Mhadei trek day 1

June 10th

We finally decided to experience the changes that monsoon had brought about in Mhadei. Planning a three day trek, we set out. We were supposed to enter from a village known as Sonal a few kilometers from Valpoi and walk to Krishnapur in Karnatak about 18 kilometers from there. But as we set out very late and had to wait for long for the bus, we decide to camp at Sonal. Sonal is indeed a lovely place. The landscape fascinated me at the first site. The flowing river in the shallows becomes calm in the deep. The huge rock cliffs skirting the river and boulders projrcting throught the water added to the scene.

The River at Sonal

We took a bath and swim for long while we watched around fifteen malabar pied hornbills flying over us.

An Orchid (Sitechi veni)

We witnessed a similar sunset there (This one was clicked at last Mhadei trek)

Drying ourselves we decided the spot to make camp, cooked our food i.e. typical goan steamed rice (Ukden Sheet), had our pots filled and hit the ground.

Cooking (At last Mhadei trek)

Watching the universe above you while you lie on the earth makes you feel like a baby in his mothers arms looking at strangers around him. We were lucky the it did't rain that day. But we were worried about tomorrow. The day faded as we shut our eyes looking forward to a better tomorrow.

To be continued...........

The rescue day.

9th June 09

I don't know if I have mentioned it earlier, but our group is also involved in rescue activities. Although I have not attended any rescue calls earlier, I have now started to do it under the rescue cell of "Mitra". Saish being the co-ordinator of our rescue cell is an experienced rescuer and often gets rescue calls.

Today, the funny incident was that, we were supposed to go to a lake to have a dip in the rain water. But Saish got a rescue call and he had to attend. There was a snake in a compound wall which was completely hollow and many holes. The snake used to poke its head out and if you try to go closer, immediately used to go in and come out through the other end. Being unsuccessful, Saish returned with Amey.

Then we went to Khandepar around 4kms away from the rescue spot. We were about to start our climb on the hill towards the lake, just when the same person called again. Setting out with determination, I and Saish again traveled four kms and reached. But again the same story. It was near to impossible to catch the snake. Meanwhile, a friend of ours told us about a monitor lizard present in his house. Saish accompanied him to rescue the monitor while I waited patiently for the snake to come out. It was a futile effort. I was starting to feel impatient when Saish appeared with the huge monitor and big patch of its dung on his t-shirt.

Before leaving, we gave that person the ph. no. of the rescuer who handles rescue calls in that particular area. We reached back to pachmi near Khandepar and had just started our walk, the person called again that the snake had taken its head out. It would have been like a game. The snake takes small part of its head out so we are called, we go covering 4kms and it goes in again. We come back and it removes his head out again. Then we go again...... But not this time. We told him to call the other person whose no. we had given him.

We, then headed up with the monitor. A local woman asked us why are we carrying it alive. We said we had saved it and are going to release it. That is when she said "Tenka sodnaa baba, tenka khataa" which means 'They are not meant to be released but are to be eaten'. It was very embarrassing to here this. Despite of being schedule-1 animals, monitors are extensively killed for their blood, flesh and skin out of which the traditional Goan musical instrument 'Ghumat' is prepared.

Climbing up the hill, we released the monitor.

Saish with the monitor

A close look

We walked for some more time and finally reached our destination. Not even one minute had passed after we had stepped in the water, there was another rescue call. It was a crocodile which we later understood was a baby. Fortunately, Utkarsh had not come with us and we called him and sent him to the call. We bathed there for some time and went to attend the call. It was very difficult as well. A small but deep rat hole from which you can see nothing was taken as shelter by the hatchling. I found nothing else thaen 4-5 seeds of mango when I put my hand in. We returned.

Today's day has been a bit hectic, but very interesting. Especially the bath we had at the lake (Pandawaanchi tali).


"Mitra" is involved in animal rescue operations and have rescued a lot of snakes and birds by now.




Please contact us. for rescuing any distressed animal or snakes or other creatures coming to your house or other such area.
My contact no. is: 9271350091
Saish: 9423886358
Utkarsh: 9420178820
Omkar: 9049911877
Aniket: 9730602146

MITRA

Friends, its been a while being in this field. We (our group) have been roaming around in the forests, undertaking documentation and conservation related activities etc. But now, we have taken a formal step towards it. We have stated a Non Governmental Organization called "Mitra".

We have already started working under this association and to know more about our association, visit:
http://mitragoa.wordpress.com/

The monsoons have arrived

Finally, the wait is over. The thirsty ground which was almost burnt with the scorching heat was expecting a drop of water and guess what, it got tonnes of water pouring on to it. Everyone seems excited. The naked trees are getting rapidly covered with green blankets, forests are blooming. All the junglefolks are celebrating and I am all prepared to be a part of this celebration. My long wait has ended and now its time to dive into the wilderness, to continue the abruptly disrupted task of watching, enjoying and learning about all the nature has to offer, to start sharing my experiences with you people once again.

In this season we are on a mission. The frogs have come out and are hopping openly in the wild. With our campaign to save them from ruthless killing and consumption, we are taking a step towards exploring more of their world and their conservation. Their every hop is a ray of hope.

I am all set and ready to explore. You get ready to read and enjoy my latest experiences.

Mhadei trip

Uploading after long time. Two reasons for that:
1) Was not involved in much wildlife activities these days
2) Even if I get a thought to jot down about, I don't have, my own internet connection. So by the time I reach a cybercafe the thought goes.

