Wild life in Thekkady - The thrills of nature

          There was a shake in the bushes in front of our path. Our guide stopped us on our tracks and looked at us like he shat his pants. The hair on my arms and neck stood up in utter fear. I didn't tell Mom that in spite of all the yelling and fighting I loved her and would never let go. Was this the last thought that I was going to take to my grave (or furnace since I am a Hindu). Will I roam around as a ghost with thoughts unexpressed???

          It all began on my honeymoon trip to Thekkady, a small tourist town that is closest to a national park called the Periyar tiger reserve and is home to the biggest cat in India. Me and Aishu had spent a nice lazy morning at the beautiful resort. We would have done the same in the afternoon as well, but my middle class mentality to see it all and my enthusiasm for nature and wild life together got us out into the roads heading towards the government tourist attraction - a boat ride on the water body on the middle of the dense jungles. There were chances for us to see the king of this jungle (I know king of the jungle is the Lion but see, I said THIS jungle). All we got to see were some cormorants, a monitor lizard a few kilometres away (Monitor lizards are called "Udumbu" in Tamil and in the stories of yore, were used like hooks to scale walls; these things apparently never let go once they grip on to something. Now who would have learnt that first hand I wonder). I actually doubt if that was even a lizard or collective hallucination of the boat group led by the boatman. Anyway, we got a glimpse of a few deer in the faraway banks and also a boar (I again doubt if there really was any boar). And with that the trip ended. Just like that!

          Boy was I disappointed, but even then the naturalist in me refused to back down. The pristine water leading to the much discussed Parambikulam dam, the blue sky in the horizon against the dense foliage and the deep but faint instinct saying I will see something new on this trip made me decide immediately that I will return.

The pristine water, blue skies and dense foliage - who would not want to see it all again?

          We headed back to the resort, she tired and me dejected, and yet hopeful. As we sat in the night planning what we were going to the next day, I suggested we do the boat thing again. Favorably there really wasn't much else to do in Thekkady that suited our tastes and so it was decided. As I saw the brochure I read a line that said there was also an option to walk on the banks of the river - nature walk. I smiled to myself, and slept with the disturbing and yet somehow soothing sounds of the forest night - cicadas, beetles, frogs in heat and what not.

          The next day we went to the same boat house. As we were coming in our cab the driver said that the guide taking us should have a gun for protection as this was tiger habitat. I was a little nervous and thrilled all at the same time.This time we were sent to another small shack on the side of the main boat house in order to prepare for the nature walk. We paid, our guide was shown to us. There were three men in the shack with a small desk, loads of gum boots mounted in a heap in a corner and a small room at the back. We were asked to change our sandals for a pair of gum boots. The boots were not clean and I am sure people with high regard for cleanliness would have shunned them. Nevertheless we wore them, they were to protect one from leeches they said, who was I to mess with that.

          The guide who took us had no gun, not even a lathi. He was well built and a local tribesman. I was sure if anything were to happen he would swim, climb or run while me and my wife could be served up as meals, toys or whatever the attacking animal fancied, and strangely that added to the excitement. He spoke Tamil and Malayalam and seemed very sure about what he was supposed to do. Not very talkative, but not very rude either. Answered questions with respect, but nothing more.

         And the journey started. First we crossed a small narrow section of the river to enter the jungle. The water was so pure and jade coloured, I had an urge to jump in. The small log raft had ropes tied to it on both ends. From each end it was tied on both banks to pegs. So by pulling at the rope one would pull oneself to either of the banks.We sailed the log raft which in itself was scary as there were small gaps in between the logs. Our guide now acted as the boatman and towed us onto the other side of the river where the jungle started.

Jade coloured water and the tug raft

          As we entered the jungle the shrill sound of the cicadas started. The guide showed us different types of trees including fig, camphor etc. And then we spotted our first animal. The giant Malabar squirrel. Black with tufts of brown - and huge for a squirrel. The fellow was quite highly placed on a tall tree. I have no idea how our guide spotted him - he was really well concealed. We carried on. Next we saw a small frog - again he was so well camouflaged that my wife had to wait until he moved to notice him. The frog was like a dead leaf.

Malabar giant squirrel

The dead leaf frog. 

          We resumed our walk. We came upon a corner and heard some heavy rustling ahead of us. The guide who was a little ahead of us said that he had seen a huge monitor lizard slink away into the bushes. I was disappointed as I really would have loved to have seen a big lizard - I am a reptile fan. As we we trudged on the guide showed us the skeletal head of an elephant - sans the tusks of course. I had a feeling that the elephant head was consciously placed to make the walk a little more fruitful to customers - in case no wildlife turned up.

          We came upon a clearing with a brook in between. Our guide asked us to wait and went ahead. As we waited my mind began to think the worst. What if some animal suddenly came upon us. What if the guide was part of a band of dacoits that used the jungle walk program as their modus operandi. As I was thinking all this I heard a faint growl and looked at my wife with horror. She seemed to have heard nothing. Was I being paranoid? And thankfully our guide returned. He said that he went to check if there was anything worthwhile for us to go ahead. Since there was nothing we would now take another route back to the boat house office. This route would be closer to the river. I told him about the growl and he said it was not a tiger but just the Drongo bird that imitates noises of a lot of other animals including humans!

          We crossed the brook and we passed through a little bit of marsh land since we were now close to the river. The guide showed us pug marks and I was now sure what we heard earlier was a tiger (thinking back, it definitely was not a tiger but the paranoid thought of a city dweller lost in the wilderness).

A pug mark - if what? I don't know.. 

          We then again went into the jungle and as we were emerging out from it into marshland again we heard a rustle and the bushes in front of us started shaking violently. The guide froze, asked us to be still and looked at us like he had shat his pants. He asked to grab sticks, big ones if possible. As all this was happening a deer sprang in front of us as was dashing towards the river. I was relieved that it was just a deer, but our guide stared at me with more fear and I realized - there was something chasing the deer!

          We waited and in a fraction of a second 3 red small animals ran in the direction of the deer - wild dogs said the guide. He asked us to wait - they hunt in groups and there were bound to be more. As he said a few more ran the same way and then we emerged to the clearing to see what was happening. The deer had jumped into the river to escape. Three more dogs came from the same direction, saw us, stared with doubt and ran back, only to emerge a little further away; my hair stood with fear! They joined the remaining members of the gang that had already jumped into the water.

          Mid way to the other bank the deer was caught and all the dogs swam to the other shore for a feast.
The other bank was a good kilometer away and the suns rays were in an angle that I could not capture the picture and of course I only had my mobile camera, I really didn't think I would get such an opportunity. As all this transpired another group of walkers comprising foreigners emerged from the jungle. We showed them the spectacle and left. I was grinning with joy simple because I had seen something so spectacular that they missed. The little devil inside me was dancing.

         With that we walked back to camp. My wife and I had had an amazing experience. Our honeymoon trip turned out to be one of the most adventurous ever. With the mind to return again soon enough we left for our resort, smitten by Thekkady and its wonderful experience with nature.