My 1st Trip to the Wild ( Eturnagaram - Tadvai)

     

 

  Never before I have done anything like this .

   I didn't  want to take life as it comes. I wanted it the    way I wished it .I have been waiting for a long time    for this moment . They almost seem to have  come my way but they didn't.Time was running out.

  I  knew I had to come out on my own for   getting  things done my way. I have decided I'll go   for  it . I wanted to see the woods, experience the   wild side, see nature & the way it works. I wanted to   learn about things first hand, experience them ,not just reading them in books & watching them on TV.

 This was my 1st trip to the wild.

"Hyderabad -Eturnagaram - Tadvai - Pakhal-Kinnersani-Sileru-Paderu-Aaraku- Vizag".

These were my forests destinations.

After two days of preparation finally the day has come,it was on 7th morning I started off boldly , bcz for the last few days I was worried, a bit afraid as I was going alone on the bike, I didn't tell my parents that I was going on a wild expedition. I told them that it was trip to my friend's village & was concerned about my safety on tarmac & in the forests, so I tried my best to expect the unexpected & be prepared for that.

It was a cold morning, as I reached the outskirts of Hyderabad it was about 8.30 but it was still so foggy. As I went ahead after 2 hours of journey suddenly the climate started to change it. It became very cloudy & so cold that as if was in some hill station.

I called back my friend's back in Hyderabad to inquire about the climate but it was same as usual in the city. It was like that for next 1 hour, again I could feel the warmth of the sun. I went across many villages on my way to Warangal.

I came across many cotton fields, lush green fields .The sight of the green fields in that cloudy climate felt like that was the most beautiful sight of my life for that moment.

By 12.30 at noon I reached Warangal went to the forest department office met the"FRO" of the wildlife section. He spoke to the range officer of the Eturnagaram & made arrangements for my stay.  He spoke well, he was supportive.I thanked him & left. I spoke to my friends told them I have reached & was safe so far. Had my lunch & again set off for my 1st destination .


So far I have covered 156 kms from home, still another 110 km's to go it was hot & set off  with my dad's Ray Ban, it had given me a good cover from the sun & made my journey more beautiful .

As I just reached the outskirts of Warangal something caught my eyes I came back to see what it was . There were many sculptures as I went ahead  found men working in the hot sun, they were carving lifeless abstract stones to beautiful structures. I felt them, they were so smooth well carved, only thing missing in them was that just couldn't breath.

















I was back on track. Again the same lush green crops have come across but then I wondered how much more land was needed to satisfy human needs as I went ahead there were sunflower fields, stopped to get close to the sunflower, which I always wanted to take a good picture . 

I touched them, never before in my life I touched a sunflower. I wanted to take a great snap of it which would be a memorable one,




but it turned out something more than what I expected & was happy. I set off, after an hour & a half journey  crossed a village then in the fields I saw a few birds,  stopped to see what birds they were ,took my binoculars started watching them as I was




watching some sound was coming from far, it was coming near & near but I didn't pay much attention but by the time it came near me it was a fully loaded lorry zooming off at great speed

as it zoomed off by my side, because of that sound the birds started to fly off, I cursed that lorry for

disturbing them & I couldn't get a good glimpse, they started to circle in the sky, went & landed on a tree near by in the fields & I was stunned. Till then i could see only 7-10 birds then I saw a colony of birds, there were nearly 50-60 birds all nesting in those trees. I was very happy to see the birds started to get the feel like I was getting closer to the wild, observed them for a few minutes.

I came to know that they were open billed storks . There was an adrenaline rush wanted more of wild even got to see few black ibis .

Again I started off to Eturnagaram, after an hour journey I came across the sign board "Pasara" a village after crossing the board in 2 minutes it was completely a different world out there the road became a single lane road it was dark out there with only a few rays of light hardly coming from the tall tough trees.

This was the beginning of the forest. Although the time was only 4.00 pm it was so cold inside hardly there was any sunlight coming in. It felt great something more than it.



I could feel the forest all around me, could smell it it was a different pure smell. It was a delight to my senses. could hear sounds that made me feel happy. The sight was great something which I have awaited for a long time it was coming true.

This was something which I truly wanted.  Although it was still the beginning of the forest had a great sense of satisfaction, a feeling, a kind of achievement as if I have come through many hardships through the enemy territory & finally into my domain, such was my happiness.

