On 'The Jungle Book' trail at Kanha National Park

Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky,
And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die
—Rudyard Kipling

Most of us have grown up with Mowgli, the little boy who was raised by wolves, befriended a black panther and a bear, fought and killed a tiger, and returned to his village where fellow humans lived in Rudyard Kipling's collection of stories, The Jungle Book. So you can imagine my excitement on discovering that post its 150th birth anniversary, not only is Walt Disney's new version running in the theatres, but Taj Safaris has tied up with South Africa-based '&Beyond' to introduce a Mowgli trail.

Those who've studied the series say Kipling's jungle stretched from Pench to Kanha National Park, in Madhya Pradesh. Taj Safaris has properties in both, but I'm headed to the Banjaar Tola at the latter.

Taj Safaris' luxurious room at Bajaar Tola, blending in perfectly with the forest​

The road to Kanha

A five and half hour drive from Nagpur airport, the route takes us through Vidarbha's dry foliage with the topography gradually changing to a variery of greens as we enter Madhya Pradesh. The summer heat is up at 42°C, but thankfully our car has air-conditioning. As we turn towards Banjaar Tola's East Camp, with a rough ride up to the lobby, I realise we're going to live in the jungle itself. But no animals are in sight; we assume they too are taking shade in some place cooler. Their luxury tent is in the jungle and looks rustic with wooden flooring, but is plush—my bed is queen-sized, with a direct view of the forest and Banjaar River, a watering hole for deer. The bathroom is gigantic too with a separate shower, bathtub and dressing area! I feel like Harry Potter from the fourth book of the series, entering the Prefects bathroom for the first time.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle...

Although we are up by 4.30 am, it's not until 6 am that the forest gates open. Before entering our naturalist gives a copy of our identity cards to the officials. If you break the rules, such as touching the animals or entering the reserved zones that comprise 80% of any Indian forest, you'll face a lifetime ban. You can't fool them; they have your records!

With five hours in hand (visiting hours end at 11 am), everyone including our guides—Srinidhi, Narayan and Nikita—are in a rush to enter first. We are seventh in line. As soon as the gates open, vehicles zoom in (some in such speed that passengers hold onto the rods to avoid falling out), but Narayan is cautious. “We’re not allowed to exceed 20 km/h. Not everybody follows this rule because everyone wants to spot a tiger,” he explains. Although he reassures us that this month saw several tiger spotting, I ain't getting my hopes high. Despite visits to several tiger reserves, I have never seen one. But secretly, I hope to.  Meanwhile he teases, “That doesn't mean you shouldn't see the other animals”.

A group of langurs welcome us from the foot of a tree. Unlike their North Indian counterparts, they are supposed to be less aggressive and keep a distance from humans, but that doesn't stop them from posing for our cameras. The infants, however, we're told tend to be more curious and hence are held by their mothers so they don’t get run over by vehicles. Next comes the spotted deer, who at first ignores us as if they are used to vehicles and continue their routine—grazing and drinking water. But sometimes when we stop and point at them in excitement, they flee thinking we are predators, leaving us with no photo ops. However, I still manage some good ones.

Almost 6 km into the forest, a female gaur (Indian bison) is walking with her calf. We don’t dare to go too close; Nikita shows us a video of a bison charging at a tiger that was stalking it, into retreating! “It can topple over an SUV,” adds Srinidhi. By now we've seen peacocks attempting to impress peahens, peafowls running away across dirt tracks, mongoose scurrying into their burrows, even jackals and several birds—eagles, the Indian roller and various species of the critically endangered vultures. Well, still no Sher Khan!

 

At one spot Narayan points to fresh dung and a giant pugmark, a male tiger's. Other vehicles hunt him too. But the cat remains elusive. You may be surprised, but I'm still happy. This is the most I'd seen in any jungle.

And just we hear a deer's call of fear. And Narayan screams, “Tiger!”
The cat knows she's being followed by a number of jeeps, but moves at her own pace—neither too slow, nor too fast, with a lazy elegance. Unlike the langurs, she doesn’t bother to stop and pose as if suggesting, “I’m moving. If you want a picture, take it now.” When some vehicles accelerate to give passengers a better view, she turns around, glares at the drivers for a few seconds and then disappeares into the bushes. Now even if we spot anything else, it won't matter.

The Mowgli trail, I realise, is no different from normal safaris, except the village visit that follows. But no regrets here; it's the only one that's shown me the tiger.

Useful Information

Love nature? Taj Safaris has an eight-to-nine month training programme, which teaches you the laws of the jungle, birds, plants and animals, post whichgive people tours yourself.
Best Time to Visit: November to March (although people visit in April and May as well, despite the heat)
Lodging Price: Rs. 50,000 per person/ night