Back to Kanha and Kaziranga, 2013!

[Guest kuduuu]

Kaziranga proved to be well worth the trek. After a bumpy flight and a long 5 hour drive we entered what in my mind was what the Jungle Book looks like. Tropical like forest with gorgeous ravines, dangling orchids and large bodies of water. So many damn animals, it is truly the Serengeti of Asia. We spent 4 glorious days at The Diphlu River lodge where I promised that I would return again. The hospitality and eagerness to please is out of this world. The food was easy on the tummy and compared to some of the other lodges in the area (Like is Iora Hotel), this lodge really makes you feel like you are out in the middle of the wilderness. Its charming thatched roofs placed directly in the middle of a paddy field really made us feel like we were in an exotic location.

 

We only did one morning elephant ride to view the rhinos up close, honestly thats ALL thats needed. We got the earliest ride, 5:45 and the smallest elephant for the best photo opportunities. The rest of the time was on the truck looking for herds of elephants, greater hornbill, river otter, gibbon, black faced langurs, asian water buffalo, fruit bats, malaysian giant squirrel and of course a grumpy rhino or two

 

Compared to my last experience which was only a year ago you can really tell the toll that poaching has taken on the rhinos, especially in the western circuit where the rhinos are not used to seeing many tourists. It was said that over 28 rhinos in just the last year have been poached, I feel blessed to have seen this area when it felt like rhinos were practically falling out the trees, there were so many of them. Supposedly, the forest guards are starting to take bribes from the poachers who are selling to the Chinese market. Sad. See this place as soon as you can!

 

A few highlights:

 

A rhino charge on elephant back

Witnessed a monitor lizard charging and eating the eggs of a pair of rose ringed parakeets while they defended it (Video too!)

Searching for gibbon on foot (And finding them! No pictures though, but have an amazing video of their calls)

Photographing and filming a family of otters with their latest kill

A fabulous elephant bathing session

 

videos coming up soon! Enjoy the pics!

 

 

Pie Face Hornbill

 

 

 

 

Malaysian Giant Squirrel

 

Fruit Bats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Faced Langurs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AKR1]

Beautiful images. The mother and baby elephant, Rhinos running away on the path and parrots near the tree trunk with the chameleon

were my favorites. Thanks.

[Guest kuduuu]

Thanks AKR1, if you loved the monitor lizard with the parakeets then you are going to be THRILLED with the video I plan on uploading soon. Stay tuned!

[kittykat23uk]

Sounds interesting!

[Guest kuduuu]

It was our third day in Kaziranga and my friend had noticed all sorts of ruckus coming from the ground. It was a pair of rose-ringed parakeets screeching. As we approached we noticed a monitor lizard prowling in the grass. I said to the driver to back up and that the lizard was approaching the tree to steal their eggs and boy was I right! Above are pictures of the series and below you will find the video of this amazing wild and unapologetic moment. It was really beautiful to see these little birds protect their nest as hard as they could, cautiously though, never getting too close to the lizards head. A moment that I will never forget. Enjoy!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5b11ZscCOyk

[Guest kuduuu]

Not sure if anyone here read my last report to Kaziranga, but I created a game in order to engage my guides. I applied this same game during this recent trip and said to my guides that if they were to find me an otter or a gibbon that I would give them $10 to the first person to spot it for me. It was as if I lit a fire under their asses, they were awake and completely excited to look for wildlife.

 

At one point our guide had seen a whole family of otter fighting over a kill in the river but we couldn't see from the jeep. He kindly escorted us off of the truck and there we were in front of the cutest most endearing kill I have ever witnessed. Enjoy the video!

 

[Guest kuduuu]

Has anyone here ever witnessed the Hoolock Gibbon? We unfortunately don't have any up close images of this amazingly vocal ape but did have a beautiful experience. Our guides were pretty certain on where the troop of gibbons were and escorted us off the truck to have a better look, about 15 feet off of the busy highway into the jungle. We saw two Gibbons jumping from branch to branch but it all happened to fast that we were unable to take a picture, but the memory of this has been engraved in my brain. Below is a video another troop chanting in the jungles of Kaziranga, just to give you an idea of how magical this place not only looks, but also sounds. Turn up your speakers!:

 

[inyathi]

Yes I was lucky enough to see a young solitary male Hoolock in Panbari Forest across the road from Kaziranga back in 07 he was sitting in a tree almost right above my head, listening to his song was an unforgetable experience. I can think of very few wildlife experiences at least auditory ones that can compare to the magic of standing in an Asian forest listening to gibbons singing.

 

I included a photo in my own report India Tigers and Other Wildlife but I must have made a mistake when I copied the link because my photo of the Hoolock doesn't show up there, so I hope you don't mind if I post it here.

 

Hoolock Gibbon by inyathi, on Flickr

Anyway thanks for this report it's always good to read more about Kaziranga

[Guest kuduuu]

Great photo inyathi! I love the gibbons eyebrows, that's actually what made them so easy to see up in the jungle treetops.

[lhgreenacres]

 

We were at the Diphlu Lodge in March and we were fortunate to spend one hour watching two gibbons. It was quite a race through the forest and then a lot of bushwacking but it was really a highlight.

[lhgreenacres]

Another gibbon picture. I think I was more excited to see the gibbons than I was the tigers in Kaziranga.

[Atravelynn]

It seemed the parakeets could have grabbed that monitor's tail with their beaks and pulled him off the tree. Very fascinating! Those ten dollar otters are a real find too!

[Guest kuduuu]

Like I said, we were SO LUCKY! It was a breathtaking trip. Already planning the next one as I speak!

 

Keep an eye out for the next video which shows what its like to be on elephant back following rhinos in Kaziranga!