After my recent visit to Pench National Park, I decided this time around, I'll visit another Madhya Pradesh forest before heading back to Bangalore. Having sighted big cats in multiple forests, the sudden realisation hit me that I hadn't yet seen one of my favourite animals in the wild yet - Wolves! The reason is largely due to the fact that I haven't really visited forests which have big/any wolf numbers. Pench was originally also famous for wolves. Remember "Jungle Book"? But over the years their habitat has been pushed further and further out of Pench forests and the remaining 20 or lesser are limited to some scrublands outside the forest. Sightings are far and few.
NAURADEHI - A GOOD WOLF HABITAT?
Having done some research on the topic, I came to realise wolves in India are as less as tigers, around 3000. With so much attention devoted to saving the big cats in the country, the number of wild dogs and wolves in the country are actually quite less at present. I came across one promising forest, "Nauradehi", which is actually India's biggest forested landscape, albeit relatively unknown. This forest boasts of maybe quite a few wolves according to someone's estimate. It did sort of make sense as the big cats are far and few there. Tigers were extinct there since 2007 and were only reintroduced there in 2018. There are 6 adults and subadults now in 2022 in one part of the huge sanctuary. Leopard numbers are also not big there. Ideal scenario for wolf numbers to thrive. Wolves are mentioned as a keystone species of the forest, unlike most other big Indian forests.
ABOUT NAURADEHI
The vast area is located across Narsinghpur, Sagar, Damoh and Raisen districts. Vegetation is mostly teak, although it also has variety - sal, tendu, mahua etc. Three fourths of its is in the Yamuna river basin while one fourths lies in Narmada River basin. It has 6 ranges - Sarra, Jhapan, D'gaon, Mohli, Singhpur and Nauradehi. Not all are open for tourism. There is a lot of wildlife here - canids like Bengal Fox, Jackals, Striped Hyena, dhole and wolves. Amongst herbivores, somewhere in this vast forest, gazelles, blue bulls, spotted deer, blackbucks, chousingha and barking deer are also found. Leopards are far and few, although bears are quite a few. It has a huge range of birds both resident and migratory. Amongst reptiles, crocodiles, snakes, tortoises/turtles and monitor lizards are also supposed to be found here. Multiple species of mongoose are also found here. Otters are also supposed to be residents here. Langurs and Rhesus Macaques are also found here, along with wild boar and peacocks, general attraction of most forests, Off late, since 2018, some tigers have also been relocated here from other Madhya Pradesh forests. Some claim tigers were never really extinct here. The sanctuary exists as fragmented patches of variable density forest. On paper, Nauradehi looks very strong, one must admit, which is why I decided to give it a try, since I was already in Madhya Pradesh.
MY EXPERIENCE
DAY 1
This sanctuary has 2 gates - one in Nauradehi range and the other in Mohli range. There are rest houses at respective locations. Since my main purpose was to sight wolves, I decided to stay put at Mohli Guest House, which was adjoining the forest and had basic facilities like electricity, internet etc as well. I arrived from Pench by a 4.5 hours journey by car in the evening.
The forest rest house was neat in appearance from outside, with each room labeled with some bird name like 'Cuckoo', 'Peacock', 'Mynah' etc. I was assigned room 'Mynah'. It had provisions of food etc. The rooms were reasonable with an attached bathroom. There were staff in the rest house, to help out with my stay.
There were 2 jeeps here and similarly 2 jeeps at Nauradehi gate, meant for safaris. After knowing about relevant details, I hit the sack. The next day, I would do a morning safari in Mohli range, where there were more chances of sighting wolves and bears.
DAY 2 - MORNING SAFARI
We set out at around 6.50 - 7.00 AM to enter Mohli range. We had multiple sightings of Nilgai, Gazelle and Spotted Deer, along with several birds including a Shikra. We also had super sightings of crocodiles in some places, especially in the banks of some lakes and ponds. Some kingfishers, egrets, ducks, storks, serpent eagles, parakeets, golden woodpecker etc added to the day's findings. We came across some clear cut pug marks of a sloth bear. Some wild boar and langur were also seen in the morning. We had covered both Mohli and Singhpur.
