behind, is it Ecotourism? In the name of ecotourism we are spoiling forest and killing wild life. Ooty was so reach in biodiversity, and now there is no forest exists. Madikery is spoiled too in the name of ecotourism. Here in Coorg, all are private lands, therefore it still remains good, but if this kind of ecotourism continues, then in another 20-30 years there will be no Coorg.

• Exploring Nature: There are many ecotourism programmes run by Government, so do you have any suggestion to improve this situation?

• Chinnappa: It should be controlled tourism. Every forest, national park has its own carrying capacity and we should not allow more tourists beyond that.

If you have four vehicles, only one out of that should be used for safari and that is also within defined time limit. Then it would be easy to control and tourists will also get more opportunity to sight wild lives. Otherwise it is very difficult even for tourists, because of too many people, noise etc. People do not know how to behave in forest, even if our guards tell them not make noise, they won’t listen. If there is less number of people then you can control them and teach them how to behave.

• Exploring Nature: Do you think, there should be some selection criteria for tourists, everybody cannot become eco tourists?

• Chinnappa: How do you do that? That may not be possible. But by allowing less number of people to enter in forest, you can improve this situation.

Government should also impose penalty system; if tourists do not listen to forest staffs then they would be fined or asked to leave the forest. I took such measures during my tenure. There was a time, when department used to earn more money from penalty than other sources of income.

• Exploring Nature: Can I touch upon an issue that I know is sub-judice? Please do not answer it if you feel uncomfortable. Cases were filed against you and your colleagues recently under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972? It was 6|Page

related to Kudremukh Iron and Ore Company limited, what are you doing to counter the allegations?

• Chinnappa: They are huge profit making organizations, so they made all those allegations. But court has already given its verdict, so we are not bothered by such allegations.

Not only that, another organization started making hotel in Nagarhole forest area on government land.

That is also illegal and we have already filed petition against that too.

• Exploring Nature: Are you reaching to people, to make them aware of such petitions?

• Chinnappa: No, it’s very difficult.

Common people would not take interest in such things. We need money to get people involved and we don’t have money. If you ask money for human beings, you will get but not for wild lives.

• Exploring Nature: Thank you sir, for your precious time. We would like to thank you on behalf of Exploring Nature and people who follow us and read our newsletter Holocene.

We would end this interview by asking one last question. Lot of youngsters and next generation Eco tourists and conservationists are getting more and more involved in these activities. Do you have any message for them?

• Chinnappa: It was my pleasure too to meet you and talk to you. I really don’t know what is in the mind of youngsters. A lot of them come to me and approach me, probably because they also want to be part of biodiversity conservation and wild life protection. But most of them are not capable to taking challenges of ground reality. This is not an easy task; it needs people with hard core mentality. I know there are many people who talk about biodiversity and wild life, but I would like to see them more on field. If they are concerned about their next generation, then they have to act…not just talk.

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

The legend was candid and straight forward in his interaction with Exploring Nature. He resonated the same voice “Tomorrow’s ours – and it’s us who have to take the leap towards future……” Exploring Nature will always raise its voice and advocate its thoughts to motivate new generation conservationists and Biodiversity Explorers in this endeavor.

Story Room :

returning to the FRH, inside the compound we spotted a barking deer.

We came to know, the tigress was a man eater with two cubs.

Eight days before, she killed a local woman. Before that she killed another villagers. Forest dept has placed cages and tracking cameras to catch her this time.

Authority has brought kunki “Alabeli” from Jhirna to spot her. But there was no tress of her without those pug marks and sounds of roaring.

The feeling was strong and exciting. This time, we may meet one of the “Man Eaters of Kumaon”.

Sankar Singha

We started our journey from Howrah by Kolkata Rajdhani Exp on 17th November’15. In Delhi, we passed our time visiting Qutub Minar, Humayun Tomb, India Gate etc. Then the journey towards Ramnagar started on 21.40 hrs by Ranikhet Express. We reached Ramnagar on 19th at half past five in the morning. From Ramnagar station we went to Ramnagar CTR office for the entry pass and booked a Gypsy for the entire exploration.

The journey begun.

From Ramanagr to Dhela FRH it was only 20 minutes by road.

When we entered, we got a fresh pug marks of a tigress. Our guide Mr Mahabub said in early morning the great lady passed through there and that was confirmed later by the Forest guards.

Keeping luggage in the FRH we started our first safari. From the very beginning we started spotting wild animals like spotted deers, Sambars etc. and again spotted fresh pug marks of the same tigress.

While returning we spotted two Indian Golden Jackal and got very close shot.

On

7|Page

In 2nd safari, we again got pugmarks of a tiger and of a beer. We spotted Sambars, Spotted deers, plum headed parakeet, Pied Hornbill etc.

Twice we got warning calls from Sambars and once from spotted deer. There were some long warning calls from jungle fowl.

Every time we heard a call we waited for her. We also got tuskers’ scents twice, but they were also not ready to come in front of us.

End of the day, in the evening, when we were on return to FRH we heard her roaring, it persisted even after we reached FRH. Our guide confirmed that now she was on move for haunting. Each and every roaring made us thrilled like anything and kept the hope alive, we could trace her in the next morning.

