Devprayag Part 2

[essdee1972]

Gentlemen,

I believe Corbett would have been proud to have you as his successors....... you are his true successors in every way - going into harm's way to rid the countryside of a dangerous animal, writing about an experience in such a way that the reader feels HE is the one sitting on the machan and getting bitten by mosquitoes, and most of all, a very deep and abiding love, respect, and sympathy for animals, the very animal you are after!

Salute to you!

[sa_ali]

I agree to it, i am sure he would be overlooking you musketeers, Best of luck.

[zaheer.bakshi]

Mansoor and few photos clicked

[prashantsingh]

Corbett was a class apart.
Whenever I go to the hills. His spirit inspires me.
Today there are roads leading to most villages. The jungles have shrunk. There is electricity. We have torches, flashlights and spotlight. State of art equipment, scopes and gps. Powerful jeeps. Running water.
We hunt in a team where every member is equally important.
He hunted alone. His knowledge of the wilderness was phenominal.

The guys from Himachal will surely recognize those birds. Named after the typical ......chuck chuck ......sound they make. This was a popular game bird of yesteryears. Also. Associated in folksongs with the full moon.
We saw quite a few in the area.
The bird life was rich and we heard the calls of the kala teetar .......subhaan teri kudrat......throughout the day.
I will let Arjun go on with his diary and chip in now and then.

[Safarigent]

Briha sir,
Its just about finished healing now. Thank you for your kind wishes

[brihacharan]

Briha sir,
Its just about finished healing now. Thank you for your kind wishes

Good to know that your ankle is fast healing
Hey! I just remembered that my 'Shikhar Guru' (he is 90+ & hale & hearty) used to carry 'Belladonna' plaster strips whenever we went on a shoot....
The reason being that while trekking through rocky terrain 'spraining the ankle' is not uncommon!
As a result inflammation occurs around the joint - to keep this in check & reduce the pain, applying the 'belladonna' plaster helps to a certain extent.
Prashant being a 'medic' should throw some light on this
Briha

Added in 18 minutes 41 seconds:

The guys from Himachal will surely recognize those birds. Named after the typical ......chuck chuck ......sound they make. This was a popular game bird of yesteryears. Also. Associated in folksongs with the full moon.
We saw quite a few in the area.
The bird life was rich and we heard the calls of the kala teetar .......subhaan teri kudrat......throughout the day.
I will let Arjun go on with his diary and chip in now and then.

CHUKAR Partridge (Named after the Chuk - Chuk sound they make) is native to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan and has spread with help from humans across 6 provinces and 40 US states. The Chukar Partridge is the national bird of Pakistan, and in Indian mythology, the Chukar Partridge is in love with the moon and looks at it constantly.

These game birds are prized as a challenge by hunters because of the terrain they live in, and the explosive speed they exhibit when first flushed from cover. Partridge prefer dry mountain slopes or grasslands with nearby rocky outcroppings where they can hide. They rarely fly but are excellent runners and hop across rocky terrain. They eat seeds, grasses, bulbs, stems, fruit and leaves, as well as small insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, crickets and ants.
Briha

[Safarigent]

Briha sir
I carry a full first aid kit with me including a plaster which has capsicain extracts etc to aid in the healing of a sprained joint. It was that plus my crepe bandage and pain kiers that helped me eke out the rest of the days there...

[prashantsingh]

And I surprisingly did not carry any medicines. Came in a hurry.
Now i need to keep a first aid kit. Ready.
Sunscreen is a must which we did not have. We came back sun burnt and I had dead skin pealing off for almost a week .
Somewhat like a snake.
The chukar is called chakore in.hindi. Nice snap Briha sir. The one mansoor took was at sunset with our spotlight. One of my uncles had a pair when i was a kid. I was always fascinated by this bird and would associate the black band over the eyes with that of the bands thieves wear in movies.
I read a post on.birds of paradise. We have paradise flycatchers in the state. I see them often in the jungles around Doon.

