My first tiger

9^th May, 2008, Friday.

(Just when life had convinced me that I am jinxed..that no matter how hard I tried, the elusive tiger would remain elusive, I finally saw one! A grand male, a rich brown in colour with a great white face. Location: Chik Halla Dam. Time of sighting: 11.05 am – 11.55 am. Smita of course, did a one up on me, and saw two more tigers (one male and one female) on the same day, near Ombetta and 50 point...bringing her count to THREE tigers in one day!)

Humans!

Well, what can I say...a tiger needs to do what a tiger needs to do! In spite of what these humans think, I think a tiger is the rightful king of the jungle, and not the lion (considering the fact that there aren’t many of those left in this country as of now). I am King, and a proud one at that. And when I need to cross the road, I need to cross the road. But surprise surprise, what do I see? A large black monster making as much noise as can be made to utterly paralyze the likes of a lesser beast (say, cheetal or sambar, yummmm). But the king of the jungle isn’t that easily scared. I was bang in the middle of scent marking a tree, with all intentions of crossing the human made road to the other side where supper awaited me (live sambar...yummmm again), when a most non-animal like howl went up inside the black monster. I suddenly saw the dark, excited faces of five humans peering out of the monster’s sides...they were making a lot of ruckus (they were the dressed-in-forest colours kind, whom I’ve often seen wandering in the jungle...they generally make a lot less noise than the other kinds who go around my forest in another green monster, and wear all kinds of silly reds, oranges and yellows).

“well”, I thought, ”now that these nuisances are here, might as well wait for them to pass by before I cross”.

So I went down the slope, towards my beloved vyal, to wait them out. But no sooner had I made that decision, I heard a most frantic rustling of leaves, and loud panting and felt the nauseating smell of human flesh permeate my nostrils. What a nuisance indeed...they were following me down the hill! Which obviously meant that the black monster was standing alone and motionless on the road...and which meant that the coast was clear, and that I could cross the road in peace. Back on top, I realized, no such luck! Two of the buggers had stayed back to look out for me! I ran back down, to the dam with the sand mounds that provided good cover. I rested there for a few moments, and had a great drink of water. I thought I would wait it out there, give them sufficient time to think that they’d lost me, and then resume my mission of crossing the road.

I was just pacing around the dam, when I saw them again, out of the corner of my eye. These humans don’t give up easily do they? I had had enough! If they were going to follow me, they would have to follow me back to where I would cross the road this time...far far away from where their monster was. I bounded up the hill again, quite sure that the two footed humans would never be able to keep up with me. Just when I thought I had lost them, I heard voices ahead...humans on the road...they of course, pretended to be the grass and the barks of trees. Oh how I detest these lowliest of the low of Mother Nature’s creations, these lesser mortals who pretend to rule the world. I gave them a hard cold stare that conveyed pretty much all my thoughts, but somehow, I don’t think the message got across. This time I had to lose them....or I’d never be able to cross. So I did a neat trick...I pretended to go down the hill again, and went as far as to make sure that they completely lost sight of me. But here’s the cleverest part...I did a neat u-turn, went right back to where I had wanted to cross the road initially...and since I had led the humans far away from that spot, I could easily cross the road in peace. How’s that for a clever plan huh humans? Mission accomplished, I felt rejuvenated, a new tiger altogether!

Up ahead on the next hill, my supper panicked, and screamed in alarm...not now my dears, I shall have you in peace...when the black monster and its humans go away...oh yes, I would have you in peace....

Field station blues

Some people become part of our life in a very short period. Within very short time period they become so important that their absence deeply influences our day 2 day routine. When they are around, life seems to be very smooth selling. Usually we come to know their importance when they are not around.

Here, I am talking about our life @ field station. Everybody would agree with me if I say there is a person @ our field station who is the perfect fit for the situation described above. Yes, your guess is absolutely correct!! I am talking about Maara.

