Kabini Calling

chillibreeze writer — Suja Natarajan

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On a dull misty morning, waking up with the sounds of the chirpy robin, with a distant calling of a Junco and the song of the sparrow, is a perfect rendezvous with Nature.

When you set off to explore the thick deciduous jungles, you sight a baby elephant having a leisurely stroll with its family in the lush green grass, playing and running around. At a nearby distance, you also watch fawn suckling milk from its mother. As you go further, you will feel the prying eyes of a leopard following you from a distance. These and more such enchanting sights await you in the wild reserve sanctuary of Kabini.

Hidden among the deep dense forests, on the foot hills of Ooty, is a thriving wildlife destination – Kabini. To all the Nature enthusiasts, who are willing to lap it up with Nature, the serenity and loads of flora and fauna, head straight to Kabini.

The breathtaking greenery, surrounded by gushing sounds of the river and the majestic wildlife nearby really sets one to surrender to Mother Nature. In the wilderness of this reserve, one can spot, elephants in herds, large number of deer, Langur and a variety of birds and reptiles.

Kabini is a name of the river. She wanders all over NagarHole, Bandipur and Madhumati. On the river banks, is the wild reserve/sanctuary, which is a host to a number of wild cats, herd of elephants, bunch of deer, drove of oxen and a number of other mammals and birds. Armed with a set of powerful binoculars and a river vest, one can travel through the meandering waters, to explore the vast expanse of water and land animals/birds. Best time to unearth the beauty of Nature is either during the break of dawn or dusk.

One can often sight a muster of white storks standing tall as the proud owners and fishing with due diligence. You will also get to see various varieties of bulbuls perched bravely on the unassuming crocodiles! On the banks of the river, one will often get to watch the varied fauna, both migratory as well as native. You can find the largest herd of Asiatic elephants in this wild reserve. Beautiful deer will strike a pose or two and leave you haunting with its flawless exquisite skin. There are also a good numbers of exotic predatory Tigers, Cheetals, Sambar and Langur.

The water stretch is an excellent path for diverse types of bird watching. This sanctuary is a haven for nearly 250 species of birds. To name a few, you can spot the Bea Eater, River Tern, Indian Roller, Kingfisher, the notorious Eagle, Pigeons, Darter, Jungle Fowl and many other breeds of flying beauties.

The breathtaking moments of the sunrise and set of Kabini is simply worth watching. The lovely hue of the Sun lighting up the sky is simply fabulous and therapeutic. There are Jeep, Boat and Coracle Safaris to help you probe the wilderness of the reserve sanctuary. It is prudent to go on guided tours to know the various breeds of the fauna. The natives or the guides of the hotels/resorts will be happy to assist you. You can also explore the nearby vicinities on a Bicycle.

Jenu Kurubas, the tribals of Kabini also inhabit in small pockets of the village. They are the traditional food gatherers and reside mainly in the Southern parts of India. Jenu means honey and Kuruba means, tribals in Kannada. A visit to the nearby hamlet will be worthy since, the natives of Kabini, possess mind blowing intricate information of each animal and its habits. The skill and art of gathering honey from the woods is not as easy as licking off the honey from the finger.

Kabini is accessible through rail, road and air. Mysore is the nearest rail route and Bangalore is the nearest airport to reach the wildlife sanctuary. The best route to get to this place of enchantment is from Bangalore by road. Best time to travel is during the months of September to December to experience the chill breeze rushing through your hair, with the raw smell of greenery around you as you drive. It takes an approximate of 230 km from Bangalore to reach Kabini. You can reach the destination by lunch time with short break in Mysore. Upon reaching, one can set off on exploration early evening either by foot or through Safaris. This will help one to make the sightings at the dusk. Early following morning can be spent to watch the birds, elephants and other fauna species. Warm clothing is desirable in case of travelling during monsoon and winter months.

Elephant camps and safaris are organized by few of the resorts helping you to sift through the bountiful Nature. The camps give a chance to get up close and personal with the elephants. In all, Kabini is the perfect weekend spot for nature enthusiasts and wildlife lovers. This is sure to satisfy your hunger to explore the wilderness for a long time to come!

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in June, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Suja Natarajan has a work experience of 14 years, of which, she has worked 9 years as a Consultant with Oracle Financial Software Services and ACI Payments worldwide. She has worked in Payments, Trade Finance and Loans Systems. She is a Commerce Graduate and resides in Bengaluru. Writing is her passion and has been involved in technical, article and creative writing. She is currently pursuing her Fictional/Non-fictional writing course with The Writers’ Bureau, London.

Kabini Calling

chillibreeze writer — Suja Natarajan

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