[Safarigent]

Bamana

The day began with a hot glass if milk and seeing a crimson sun bird getting its breakfast from a flowering tree in front of the yard. the doc getting the thar washed out and visiting the road head of the village of Bamana from where the warning calls to the nepali dera were given by the villagers. Not much could be gathered as the folks had already left. We returned to the village only to learn the maneater in pauri garhwal had reorget been shot the previous day by the licensed hunter deputed there. Incidentally he was first on the scene here too but was sent packing by the authorities and we were called. The gentleman is from pauri garhwal and is favoured in the hills as he is a local man. The good doc had to listen to people throwing brickbats at him and he was nigh well depressed. There were reports of sightings at kandadhar and he went there as well. Up the same steep, heart attack inducing goat path again. We drove back up to bamana as someone reported a leopard sighting at dawn. Had a rockfall right in front of the jeep. I had to get down and assist the nepali lads in removing the debris. Turned out to be a false report. Same story at the village next to ours where they saw a leopard last night. We decided to open up the operation a bit more and sit over two baits. Duly, another goat was ordered to be purchased. Going down for Lunch we spotted a lovely common emerald dove and once at the FRH, lunch was hungrily consumed post which a siesta was duly indulged in. We left at 4.30, came up and saw some rain quail while going up to the baits. We tied one goat at the nepali dera and the other was tied by the side of a road which has had landslides on it regularly and isnt used at all by any vehicles. (This was the time when zaheer bhai was wearing his lucky blue jeans) The point we chose has pristine hi altitude forests above us, from where we had heard the alarm calls of kakar a few days previously and below the spot is a good valley with water and a goat path leading to kandadhar where the scratch and scat sightings are common. Also got to know the leopard had reortedly killed a goat 200 meters further down the road 3-4 days back (a news which turned out to be false) but couldnt steal the animal as the bakwarwal came and sent it packing. And another thing we learnt today was of a lady who had seen two leopards fighting in the valley below us a week or more before the human kill. A picture was forming in my mind and i am sure you have also figured out what happened. One of the leopards had been injured in the fight and had turned maneater. All the man animal conflict was post the date of on which these leopards faught. this too turned out to a erroneous and one learnt or rather it was reinforced that we shouldnt take such things at face value but should investigate the matter thoroughly before accepting it as the truth.
We got comfortable by 6.30 pm and Lo and behold the new goat was a study in muteness. It was bleating away merrily all afternoon and the moment we tied it and took up our positions, it went quiet. We decided to get up at 9 pm. At 8.15 we got two missed calls from the doc. There had been shouts of 'bagh' and 'bagh aa gaya' and 'baagh kutta le gaya' coming at them with torches being flashed in their direction. He asked us to come pick them up post haste and we dumped the goat and sabbal together in the jeep and rushed away. When we reached Bamana village( above the nepali dera) we saw great confusion, as there were phone calls and flashlights being flashed from kandadhar village as well. They said the leopard was in the field where we had previously tied the bait! Seemed the night was sprouting leopards everywhere. We had a leopard above us and another across the valley.... I got onto the phone and finally figured out that the kandadhar 'leopard' was the same wild boar we had heard earlier too.. The children and ladies had heard a lot of rustling in the bushes and saw some area of the field dug up etc, (like a danav! In the ladies words) we rushed up to bamana, straightened up some drunk uppity gorkhas who were acting cocky and finally learnt that a smart aleck had the bright idea of making a huge din and using flashlights etc to drive away any leopard that might be in the area! A cascade of chinese whispers followed down the village till atlast the leopard had pounced in the headmasters compound and killed and taken away his dog! So much for all that. The adrenaline slowly faded. One moment you are bracing yourself for a scramble up a mountain in the dark with reduced mobiligy where a hungry maneater is lurking and next you realize the moment is over before you know it. The good doc went and sat down in the blind at the nepali dera while i went down all the way to Kandadhar, using my spotlight. Had a lovely sighting of ghural. Came back, picked up the chaps, had the usual regal repast, tonight consisting of tiny mountain brinjals and roti and got into bed.