When Maara is there, we always demand for tea so many times a day. And he, without complaining, makes it for us. Its hard to forget the special taste of his special dishes like Chitranna, Pudicolamb( I hope I could spell it correctly!), sambar, delicious idalies, dosas, chatany… oh… this list is so long that I cannot put it here completely.( as I am a vegetarian, I have listed just veg dishes only, non-veggies can add their spl. dishes too…)

But as soon as we come to know that he is taking leave or he will not be there for these many days, then suddenly we start feeling very tense.
Today I am writing all these things because Maara is on leave and we are spending our days here struggling in the kitchen to survive till he comes back! You will understand my pains iff you have spent some days here when he is not there.

Today only I came to know why everybody packs their bags and runs back to Bangalore when Maara is not here. And truly, I also wish to do the same right now.

Without Maara, ‘Happening Mudumalai’ does not seem happening at all!!!!
What do you say??

Bomma has a question

11^th April 2009

Post field-work, a ride back home with Bomma is by far the most entertaining part of the day. Hours of brain numbing data collection later, this little man still retains incredible energy, spouting anecdotes in rapid succession - like a teapot on steroids, and without breathing between the incessant giggles from his audience. It makes a day’s work completely worth its while. He tells stories of the forest, Veerappan, boss, vets, profs and students and researchers at the field station – long gone but never quite forgotten, elephants, tigers, the weather, rain and fires, the river, food, tribal medicine, sickness, forest rangers and guards. But what really blows a mind away is his ecological insight into the maddening mess of processes that a dry forest is (ask us poor researchers...trying to find patterns, however small our scale be, in all that chaos!). He has advised several of us on experimental design (his own versions of random blocks and basic anova designs). Sample this: I wanted to see what kind of light makes seedlings grow in the forest. To the three basic light treatments I wanted to give my seeds, Bomma suggested a two-way treatment. He wanted me to divide my little nursery enclosure in two, and fill one half with burnt soil, and the other with unburnt soil, and set up light treatments in each half, and compare how seedlings do under each combination of treatments.

“What purpose will that serve Bomma?” I had asked.

“Fire happens so often in the forest medamu, and it will surely affect seed germination. You could see how seedlings grow after a fire...and what kind of light they need after a fire”, he had replied matter-of-factly.

At other times, it would be practical advice about methods in field. My field study involves tagging seedlings and monitoring their growth across seasons. My tags consist of a small square of transparent plastic marked with a unique code in permanent ink. This is tied to seedlings using a thin wire made of clear plastic. After almost a year, the plastic is slowly giving up the fight and succumbing to the sun, heat and rain.

“Medamu, thappu pannitengo”, he said – madam, you have made a mistake. “you should have used fine aluminium wire with fine aluminium tags. They would have lasted forever – against the elephants and gaur and cheetal and the weather”

I nodded in agreement. Only, our general state of poverty and abysmal logistics prevented us from implementing the improvements.

But his most recent question took the cake in fine thinking. Mind you, it is a thinking born without any formal education or training. It is purely observational. It comes from being born in the lap of nature, walking her well worn paths, reading the subtle signs she leaves for men to survive in a wild world, eating little of what she has to offer in plenty. It comes from having an unceasing marvel about nature. From treating it as a living entity that grows, wounds, heals, breathes, dies, rots and is born again, uncannily phoenix-like. Be it the grey, leaflessness of trees in December or the fiery red tongues of rogue fires that sweep effortlessly across the crisp lifelessness of dry grass. Come April and a stray spell of rain would nudge every sleeping bud back to leaf, and every black spot of charred earth becomes miraculously coated with a powdery carpet of new grass. Easy to get carried away by the majesty of life here! And imagine being one with this spectacular being. I do believe that every tribal who has walked his share of forest paths is a first rate ecologist!

Lets see if we can answer Bomma’s question. Ever. He wanted to know a very simple thing. Why when all the magnificent teaks and Terminalias and Anogeissus’ and Lagerstroemias produced so many many many seeds every year, close to a few thousands per tree, don’t we have many many many seedlings every year? And if there were, then why doesn’t the forest grow thick and impenetrable? And why so many new trees come from old roots and not seeds? I envy Bomma. He thinks more than I do. And comes up with better questions!

On the subject of mushrooms

During my initial field days at Mudumalai I thought the trackers (field assistants) had a fetish for only one thing...honey. Recently I've discovered their partiality for another delicacy...mushrooms.