DAY 2 - EVENING SAFARI
In the evening, we focused more on Singhpur range. This seemed a greener part of the forest, in Spring season. Here, too, there was a possibility of finding bears and wolves. Several langur greeted us at the start of the safari, with gazelle seen more frequently in these parts. Blue bulls were making a consistent appearance. We visited some lakes with the hope of finding wolves, who sometimes come to drink there. But they were empty. Some buffaloes were also seen. We got news that Pipla Camp may have some wolves every now and then and headed out there. After the guide thought he saw a wolf/jackal rush away, we walked upto the point and saw a canid pugmark in the wet soil, upon investigation of concerned patch. We waited. As the guide and driver had some tea, I noticed a jackal from very far. Even from that far, it could sense that I was watching it. Soon a couple others appeared to join it and they disappeared into the distance. We then searched in some offbeat places for leopards and bears and found several bear holes but didn't find any bears before sunset. We were about to enter the rest house, when a group of canids approached us in the dark. My first reaction was to think they were wolves. But eventually, I could make out jackals in the almost dark evening. Thus ended another safari.
DAY 3 - MORNING SAFARI
This morning, we set out early at 5 A.M. as we had to travel to Nauradehi range from Mohli, to start our safari. 'Tiger' was the main attraction in this range. It was really dark and on our way, we came across jackals, rabbits, nightjars. Even wild boars, peacocks, nilgai and deer were sighted as soon as it became morning. We were 10 minutes away from our destination, when we saw some clear pug marks of the most dominant male tiger in the sands. Soon after, we had the guide in our jeep too. He mentioned the tiger had disappeared in the dense foliage sometime during the night. Hence, the fresh pug marks. We tried locating him at certain places along a river. We then thought of seeking out N111 or N112, 2 female subadults in the area, as the others were probably elsewhere. In the process, we came across a couple of mongoose who were looking about. Paying heed to some warning calls, we waited for a tigress to appear. But on moving on, we learnt from the camera trap department room, N111 had appeared 5 minutes after we left somewhere around where we were waiting. After some more sightings of storks, an Egyptian vulture and some great sightings of spotted deer among tall grasses, the safari came to a close with a sighting of a gazelle very close. We also saw some storks and Nilgai on our way back to Mohli. Nauradehi range was clearly a more beautiful and greener range, compared to Mohli and Singhpur in Spring time. Parts of it reminded me of parts of Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna.
DAY 3 - EVENING SAFARI
I was a bit confused as to if I should continue my quest for wolves or to focus on what I generally do i.e. tigers given that we came close to sighting one in previous safari. I decided on the former, given that was my main aim here as I typically focused on tigers in other forests. The evening safari was going to be a last ditch effort to sight wolves. We started with Singhpur area.
We saw several birds and the Changeable Hawk Eagle too, this time, in addition to a Rufuous Treepie. A good sighting of a crocodile and some nilgai eventually materialized in Singhpur. We waited around a pond for signs of wolves but found a jackal instead with Lesser Adjutant Storks and black storks among others on the banks. Some gazelle were also running here and there. Several good sightings of langur and rhesus macaque were also achieved. We also came across yet more peacocks, wild boar and bear holes. But not the bear. We did chance upon a sambar and her calf towards late evening. After having sighted several potential bear and wolf locations, we were back in Mohli range. The sun was about to set and it was getting dark. There was a huge grass field, which was known for its bear and wolf sightings. The guide was adamant that we would wait here as long as it took, to sight either, as it was my last safari. He believed they would eventually emerge. Only thing he was not sure about, was would it be already dark by then. We saw a huge line of cattle grazing on the grass field, as the evening wore on. We stood a bit away from the jeep, waiting for the potential moment as a jackal crossed, not far from us. As I gazed at the setting sun, we could hear some distant warning calls, from langurs and spotted deer from both sides of the grass field. The guide was not sure from which side the wolves would emerge, if they did so. As if to answer the guide's question, the warning calls became louder on the side we were facing and the cattle slowly moved away to the other side, before continuing grazing. Now, it was almost complete darkness and beyond the regular safari time. The guide felt certain it were the wolves as there were no big cats in these parts of the forest and the warning calls were not sounded for scavengers like jackals and hyenas. Eventually, we did make out 2 or 3 shapes moving in the dark behind the trees from where the warning calls sounded. They came until the trees and then instead of crossing the field, moved to the right. We were standing a bit away from our jeep. They appeared to be jackals or wolves. Perhaps bigger than jackals. As they drifted more towards the right without crossing the fields, the calling of langurs and deer also shifted in the direction. So, all indications were they were wolves. But no visual detailed confirmation of the same.