Last words from the diary that night;

"....... And so it was an exciting night with false alarms aplenty. Its an 'early' night tonight and lets make the most of it."

[Baljit]

Wow !! very nice write up Prashant and Arjon .
Keep up the good work guy's.


Baljit

[Safarigent]

Thank you baljit sir. When are you back here?

[Baljit]

Thank you baljit sir. When are you back here?

Arjon, I am thinking maybe next year but not sure yet. Why don't you guy's come over next year?



Baljit

[prashantsingh]

Oh thats not fair Arjun.
You have omited the flowery language you used on those drunk locals which made us even more unpopular.
Let me tell you guys the details.
When we finally came to know that it was a false alarm. Arjun gave it off to those drunkards.
Behen@@@@
Teri ma ka #####@
Hame ch$$$$$ samjha hai kya.

I was shocked. Infact all of us ....zaheer and mansoor were shocked at Arjuns outburst. Had never seen him that way before.

Then one cheeky fellow shouted.....Jao aur apni duty karo........Get lost and do your duty.

That is when I lost it......Sanjay Singhs words I had heard four years ago came to my mind.
We are not duty bound. We do this for the passion to save human lives. We dont do this for name, fame or financial gain. We are spending our money on this hunt. Even the goat being used as bait has been bought by us. All we ask for is a little cooperation. If you do not cooperate. Rest assure the maneater will not be shot.
I took care not to use abusive language. Though I really wished I had.

Mansoor realised things were getting out of hand. He slowly started the engine and drove us away.

Coming back to the false alarm calls.
I really do not blame the locals for it. The fear of a maneater sitting in the dark is such ....that for an unarmed local....any movement in the bush. Any eyes shining or sound runs fear down the spine. Have experienced it first hand in every maneater hunt. Where even a jackal in the dark may be mistaken for a maneating big cat

[Harish Asnani]

There is one question that keep coming back and I really thought I must ask at this moment, Is there no way we can catch a man eater alive or shooting is the best solution to this...

[prashantsingh]

This question has been raised in all my previous hunts. And the answer remains the same.
The lady was killed around 9 30 pm.
The half eaten body was recovered around mid day the next day.
A trap was placed at the same spot with live bait.
The maneater came to this spot for a few days. The trap was well hidden by lantana bushes.
Two other traps were.brought thereafter.
At one occasion. The maneater circled the trap. Removed the lantana , inspected the bait but did not enter the trap. Out of fear, the dog kept as bait had urinated all over......the forest guards told me later.
He had eaten a decent amount of flesh and was in no way going to take any chances.
Leopards are the most cunning of all big cats. And once they become maneaters. They become even more cunning and careful.

As for darting the animal. That is possible only in the day. Unfortunately the animal was coming late at night. It is impossible to follow up and locate a darted animal in the night. Leopards are small animals when compared to lions and tigers and masters at hiding in the smallest places or vegitation.
Dart guns have limited range and the drug takes time to act. The dart follows a parabolic path unlike a rifle bullet and shots have to be taken.from about 25 yards. Leopards can run faster than tigers at speeds 70 kmph and can climb trees with ease.
My professional hunter in Africa used to tell me. For every second a leopard is on you. You need an average fifty stiches. That is if the animal does not bite and only uses ita claws. In most cases. Its a single bite through the neck which brings about instant death. Zaheer has a snap of the damage caused by the maneater in one bite on the goat he had taken on the last day of the hunt.
Dart guns are very useful in cases where the animal has beem trapped. Like in the case of the FRI male...which was not a maneater ...and was relocated. One can not relocate a maneater. Relocating such an animal is nothing more than shifting the problem elsewhere. Maximum one can do is to trap them and send them to a zoo.