As we're driving along nowadays, mostly in the moister parts of the sanctuary, there's this sudden frenzy in the vehicle..."Mani, STOP!" What? What? Total confusion as the vehicle screeches to a halt and all the trackers jump out of the vehicle running towards a common destination. "What is it?" I ask, excitedly. After a brief survey of their activities, Mani turns around and says, "Mushrooms, madam", with a bored expression. That wasn't the first time. Since the last two months the trackers have often disappeared after field work to gather mushrooms that they'd seen on the way to the site. "One two minutes, madam", Bomma would inform me and scuttle off to collect his share. I can't help but feel amused. :)

Of course, not all mushrooms can be eaten. The trackers usually collect a huge white one. There are so many different types that are sprouting pretty much everywhere now, wherever it's moist enough. I remember Rutuja showing me photos of a few that she had come across when she was banding trees at Benne plot. There is one that Bomma has shown me twice so far. It's small but, as Bomma points out after excavating one, it will grow only on the roots of a particular short grass species. Now that's interesting. I wonder how many different types there are in all and if they all have particular associations?

More on Maravakandy...

Two days of events..some happy, some sad

(All photos have been taken by Halan, Mudumalai Wildlife Ranger)

Thusrday, 13th August 2009, 5:30 pm:

We'd received a call from Halan sir (Mudumalai wildlife ranger) that a captured tusker was going to be released at the elephant camp. We rushed to witness the event.

When we reached there we found a semi-sized truck strapped with bamboo forming a sort of a cage. It was hard to see if there was an elephant in it. Bomman had taken up his post already and informed us of all he knew. "It was found at the bus stand in Coonoor" ,he said. Now that's an unlikely place to find an elephant, I thought. Later we were informed by Dr. K that he was found in a bungalow estate in Coonoor. I have no idea how they manage to catch him, but there he was, the 4 year old; must've been frightened out of his wits!

The next hour passed by in trying to noose him and turn him around so that he could safely walk out of the truck. He came out with a flourish! Sprightly fellow. He calmed down once the kumki eles were around him.

We walked up to Halan Sir. "Sir, what's going to happen now?", we asked. "Oh, we'll release him here into our forest", he said with a smile. "But he'll be alone!" I exclaimed. Halan Sir reassured us that he's old enough to fend for himself. Dr.K also confirmed that, and added that it's better to have him in the wild than at the elephant camp. But it was too late into the evening, so the release was going to happen tomorrow morning.

Friday, 14th August, 2009, 7:00 am (I think):

Little tusker was escorted to the forest early the next morning. Bomman aane was always there to reassure him. He'd become so attached to Bomman aane that he wouldn't leave his side, and had to be chased away when the forest officials released him.

Same day, 9:00 am:

We met Dr. K and his troop along Ponnangiri road. They were looking for the tusker, but didn't find him.

Till then we had a lot of sightings along the road - two sambaar (crossing the road), one striped necked mongoose (crossing the road), one malabar giant squirrel (not crossing the road, but up on a tree in a perfect pose for a photo which I missed), and, a peacock display. I hope you can view this video...

While working we'd also received news of a very tragic kind..a French lady had passed away, apparently "attacked" by an elephant. Here's a news article. Out of the many versions I've heard so far I'm inclined to believe this one.
http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4895533.cms

why learn tamil?

The earliest reasons why I badly wished I knew tamil was when trackers crack jokes. They always have something to giggle about, and I envy them being so jolly.

Somehow in the last month, my tamil wish to learn has flared up: like punctuated equilibrium. Perhaps due to Dumba's entry in the team. And I always have lot of things to ask and speak about.

My ears are always listening now. And I could understand what Chinbomma was telling Selva on our way back from Dewala. Half of it was in English, still I happy myself to figure out the rest half.

Poly Mara has joined our banding team lately. We make steel bands for trees in three sizes. Small, medium and large. And so are the springs that are attached to them. Now Mara was to attach apt springs to the bands. And here Chinbomma was telling, Mara asked him which spring to attach: "quarter, half or full?", and not small, medium or large :) :).........hahaha.

By the way, trackers got salary the day before, the 10th of the month. (paapa dumba can't take leave ;) though, that's good for him too; but though I have come here, he was to accompany manvalan sir to buy bamboos in mysore ?!!? repairy was planned next year, na?)