Friday, February 6, 2009

Daroji Bear sacntuary

It’s about the Daroji Bear Sanctuary, Kamalapur (Hampi), Bellary Dist. Our trip started from Bangalore myself my wife Bhavya & my daughter Sanya she is 1yr 8months old and with my friend Ashok , his wife Nidhi & their daughter Advita. We reached Hospet on 25th Dec and a friend Mr.Pampa Swami from Kamalapur who is working indirectly (volunteer) with DBS in development of the DBS from last 7yrs & has amazing knowledge on bear & birds. He picked us in his vehicle from Hospet to the DBS Nature camp which is situated just before the DBS & dropped us in the tents. Our trip plan was for three days, we got fresh had breakfast & left to DBS.
I wanted to visit Hampi not to see the ruins of the Vijayanagar kingdom but I wanted to visit this wildlife Sanctuary. One of Karnataka’s best kept secrets in Wildlife happens to be the DBS outside Hampi. Finally my dream came true.

We reached the DBS by afternoon as the bears are a bit lazy they get up only by early afternoon & start searching food. So we were on the right time we reached the gate & from there the watch tower is about 3kms, we drove to the tower and waited for an hour then we could see three bears coming on the rocks, wow what a sighting it was but not for too long. After few minutes came some more all were males suddenly two of them started fighting, ah what a roaring sound while fighting, the forest used to echo. It was a wonderful day for us seeing the sloth bear. I had seen the same in Bandipur & Nagarahole NP but for a few seconds. Also sighted lot of birds. A great destination to visit. We left for the day, back to our tents. We had beautiful dinner in the north Karnataka style with jolada rotti & brinjal masala, wow it was amazing & weather was quite chilled in the night.

Day 2, 26th Dec morning it was beautiful with lot of birds around tent & the view of sunrise right in front of our tent, as usual I took my camera & left for trek. After breakfast we relaxed for some time & visited the university at Kamalapur, saw the sculpture work of the final year students which is their project work on the rocks. We had lunch & left again to DBS for the second time, sighted lot of sloth bears playing & also a mother bear & two cubs, Painted spurfowl. After spending 3hrs we came back to our tent. Then we were discussing about the development of DBS, as-usual inadequate staff, no facilities for the staff who are in the sanctuary & no protection to the bears from the miners who blast the rocks on fringes & to the sad part most of the bears live in rock caves.

Day 3, 27th Dec we visited the Vittala temple early in the morning & waited for the
sunrise, because the early golden sunrays directly falls on this premises where you find the famous Stone chariot & musical mantapam (stone pillars that generate musical rhyme) but now the Archeological dept. has banned from people touching those pillars in view of protection. One can make good photographs in that lighting. Then went to the Thunga Bhadra river played for some time & came back to tent for lunch. Our lunch was ready you know what our friend Mr.Pampa Swami had organized Olige (sweet bread) lunch with all those side dishes, wow we enjoyed & felt like a festival lunch. By 4pm we left to Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stables, Museum & Pushkarni.

Our trip came to an end our friend Pampa Swami dropped us to Hospet & we returned to Bangalore. Overall it was a fantastic trip & we are thankful to Pampa Swami for his hospitality & help rendered.

In the photo L to R Pampa Swami, My daughter Sanya, Myself & my wife Bhavya.



For photos check the link : http://www.flickr.com/photos/12915728@N00/sets/72157594550113379/

Sighted ;

1) Sloth Bear
2) Painted Spurfowl
3) Plum headed Parakeet
4) Tree pie
5) Mangoose
6) Wagtail
7) Rose ringed Parkeet
Cool Spotted Owlet (first time on my camera)
9) White eye-bro Bulbul (first time sighting)
10) Yellow wattled Lapwing
11) Purple sunbird
12) Wild boar

regards
Srikanth

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