Golden rays of the sun play hide and seek in the misty-white canvas of dawn in the Kabini Forests. As they sneak through the dancing branches, the silence is broken by ‘an alarm call’. These calls are popularly considered ‘vocal signals’ sent by monkeys, squirrels, or various birds living atop the crown layer of the forests upon sighting predators on the ground, turning into warning signals for other animals. “They are ‘nature’s CCTV’ that convert visuals into audio signals,” jokes K Dinesh Kumar, a professional tour guide from India Tourism.
These unusual noises are not only understood by fauna but also by those who live in tune with mother nature, like tribals, forest officials, and naturalists. A movement of their heads, high concentration, eerie silence, are all keynotes to find the rarely-spotted big cat during a safari or trek.
Kabini rests on the eastern lap of the Western Ghats, belonging to Nagarhole National Park on the banks of the River Kabini. Lake Kabini, with an area of 24 sq.km, was formed after the construction of the Kabini Irrigation Dam. The Nilgiris Biosphere is enlisted by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site that houses uniquely rich flora and fauna.
No other wildlife tourist destination in South India offers such incredible probabilities of animal sightings. A usual two-hour-long Kabini boat safari covers around 27 km. “According to the recent estimation, there are 149 tigers. Leopards are more than 200, and we can’t say exactly how many elephants” says Sarath Ramesh, a naturalist who works with Evolve Back Kabini, a resort on the eastern shoreline of Lake Kabini. These wild cats thrive amidst herds of Indian gaurs, antelopes, deer, monkeys, squirrels, and more.
The 245 species of birds enrich the fauna of the forests. Indian rollers, bluish-striped birds, are the official bird of Karnataka and easily spotted. When Vishnu Sadan, an ornithologist and naturalist with Evolve Back Kabini, saw a Green Pigeon dart away, his eyes accidentally fell upon a Tiger cub on the shore, nestled in the shadows. Sadan, escorting a small group of tourists, ecstatically said, “It was as if the green pigeon was bringing the tiger cub before my eyes so I could point it out to my fellow travellers”.
Pre-Covid, the area witnessed an influx of international tourists, while recent years have seen domestic nature lovers flock here. Hosts facilitate various modes of overnight stays ranging from luxurious resorts, eco-lodges, and hotels scattered around the lake. Aneeshmon, the Manager – Tours of Dravidian Trails, a Cochin-based inbound tour operator, says, “In most of our Karnataka itineraries, Kabini is a minimum two-night stay destination with four jungle safaris.” Simultaneously, he airs his concern too. “However, there are concerns like the lack of mid-range accommodation facilities and pre-booking of safaris for people staying at resorts other than government facilities.”
The forests were once a game sanctuary of the Maharajas of the erstwhile Wodeyar Dynasty of Mysore and British officials. Their base camp, situated on the banks of the lake is now Kabini River Lodge, the first eco-tourism venture by Karnataka Forests and Tourism Departments together. With its 14 large rooms and various cottages, it can lodge 50 visitors to enjoy wildlife activities such as boat safari, coracle rides, and jeep jungle safari.
Evolve Back has evolved into a sought-after resort in Kabini, thanks to its 37 luxurious rooms designed with a tribal concept. “Each excursion is accompanied by an enthusiastic naturalist, making the safaris not only thrilling but also educational,” says Bipin Biddappa, the General Manager of Evolve Back. “This allows us to provide academically insightful safaris, which is the need of the hour,” adds Biddappa.
To underline Biddappa’s views, Albert Antony, a senior PAN India professional tour guide with India Tourism, says, “Knowledge derived from nature ultimately should make a human being love her and preserve her purity for posterity.” He specialises in nature-based itineraries and one of his favourite destinations is Kabini.
Kabini makes any visitor a nature lover with her warmth, aroma and overall charm.
(Ajai Kumar KS and Sridevi Narayanan are travel writers)