Drove through the forest for another 35-40 kms at medium pace enjoying the forest had few sightings on the way plum headed parakeet, a dead rat snake & wild squirrel or shrew couldn't identify as it was crushed beyond recognition. Spoke to few locals about the wildlife & finally reached Eturnagaram at dusk, sighed in relief, met the officials & left my luggage in the officers suite which I was allotted for my stay .

There was no signal so my cell went numb. I went to a phone booth called my friends and my well wishers that I reached safely & took rest.


Woke up at 8.15 pm had chit chat with the forest guard cum check post guard. They have ordered dinner from the local "Grand kakatiya" it was good. In the night , after 10.30  went out for a long drive to see if I could find any snakes on the warm road. After 18 kms of drive I couldn't find anything & on my way back suddenly I noticed something coiled around when I keenly noticed it , it was a juvenile  snake. I was happy to see it spent a few minutes & left as I was tired.

The next morning  woke up at 7.30 am as usual but  thought I missed something, I felt bad for waking up late bcoz the forest guard had told me to wake up early as animals will be congregating at the water holes in the morning's only & more chances of sightings. By the time I was ready it was already 8.30 am.

A forest guard who was to accompany me was also late he came by 9.10. Then we left to the forests.

There was a drive way into the forests where bikes can go easily, so we went 1 km into forest on bike & then parked & ventured in. We were going in but no sign of any animals or birds, all we could find was lizards & butterflies. After going still deeper slowly we could hear & then see the woodpecker's, plum headed parakeets, roes ringed parakeets & some other birds. As we tried to go a bit closer they flew.

That's it again we couldn't hear the birds. we went around for the next 1 hour or so not a single animal was found on our way back we lost the route, as we were going we saw a giant spotted deer just as we spotted it, it spotted us & fled.

  That was "the end" no more animals.

After another 1 hour struggle we finally made it to my bike. 

We started to some other place after I drove for 10 mins  realized I lost my Ray-Ban sunglasses.

 I used the RayBan's as a filter for the camera at times photographing through it.

 I felt very bad & lost hope that it would be almost impossible to find it in the forest as we roamed a huge area. So we didn't go back. 

I thought this is my tribute to the forest.

We went to some other place where there was a tower post in the forest from where we can get a good view of the overall forest .We spent some time there & left back to my room. On the way back to the room I just wanted to check for the Ray-Ban's as I had some hope that I may find it, luckily after 40 mins of searching finally found it, I was very happy.


There were butterflies of different colors ,their colors

resemble the wild vivid colors which I have never seen outside, they were so sensitive that when I was approaching them they flew off when I was 7-8 feet afar. But magnificent, something which one should experience & observe.

On my way back to the room saw a kite but identify. Let me know if anyone can identify it.

I was back to my room took rest till 6.00 pm & after it became dark I set of to another place near by called Tadvai. heard there are good number of gaurs in that area. I was wishing I could encounter one.

A cute village kid cooking

Again that night I wanted to go out at late but i was asked not to go out as there was a tip off to police about some naxal activity, so that kept me at bay. But I encountered a huge owl 4- 5 feet with its wing spread it flew over my head slowly.

  Next day I went into the forest with "Saddam Hussain". He is the son of animal tracker Raz Mahmood, found the foot prints of some ungulates couldn't determine what exactly they were but after some time first we found some trap laid for a deer . Saddam uncovered it .

After some time spotted the Hanuman langurs, then the plum headed parakeets & this was a surprise to me it was the giant indian squirrel . It was the "tarzan" of the jungle.

We went back went to a local hotel for breakfast where I came to know many things going on in & the villages around . poaching was rampant . It was not poaching actually it was hunting. The locals have found a great delicacy with the wild animals.

At a lake near by its famous for the congregation of birds but I could find only black ibis that day.

The canopy in the forest.

Then me and the animal tracker left to a forest where I could see many hoof marks of the ungulates especially the gaur a huge animal which weighs close to a ton. We saw a fresh dung droppings as we went further I was anticipating to see the animal but no luck after two hours of search all we could find is their hoof marks & few leopard pug marks.

We left, I had my lunch &

set off to the next forest

hoping something better

than this. But finally I was

happy that the animals were

thriving, I could at least see their traces ..

                         Ray of hope, life emerging