That was that. This is not yet a "National Park", so the guides had taken some liberties to show us some parts, which are not maybe part of the regular route. The bears had abandoned us despite giving us many signs and the wolves had given us the slip after giving us a cameo in the dark. We headed back to the rest house 45 minutes late in complete darkness.
THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT THE FOREST SANCTUARY
1] I've read a lot of reviews that the wolves' howls will be one's music for the night, as one sleeps. That is actually a myth. Mohli Rest House is located near some farms and the wolves rarely come there. But well into the night / early morning, you may hear a lot of yelling / laughing of the jackals who stay put in the neighbouring farm and then depart in the morning. The myth comes from the fact that not a lot of people can differentiate between a jackal and a wolf. The wolves are elsewhere, deeper in the forest.
2] The list of animals available in the sanctuary makes for very impressive reading, as one may have felt at the start of the review. However, the guaranteed list of animals does not in any way, compare to bigger jungles like Pench, Panna, Bandhavgarh and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh.
What you will see for sure are a lot of birds (residents and migratory, if the season is right), wild boars, blue bulls, gazelles and spotted deer. Amongst carnivores, you are likely to see crocodiles and jackals. Rest is up to your luck and how things materialize. Even peacock sightings are rarer than bigger forests. You are almost sure not to see black bucks, barking deer or wild dogs because god knows which part of the forests they belong to. The guides have also not seen any.
3] Photography can be more difficult here as the animals are not that used to humans compared to bigger national parks. So, you have to adopt a more cautious strategy to photograph them. Important not to startle them or make them nervous.
4] The unique takeaways are:
-> The forest abounds in great varied landscape scenes, besides its rich fauna. I visited in Spring season. It might be better during greener seasons.
-> Almost every lake / stream here has crocodiles. Some of the waterbodies here look deceptively calm. But don't try anything foolish, as most are swarming with crocodiles.
-> I've probably never seen so many signs of sloth bears in any forest without actually seeing a bear. Generally, I just end up directly seeing them, when I do.
-> I've also probably never had so many sightings of blue bulls in any other forest. They are the star herbivores of this forest. Panna comes a close second in this regard.
-> Rest Houses here have very limited categories of food available. They could do slightly more regular maintenance of the premises.
-> The guides here do try their best, although this is not yet as commercialized as other National Parks. I had a decent experience in Nauradehi and other ranges of the forest I visited, in terms of their sincere efforts.
-> Costwise, it is quite affordable, compared to some bigger national parks. Won't sight any figures, as my circumstances may not match another's exactly.
However, considering it is a wolf sanctuary first and foremost, I also found they have no clear plan or strategy to find one. For a sanctuary that houses most wolves in Madhya Pradesh and touted as so, one would expect there would be more definitive action / strategy for the same. In fact, many were quite amused and surprised that my main objective was to sight wolves here. Not the 6 tigers they now had.
The next day, I flew back to Bangalore after finishing formalities and giving the forest authorities my feedback.
All in all, an eventful trip which could've been more rewarding. In my opinion, it has to go a long way before it can be compared to bigger, more renowned forests. If anything, I was reminded of my visit to Nagarhole National Park through Coorg Gate in late 2016, where you see some things which you know are nice to have seen. But at the same time, you know the same forest could've offered you a lot more. Not really the kind of experience you would wish for.
Although I dedicated most of my 4 safaris to wolves and maybe detected a few in the end, my gut tells me I would've probably fared better with tigers if I had dedicated all safaris to the same, given my experience in the only safari here where I gave that an honest shot. But I don't regret it as I got to know that wolves are probably even more elusive and random in the Indian jungles, compared to big cats! I would overall rate this place a 3/5 to account for the tradeoff between the good things it offers and things it does not, but could. #myopinion
