Bamboo blooms. A bamboo blooms only once in its lifetime.
Peacock
Indian Bison. Locally known as Gaur. A Gaur can weigh up to 1200 Kgs.
Indian Bison/Gaur
Sambhar at one of Kanha's many watering holes.
Spotted Deer. Also known as Cheetal.
Spotted Deer
Spotted Deer/Cheetal
The forest guards' camp at Bishanpura Meadow in Kanha.
The trail that passes through Bishanpura Meadow in Kanha.
Crested Serpent Eagle
Brown Fish Owl
Pond Heron
Langurs
A Langur with its baby
Langur
Hmm. . .
Jungle Fowl
Spotted Deer, with antlers.
Barking Deer. These are extremely shy and run away at the slightest sound.
Deer at a watering hole.
Gray Hornbill
Rufus Treepie
Indian Roller
Wild Boar
A herd of deer runs as they sight a pack of wild dogs in the distance.
A herd of deer tries to escape a pack of wild dogs .
A wild dog (locally known as Dhole) surveys the deer herd and plans the pack's attack.
A wild dog. These are rarer than the tiger. We were extremely lucky to see one and luckier to see them hunting.
Wild dog.
One of the wild dogs stalks a lone deer that the pack had isolated from the herd.
Where is the deer?
The coordination in the pack while hunting is amazing. The five dogs in the pack took up different positions around the deer and took turns to run the deer ragged. Wild dogs first chase and tire their prey before moving in for the kill.
The pack leader watches as two dogs harry the deer.
Phew! All for nothing. The arrival of a gypsy confused the dogs and the deer escaped. A wild dog looks reproachfully at the offending gypsy.
What a chase!
Two wild dogs decide to rest by the side of the trail. The third started walking towards us.
Even as our guide was wondering if it was time for us to scoot, something else interested this one.
And it finally settled down by the trail for sometime.
Before it sighted some more deer in the distance.
Nope. Too far.
Watching the wild dogs hunt was easily the highlight of our trip. It beat even sighting the tigers.
A peacock dances.
This one was trying to impress three peahens (not in the picture). Wonder if he got lucky.
Sunset over Kanha.
A spider. We were hiking along a nature trail within Kanha's forest. The 7.5 Km nature trail is good for spotting birds.
A spider web.
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo
A Paradise Flycatcher. This is a highly elusive bird, very difficult to photograph.
Paradise Flycatcher
Scarlet Minivet
An insect we came across while hiking the nature trail in Kanha.
Butterfly
The Crested Serpent Eagle takes flight.
A Shikra
Shikra
A Peacock wanders across the trail in Kanha.
White-Breasted Kingfisher
Wood Pigeon
The Greater Coucal. Locally known as the Bharadwaj. Sighting this bird is considered auspicious and lucky.
The Greater Coucal/Bharadwaj. People believe that if you circle a tree on which a Bharadwaj is perched, your wishes come true.
A Honey Buzzard.
Parakeet
Black-Shouldered Kite
Little grebe or Dabchick
Chestnut Bittern
Teals
Birds of a feather . . .
. . . flock together
Cormorant
Common Kingfisher
Sunset over Kanha
A Kanha Sunset
The Indian Roller
Jungle Owlet
The Kisli Tourist Hostel where we stayed while visiting Kanha. This is almost inside the forest. The hostel offers clean dormitories.
The Kisli Tourist Hostel. We would often find deer roaming outside our dorms.
The dorm at night. Since the hostel is inside the jungle, lights are minimal. There are no street lights. For dinner we used to walk about 200 meters in moonlight to the MPT canteen. Quite an experience in the night with eyes shining at you in all directions and low animal growls as background music.