Anyways, my latest trip was in the forests in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary region. Precisely, in Sattari taluka of Goa. We camped there for two days: One day in Bhironda on the riverbank, and the second, in the temple in the caranzol village.
This trip was not basically wildlife oriented but more of an adventure trip. It started with series of adventures. We were waiting from the bus to Valpoi right from 1:00 in the afternoon, but we hadn't got any bus till the evening, and finally we came to know that bus drivers from Valpoi-Ponda route have gone for some meeting and those buses won't be there today. Finally, we had to catch our bus to Mollem from where we caught the bus to Valpoi after long hour of waiting. We finally reached and walked to our destination. Our request for living in the room in the forest office had been rejected and so we decided to camp on the river bank. The sun had already started setting. The open bank covered with boulders, the still water and the setting red sun made a perfect combination.

Our second adventure which we had never tried before , strated. It was dark and we were still to do all our routine tasks like bathing, excretion, eating etc. But for that we had to do some non-routine tasks like cooking. Searching for firewood in the dark and preeparing the 'chool' was wonderfull. Me and Aniket lighted the chool and cooked the Maggie noodles which we had brought with us. Eating to satisfaction, we secured all our bags at one place and sat at one place. Shared all our joys and sorrows of our lives for long, the poets amongst us read some poems. It was relaxing. Winding up everything after that, Kaustubh, Utkarsh and Saish went into their sleeping bags and me and Aniket below our blankets.

I couldn't sleep the whole night. Even the sound of dew drops was disturbing me. We were supposed to get up at 5:30 as we had to catch the 6:30 bus. I was waiting when the night gets over. My patience was growing weaker and weaker. But this waiting ended when Aniket got up at around 4:45. We both got up. It was cold, so we decided to light a fire. It was amazing. It was dark all around. Just the light of the fire. Everyone around us including the nearby village were sleeping. Only we two were awake. Slowly others started rising. After brushing our teeth, we started the preparation of tea. And as it was previously predicted, we got late.

To be continued.........................

My first leopard sighting.

27th Nov. 2008
11:56 pm

Today is a very important day in my life. It was my first leopard encounter. I don't know whether to call it an encounter but
it happened as follows:
It happened so that we were returning from the 'Khandepar Jatra (Feast) in the night in our car. I was gazing at the roadside
bushes which skirted around the huge wilderness which was soon to be converted into a garbage dump (refer my earlier post).
It would have been around 11:30 pm when I was disturbed by the exclaimed vocalizations of those in the car with me. But
before I could turn to find out the reason, the reason itself disappeared in the same bushes which I was staring at. They
said it was a leopard and looking at the size of its tail and hind quarters (These were the only parts I could see) I
suspected it to be a juvenile. I felt jealous about everyone else in the car as they had seen it fully while crossing the
road in front of our car, emerging from the steep ravine on the far side of the road & disappearing in the bushes. This is the
second account of sighting an exclusively wild animal crossing the road in this week, previous being a sambhar which I had
spotted in Anmod ghat 6 days ago. I have decided to go to have a look for it tomorrow morning while the tracks are fresh.
May be it is a start of a new phase in my life.





28th Nov (Day 2)

I got up early at 6 and started preparing to set out. College or ant other work didn't seem to interest me. I called up Saish
and informed about the incident. He agreed to accompany me. I packed and left. I got down at the place where the said
incident had happened. It is a long stretch and looks similar throughout. It took me around half an hour to find the exact
spot. But as I did, it was a great feeling which I never felt before. The night had not ditched me. It had preserved the
pugmarks exactly as they were on the loose soil at the roadside. This was the time when I felt that I would have got a camera
with me to capture how beautifully it was preserved.
I headed in the direction in which it had gone while Saish joined me. We followed the line. But didn't get any obvious
evidences as urine smell or scats, but Saish noted a broken tree. It had broken due to load imposed on it. It was very thin,
straight and less branched, on which a fully grown adult will never make a mistake of climbing in spite of having lot other
trees which can accommodate it properly. If the marks appearing on the bark of the tree indicate that it is the leopard who
broke it, then its climbing on such a tree strengthens my prediction of it being a jouvinile. Searching that area for long,
we found nothing more. There was no point in looking for more pugmarks as when you are searching for a leopard, every mark
for you is a pugmark.
We then decided to head towards the grassland from where it had possibly descended into the field and then made it for the
road. We reached the grassland which Saish calls 'Hunter's Playground' in few minutes. We inspected the area and headed for
another grassland a kilometer away. There, we found a cave, possibly used as shelter by deers. We found scats of hare, jackal,
wild cat, but no sign of a leopard. May be it is not a resident of the area. But I am not disappointed. The search is on.

The "Dump" issue

While going from Ponda to Khandepar, there is a small road going up the hill.
There is a small village their and it is an ecologically rich area.
But now as the garbage ghost is rising and there is no place to throw the garbage, the Sarpanch has decided to throw the garbage around this village.
The villagers are agitated and are opposing this act. This, nowadays, is on the rise which we have witnessed in the mining and megacomplex issues.
Co-ordinator of our nature club (GNSC), Mr. Ajay Dongre, has assured them his support to the villagers. We also will be participating in this capaign.
The villagers are capable of fighting for themselves and we will stand for the environment.
Anyone interested in supporting this campaign can join us in the village at 10:00.
I will be uploading the happenings the day after tommorrow.