In the morning, care taker informed us that two tuskers passed through the back side of the FRH at last night.

In our third safari we again found pug marks of tiger, beer and elephant and not only pug marks, we heard her roaring again. We waited for long with the hope for the first sight of a

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

tiger, but in vain. End of the safari we were very upset to see the fresh pug marks of tiger on the other side.

In fourth and fifth safari we heard tiger roars several times but never got a sight. In our forth safari we spotted a herd of wild bores.

During our fifth safari we came to know that we missed the big.

We were waiting for her in dense forest, when a gypsy came and told that two tuskers crossed the road just two minute after we passed through there.

OVERVIEW :

Maqbul told that the tigers of Dhikala or Bijrani were quite familiar with the gypsy, and also as there was no village, tigers didn’t consider human as there enemy or food, so spotting tigers in those zones was quite easier than Dhela zone. As the Dhela zone is close to the village and also a new zone, there is a conflict between human and tigers for food. But he never blamed tigers as we were encroaching into their world.

SPOTTED SPECIES :

&

IDENTIFIED

A. MAMALS :

Landscape of Dhela zone is really beautiful.

There are long tress with thick heads, even sunlight faces great challenge to reach detritus. There is an open grass land, hills, the river bed that is dry in this season.

1.SPOTTED DEER 2.Sambhar Deer 3.Barking Deer 4.Wild Boar 5.Rhesus Macque 6.Grey Langur B.BIRDS :

DHELA FRH :

1.Red Watled Lapwing

The FRH is in the village Dhlea. There is a double beded room.

But for food, you have to take rations from Ramnagar, if you pay care taker he will cook for you. The room is quite good. Only as it just beside the village you will not get the sound of silence. Behind the FRH there is water hole so there is a high chance to spot animal around the area even inside the FRH.

2.Pied Hornbill

ALBELI & MAQBUL- A 25 years long lasting Jodi :

6.Pulm Headed Parakeet

We were very pleased to meet Mr Maqbul the mahut of Albeli. Albeli is now 30 years old and still virgin. Also she is not ready to give up her virginity. From the very first day she was working with Maqubul.

Maqbul is working as a mahout in Corbett from last 25 years. Before Corbett he was in Nepal for four years.

Maqbul told us, in early days, poaching was a serious issue in Corbett, forest officials were also involved. But these days Forest Dept is very strict and as a result number of tigers and other animals are raising gradually and fast. 20 years back sighting a leopard was very uncommon for him but leopard spotting is increasing now a days. But not the great king cobra. According to him till it’s quite difficult to spot the king.

7.Changeable Hawk Eagle

8|Page

3.Indian Peafowl 4.Oriental Magpie Robbin 5.Jungle Babbler

8.Fintail 9.Spotted Owlet Here the trip ends. When I check the balance sheet of what I got and what I didn’t, it doesn’t show the real story.

I was really expecting more. I was expecting tigers, tuskers, otters, monal, kaliz and so on.

But no.

Am I depressed? Certainly not.

Some of my friend ask me why I love jungle. My answer is the sound of silence, the thrill.

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

When you enter the jungle its silent. You open your ear, now you can get the sound of falling leafs, dew drops falls just like raining the sound of the insects moving on the dry leafs.

Be alert oho there is a spotted deer behind the bush. Some parakeets fly over your head. Again everything silent. Wait, certainly the shrilly sound of the macaques fighting. Your ears, your eyes your nose all of your senses organs are now alert. Oho, there is sambar crossing the road. Your eyes are inside the dense bush and your heart is asking, “is there anybody there?” Certainly a peafowl amazed you by shrilly quao quao sound. Throughout the time your heart rate be high. Adrenalin secretion will do is magic – now you are addicted. Now nothing is in your hand. There is no controls of you over your feeling – jungle is the controller. Just like a magician it just hypnotizes you. You are now hypnotized and the jungle show you the wild drama.

For Team Exploring Nature Logo Credit

:

Arijit Das Majumder Title Design

:

Arijit Das Majumder Saikat Chakraborty Editors’ Desk : Dwaipayan Ghosh Arnab Basu

No matter how much or which animal you spot the effect of the drama will addict yourself. Returning from the jungle you just close your eyes you can feel the drama is still playing inside your subconscious. It’s an addiction. If once you get addicted there is no way to return, the jungle will call you like a “nishi” and again you will pack your backpack and will follow the “dak”.

Now it’s all over. You may ask me why I took long 25 years for Corbett. Actually I was always afraid that my fantasy about Corbett may brake on strong real ground. But I was wrong. After returning from Corbett, my fantasy increased. Again I started dreaming about Corbett. When I close my eyes at night, I can feel the cold winds, the roaring of the tigress. the ultimate thrill of waiting for Her Highness. Corbett calls me. It’s very tough for me to avoid the call.

The journey may end but not the fantasy......

9|Page

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 1/Issue – 5/Jan’16 – Feb’16

Theme Poster

:: The Boss – Photography by Arnab Basu ::

10 | P a g e

E-mail: natural_destination@yahoo.com Website : www.exploringnature.org.in