Satpura National Park, India

Satpura is an extraordinary experience with its rich river system, including the mainstem Denwa River and numerous tributaties. The dry deciduous forest architecture is complex and boasts a great diversity of tree species. Correspondingly, the birdlife features a large number of taxa, including the magnificent assortment of waders and other aquatic oriented birds visiting the Denwa. The prize sighting was a close up of a female Indian Leopard, who was near for over twenty minutes, eventually sauntering to within three metres of me in the safari jeep. I was lucky to have an expert guide, who used the old fashioned method of pawprint tracking and use of prey alarm calls to triangulate and find this leopard as well as one other. The Sloth Bear mother with two cubs on board was another exceptional close range sighting. Canoeing on the Denwa River was spectacular and offered unobstructed views of many avafauna; the banks of the Denwa are a surreal expanse of mud, rendered depauperate of vegetation from the massive flows during monsoon. My March visit was perfect, missing the monsoon and intense summer heat; moreover, many trees had shed their leaves, permitting less obstructed views of mammals and birds. Let me know if you want tips on the best guide in the region and best place to lodge.

Posted on 26 de abril de 2017, 04:21 AM by c_michael_hogan