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CCAfrica in India : Baghvan lodge, Pench National park

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CCAfrica in India : Baghvan lodge, Pench National park

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Old Nov 14th, 2007, 06:11 PM
  #21  
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Stats according to our naturalist, Harsha .... Tigers on average hold a territory of 20 square kilometers in all of their habitat in Central India. However, their territory is 8 square kilometers in Nagarhole/Kabini/Bandipur in the South due to the higher concentrations of the prey species over there. However, your chances of observing them in our Southern Parks aren't as good as Central India.

Hari
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Old Nov 14th, 2007, 11:06 PM
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Hari - correct me if I am wrong, but isnt November thru February the best time for viewing tigers. Mating season and all that? Of are the timelines you mentioned the basis for good overall game viewing in the southern parks?
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Old Nov 14th, 2007, 11:39 PM
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Hari,

Thanks for your report. The whole experience sounds tremendous.

As you know, your visit to Pench NP coincided with my latest Australian safari...three nights camping at Lake Gairdner NP in the north-west of South Oz. I've been home for barely two hours, but have managed to remove my personal coating of red dust. Camera gear next.

The lake is a huge dry salt lake better known for world land speed record attempts, but our visit was purely for nature. My companion, a scorpion scientist, suffered his first sting in a multitude of outback trips (but is OK), while both of us enjoyed many hours witnessing and photographing a Painted Dragon digging a burrow in which to lay her eggs, then filling the burrow in and departing the scene to leave the eggs to hatch in a few months. Watching this lovely little critter going about her business is great compensation for not being in Africa right now...even if the hordes of Australian bush flies were horrible, the air temp in the shade was around 37C and the sand surface was about 60C.

Oh, there are no lodges or PTCs at Lake Gairdner

John
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Old Nov 15th, 2007, 02:31 AM
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http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-usm30a

Pictures ..... will update more over the weekend (mostly birds)......

Hari
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Old Nov 15th, 2007, 02:35 AM
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Hi John,

Lake Gaidner sounds awesome!!! hope you update the Afrigalah with some pics to see .....

Hi Amol,

Yes, timelines mentioned for good gameviewing as a whole in the Southern parks ..... for example Kabini during Feb/March/early April has the largest concentration of large mammals in the whole of Asia .... The Elephants migrate in mass numbers to the Kabini lake. After the rains have started they move on to Bandipur/Mudumallai and hence they can easily be abundant there ......

Hari
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Old Nov 15th, 2007, 03:46 AM
  #26  
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Hari,

Enjoyed seeing the Indian landscape. Interesting tree roots on rocks. Loved the monkeys lined up posing on the log.

What is the climate there? I'm assuming the rainy season is past now.

CW
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Old Nov 15th, 2007, 04:26 AM
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Thanks CW. Central India where the park is, is cold at night and early morning. Early in the winter .... overnight lows can drop to about 2degrees Centrigrade. Mid 30'sF around Dec/Jan. So, dress like you would in Southern Africa in the winter. In their summer, you will roast ..... can go well beyond 110F. Central India is the hottest part of the country (perhaps April/May/June).

where i live, we have moderate year round temps ..... never too hot or too cold.
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Old Nov 15th, 2007, 12:14 PM
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Excellent pictures... especially the langurs and dhole.

What did you learn on the status of the Dhole? Any conservation programmes in place?

No tiger pics for us?
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Old Nov 15th, 2007, 05:58 PM
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Amol,

On my final morning, the elephants had tracked down the two Sub-adult male tigers, but, because we were not interested in waiting at the elephant camp with 40 other cars to get waitlisted, we went away and found the dholes for about over a half hour. By the time we got to elephant camp, we were about one of the last trucks to get the chance to get on the elephant back ride. MURPHY's LAW struck me again ..... the Tigers walked off into thick bush and that was that!!! I'm not disappointed ....

Dhole aren't doing as well at the moment. Apparently, there were 3 large packs in Pench, but, they only have one at the moment. Disease has gotten the better of them - perhpas contracted via domestic livestock on the periphery of the park. What a pity! They are awesome animals!!!


Hari
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Old Nov 15th, 2007, 10:51 PM
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Yes. they seem like an incredible lot. Have you watched a documentary on Nat Geo. Its an Indian born British Naturalist who tracks a pack a pack of Dhole in a southern park with the help of a native. Its incredible. Unfortunately I can remember what its called.

The docu highlights the fact that the dogs' behaviour has changed and they ave stopped hunting when they sense human presense since humans often follow the dogs on their kills and take it away to feed themselves. what a shame!!!
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Old Nov 16th, 2007, 12:53 AM
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No, haven't seen it yet. But, heard a lot about it! Apparently, the film took a very long time to complete.
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Old Nov 16th, 2007, 01:06 AM
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaur

About the Gaur ..... if any of you haven't heard of it! Like i said, the largest wild cattle in the world......

Hari
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