Wildlife in Central India – There is much more than the Big Cat

Planning a safari to Central India to see the majestic striped cat – Tiger is a great idea but do look beyond Tigers. Central Indian forests are wildlife lover’s paradise with 22 mammalian, more than 250 bird, 120 butterfly species and number of plants, trees, reptiles, etc. Mostly we plan our trip to spot the most famous big cat – Tiger and forget the others although all are important and integral part of the biodiversity and eco-system.

When going to Madhya Pradesh you can visit any one or two of Tiger reserves be it Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna or Satpuda. I personally suggest Kanha and Satpuda if you actually want to enjoy the natural heritage of Central India. At Kanha you stand a very good chance of spotting the striped cat along with the lesser known denizens of the forest. At Satpuda you may enjoy the bird life and take some walks in the wilderness. Kanha is also famous for Hard ground Barasingha (Swamp deer) so called because this particular species has adopted to the central plains instead of swamps where its brethren live.

Do ask your travel agent or hotel where you are staying to arrange a couple of jungle walks along with jeep safaris. Jungle walks are the best and most sustainable way of enjoying and understanding any wilderness area. If possible also plan a visit to local tribal hamlets to see their culture and simple way of living.

So, just do not stop at the Tiger, look beyond……..

Kanha and my experiences

Mr. Sanjeev Kulhalli has spent more than 20 years at Kanha starting as Manager of one the resorts. We had been asking him to write down his experiences of Kanha National Park which we always hear, stories which make us jealous at times on his good luck to have spent a major part of his life at a place he loves so much. Finally here is something for all - one of his anecdote which I am sure all will cherish.

After spending close to two decades in Kanha I am frequently asked about exciting encounters or experiences with tigers or other wild animals, there have been so many that it would be impossible to pen down even a fraction of the entire collection in a single sitting. It was late in the morning after breaking our fast at Kanha museum we were on Schaller’s hide road when suddenly chital's alarm calls erupted from all over and from the circular road grasslands emerged a pack of 14 wild dogs who successfully brought down an adult chital hind, while all this was going on I was frantically trying to draw the attention of my clients who were near the barasingha enclosure in a another jeep, By the time they covered the intervening 800 meters there was nothing left of the deer ! gory! may be, brutal may be !BUT VERY REAL!!! Unfortunately that is how the wild dogs hunt.

Wild Animals at Kanha National Park. (Here we see Wild Dog, Peacock and Tiger, Photographs by Navneet Maheshwari.)

It was Christmas eve on 24th Dec. in the mid 1990'sand I was on link 7 road trying to escape the crowd as there was no restriction on the number of vehicles then, As I reached a cluster of the Indian Ghost tree ( sterculia urens) I stopped to explain the trees to my clients, When we restarted we had to cross a patch of van rahar ( a wild shrub ) and bamboo for a few hundred meters, as we turned a bend, I thought I glimpsed something streaking past at a distance I wasn’t sure what It was, the very alert guide Vinay kumar and my Jeep driver Ganesh not having reacted at all gave me the impression that perhaps I had imagined it, Never the less, I stopped the vehicle and after waiting and looking around for 2-3 minutes, I asked Ganesh to go another 20-30 metres and stop, All of us i.e. 4 clients, guide, driver and myself were trying to look beyond the bushes when with a fearful whisper Ganesh pointed from beside my right side and he was looking down and left and lo behold this tigress with a snarl on her face, her udder engorged with her belly facing us let out a thunderous roar and sprang about 3 meters vertically in the air when she landed back on the shrubs and leaves disappearing magically moaning loudly about the invasion on her privacy, We did feel guilty about disturbing her albeit unintentionally, the entire experience was exhilarating and unforgettable.

It has been a privilege working in one of the Best Tiger reserves in the country, may Kanha continue to excel in management, commitment, discipline and its glorious sightings of Fauna & flora. May it continue to lead the way in conservation.


Sanjeev Kulhalli


Mr. Sanjeev Kulhalli is presently stationed as Resident Director of Kanha Village Eco Resort at Kanha National Park.

Barasingha - The twelve tined deer

The Barasingha or Swamp Deer (cervus duvaucelii) is one of the most vulnerable species of deer, native to India and Nepal. The name is derived from its antlers and means 12 tined or horned deer in Hindi which is its most striking feature although mature stag has anywhere between 10-14 tines, though some have been known to have up to 20. Barasingha are also known as swamp deer, they love to live in dry grasslands, wet swampy grasslands and reed beds bordering the major rivers. Their main diet is grass which is available from vast grassland of central and northern India and they also feed from the bed of wet swamps.

 

Barasingha has been divided into three races namely duvauceli (swamp-dwelling and found in the Terai of Uttar Pradesh and Assam), branderi (is found in Central India) and ranjitsinhi which is seen at Assam. The central Indian race is known as Hard ground Barasingha as they have adapted to central Indian plains and live in the vicinity of forests. Today it is found only within the limits of Kanha National Park and is rightly called as 'The Jewel Of Kanha'.

Swamp deer is a medium sized deer, which grows to a height of 130 cm and weighs around 170 – 180 kg. It has thick brown coat, which becomes darker in color as the mating season approaches. In monsoon season the females start showing white spots as in Spotted deer but they are not very prominent. Male deer has antlers, which can grow to length of 75 cm with girth of 13cm at mid beam. Barasingha can be seen grazing both in the daytime as well as at night. Female Barasingha mature at an age of 2 years or more.

 

They usually move around in herds, consisting of ten to twenty members. However, the size of a herd keeps on changing, as the breeding or mating season comes, the number of members in a herd goes as high as sixty. The dominance over a herd of female deer is established by a fight amongst the male Barasingha. The breeding season of the swamp deer is during the winter months of November and December when males long rutting calls can be heard. They have a long gestation period of 6 months. Mother Barasingha gives birth to single young one and for protection from predators they conceal them in tall grass. It has an acute sense of smell and depends on this capacity to sense any danger.

At one point of time, Barasingha used to inhabit most of the areas of northern as well as central India. However, habitat destruction and poaching has restricted them to the protected forests of Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. At a time the central Indian population (Hard ground Barasingha) had decreased to less than 70 and were on the brink of extinction when the forest department took in hand the precarious task of their conservation and due to hard work and dedication it has risen to a level of around 450. Their population worldwide is estimated at around 5000. The drastic decline of the Barasingha population is due to distruction or modification of its habitat, Poaching and shooting and Diseases introduced by cattle.

One can find the Barasingha (Swamp deer) in the following national parks of India:

• Dudhwa National Park (Uttar Pradesh)

• Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

• Kaziranga National Park (Assam)

• Manas National Park (Assam)

To see Barasingha the best place to visit will be Kanha National Park and Tiger reserve since it has a well developed tourism infrastructure and also easy to reach. Meeting Dr. Shukla, research officer and an integral part of Barasingha conservation here can also make it a very motivating and educational tour.

Barasingha durin rutting  season (Kanha National park)

Barasingha at Kanha National Park

Hard ground Barasingha at Kanha National Park

Hard ground Barasingha (Swamp Deer) at Kanha National Park

Kanha national park is famous for tigers but Hard ground Barasingha or Swamp deer can be called the 'Jewel of Kanha'. This particular species of swamp deer is endemic to Kanha Tiger Reserve and National Park and is not found anywhere else.