DAROJI - BEAR with ME

TRIP DATE  - November 2016

This is that side of me when I feel I am smart... being a wildlife photographer and a family man generally don't go hand in hand. The family vacations may not actually coincide with your passion. But this time around I was sure I shall make both the parties happy. 

We started off from Bangalore around 6am. The NH-4 Pune-Bangalore highway is amazing to drive. We crossed Hiriyur at 8:30am and reached Chitradurga by 9:30am. We had breakfast here and proceeded towards Hampi near Hospet. By 11:30am we were in Hospet and drove beside the Tungabhadra River which was up to the brim due to recent rains in the catchment areas. 

Shivavilas Palace

I had booked at the Shivavilas Palace, Sandur (Ghorpade Family). We finally reached around 1pm and what a fabulous heritage hotel. Felt like a Prince and the hotel had some spacious rooms and scrumptious food. My daughter loved the play area and the pool. We had planned a visit to Hampi the next day and after that I escape to see the bears.

Ideal Man Cave

Spacious Bedrooms with Royal Touch

The Pool

Bears have eluded me in the wild. I had seen them only once in my four years of wildlife trips to the jungles in India and never had a decent shot.



SLOTH Facts:

Sloth bears have shaggy, dusty-black coats; pale, short-haired muzzles; and long, curved claws which they use to excavate termites and ants. Sloth bears grow 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 2 meters) long, stand 2 to 3 feet (0.5 to 1 meters) high at the shoulder, and weigh, on average, 200 to 300 pounds (90 to 140 kilograms). 

Sloth bears feed predominantly on termites and ants and employ a well-evolved method to dig them out. Their long, curved claws are used for penetrating nest mounds, which can be rock-hard. Once they’ve opened a hole, they blow away excess dirt then noisily suck out the insects through a gap in their front teeth. To do so, they close their nostrils and use their lips like a vacuum nozzle.

Beyond insects, sloth bears feast on a variety of fruit and flowers, including mango, fig, and ebony. They are also known to scale the occasional tree to knock down a bee honeycomb, which they will then enjoy on the ground below. It is this habit that’s given rise to their nickname, honey bears.

I met up with the RFO of Sandur who was introduced to me by Dr Arun (Wildlife Warden Ballari 2014 - 16) who was a great host to my family later. After breakfast I left for Daroji Bear Sanctuary driving along the Sandur valleys and hills - Mesmerising Nari Hallam . It was a splendid drive in my Honda City and there was a cool breeze to accompany me. I kept wondering where has man s greed taken them to. Mother earth was bleeding red there and i heard people say even the leopard skins have turned red due to constant movement of mining trucks carrying Red Gold. Its an hour s drive from Sandur to Daroji. You need to be careful to take a turn at Kudatini village into a narrow road. 

Enroute to Daroji from Sandur

I reached the gate and did not see a soul. Was able to reach the spot at 1:30 PM and since had already made the arrangements called up the RFO that I am at the gate. Could see a bike coming towards the gate and went in to buy the tickets which was extremely nominally priced.  I was welcomed by a few peacock chicks and they were quite used to human presence.

About the Sanctuary

The Daroji Sloth Bear sanctuary is situated very close to Hampi (15 kms). The rock-strewn hillocks that stretch between Daroji of Sandur taluk and Ramasagar of Hospet Taluk in Bellary district have been the abode of Indian Sloth Bears since ages. In October 1994, the Government of Karnataka declared 5,587.30 hectares of Bilikallu reserve forest as Daroji Bear Sanctuary. It is estimated that about 120 Sloth Bears are living in this sanctuary, apart from Leopards, Hyena, Jackals, Wild Boars, Porcupine, Pangolins, Star Tortoise, Monitor Lizard, Mongoose, Pea Fowls, Partridges, Painted Spurfowl, Quails etc. About 90 species of birds, and 27 species of butterflies have also been identified in this sanctuary in a preliminary survey.

We soon reached the base of a hillock with boulders and a double storey iron cage. He asked me to get in to the cage and left me after locking it. He said he would return. Now this is when i realised how it is to be alone in a forest knowing you would have bears visiting you shortly. An erie silence and I could hear my heart pound. The cage was very small and I checked my camera setting when the silence was broken by a gang of monkeys.

They came very close to the cage and thats when i realised the blunder the guard had done. The entire jaggery mix was kept outside the cage and the monkeys came down and spilt the bucket. They started feasting on the jaggery. Now I started sweating as I just realised i am the BAIT now. The whole damn cage was smelling like jaggery.

Jaggery getting gc

Walking in the Erie path of Sloths

The Infamous moment

View from the Hide

Thats when i saw a black shadow looping on top of a hillock. Image attached below. I swear I had never seen such a huge bear in the wild or in a zoo. One swipe and he could topple the cage i was in. It was me and him and the monkeys. At that point a family(Dipankar Mazumdar) came by with Mr Pompaiah Malemath. I had heard a lot about him and it was like "Punar Janam" or rebirth for me. The bear disappeared and then we settled inside the innova they had got. I was advise it was very unsafe to be in the cage with the jaggery seared around. Thanks to the monkeys.

Bhalooo staring at me

Dipankar setting up Camera Traps

 Had an amazing time indeed shooting seven individual bears.. wanted to have the signature shot of mother carrying cubs on it but you cannot ask for everything. Thanks to the the Dipankar and spouse for their company and of-coure a nice meal of Puliyogre (Tamarind Rice), Pappad and Curd rice.

Painted Spur Fowl

PEACOCK

Isn't he Massive

SNIFF SNIFF

Wanted this Shot

Don't miss this award winning video by.


Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Ballari, won the second best film award at the 34th annual Animal Behaviour Society Film Festival in Toronto.


DAROJI Movie

Made by software professionals, Rana Belur and Sugandhi Gadadhar,

Special thanks to my friend Dr Arun S K for guiding me and being a gracious host to my family at his Bellary home.

Dr Arun S K and Myself

How to reach there

By Road: Bangalore to Chitradurga (199 kms) on NH-4, then to Hospet (135 Kms) on NH-13. And then to Kamalapura (12 Kms)-which is 10 Kms from the Sanctuary. By Rail: Nearest railway station is Hospet where trains from Bangalore and Hubli are accessible.

Accommodation

Government:
Forest Guest House, Kamalapur and Gunda Forest Guest House, Vyasanakere near Hospet.
HPC guest house, HPC, Kamalapura.
PWD guest house Kamalapura.
KSTDC's Mayur Bhuvaneshwari, Kamalapura.
"Vaikuntha" TB board guesthouse Hospet.

Private:
Mallige Tourist Home, Ballari road, Hospet-583 201. 

Ph: +91-8394-228101 to 16.
E-mail: malligihome@hotmail.com.
Priyadarshini Lodge, station road, Hospet. 

Ph: +91-8394-228838, 228096, 227313, Fax : +91-0894-224709
E-mail: priyainhampi@india.com

For more details contact:

The Range Forest Officer, Daroji Bear Sanctuary, 

Vidyaranya.583 2 76 (Kamalapura), Hospet taluk, Ballari district. 

Karnataka, INDIA Phone +91-8394-242869. 

The Assistant Conservator of Forests, Wildlife sub-division, 

Ranebennur-581 115 Haveri dist Karnataka. INDIA. Ph: +91-8373-860394.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), 

Aranya Bhavan, Bangalore-580 003. 

Ph: +91-80-23345846.

http://shivavilaspalacehotel.com