Tags
India, Karnakata, photography, photos, safari, Tamil Nadu, travel
À partir de Coonoor, nous nous sommes rendus vers le parc national de Bandipur. C’est un trajet de cinq heures sur des routes souvent cahoteuses. Lors d’une pause en chemin, nous avons rencontré une famille de pélerins qui se rendaient à un temple important au Kerala dans une vanette bien décorée. Puis, quelques minutes plus tard, une procession vers un temple local nous a rappelé que l’Inde demeure un pays très coloré!
Si le trajet jusqu’à Bandipur sur des routes cahoteuses nous avait déjà fait mal au dos, nous n’étions pas au bout de nos peines: trois heures de safari dans un véhicule de brousse sur des routes plus cahoteuses les unes que les autres auront réussi à nous achever! Mais c’est la seule façon de visiter le parc national de Bandipur à la recherche d’animaux sauvages. Nous étions à la recherche de tigres que nous n’avons pas eu la chance d’apercevoir malgré les efforts de notre chauffeur qui s’est rendu jusqu’au coucher de soleil avant d’abandonner. Si les tigres étaient absents, leur nourriture était bien présente car nous avons aperçu une multitude de cerfs dont un groupe de plusieurs dizaines près d’un point d’eau. Sinon, nous avons vu un éléphant et son petit (qui tétait encore), des bisons, des singes, une mangouste, et de beaux oiseaux dont l’oiseau national, le martin-pêcheur à dos bleu ou « kingfisher ». Comme nous étions en hiver, les arbres avaient perdu leurs feuilles, ce qui donne un aspect un peu dénudé au paysage. Et comme c’est la saison sèche, nous sommes sortis du safari très empoussiérés! Ce n’aura pas été le point fort du voyage, mais c’était quand même une belle expérience.
From Coonoor, we traveled to Bandipur National Park. It’s a five-hour journey on often bumpy roads. During a break on the way, we met a family of pilgrims who were traveling to an important temple in Kerala in a well-decorated van. Then, a few minutes later, a procession to a local temple reminded us that India remains a very colourful country!
If the journey to Bandipur on bumpy roads had already hurt our backs, we weren’t at the end of our misery: three hours of safari in a bush vehicle on roads each bumpier than the other will have managed to finish us off! But this is the only way to visit Bandipur National Park in search of wild animals. We were looking for tigers which we didn’t have the chance to see despite the efforts of our driver who went until sunset before giving up. If the tigers were absent, their food was definitely present because we saw a multitude of deer including a group of several dozen near a watering hole. Otherwise, we saw an elephant and its calf (which was still nursing), buffalo, monkeys, a mongoose, and beautiful birds including the national bird, the blue-backed kingfisher. As it was winter, the trees had lost their leaves, which gave a somewhat bare appearance to the landscape. And since it’s the dry season, we left the safari very dusty! It wasn’t the highlight of the trip, but it was still a great experience.
[Auteur/Author: Pierre & Suzanne]
ourcrossings said:
As I’ve never heard about Bandipur National Park, I read your post with great interest. Looks like it’s a fantastic place to explore in order to witness rich biodiversity and spot the mighty elephants. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day. Aiva xx
Suzanne et Pierre said:
Thanks Aiva. Glad you enjoyed discovering this new park with us. It was indeed quite interesting though we would have loved to see tigers…
ourcrossings said:
🥰🥰🥰
Jacqui d'Eon said:
Sorry you didn’t get to see tigers after having your bones shaken. The wildlife photos you did get were great. I especially like the monkeys in the tree. The procession was certainly colourful. Are they on their way to a temple to make an offering of some sort?
Suzanne et Pierre said:
Thanks Jacqui. We were quite disappointed not to see tigers but it was interesting anyway. Yes, the people in the procession were on their way to make an offering…
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter said:
A shame not to see the tigers but the other wildlife is lovely – great pictures. Love the decorated van too!
Suzanne et Pierre said:
Thanks Anabel. We were hoping to see a tiger but we knew the probability were slim as the territory is wide, there is only a limited number of tigers and they are very shy animals but it would have been very nice. The ride was fun though quite uncomfortable.
IndiaNetzone said:
India’s wildlife diversity is both a source of pride and responsibility. They are an integral part of the Indian flora and fauna. While the country is blessed with a wealth of wild animals, many are under threat due to human activities. Conservation efforts under the Wildlife Protection Act are vital for safeguarding these species for future generations to admire and cherish.
Suzanne et Pierre said:
Thanks for your note. I totally agree with you and we totally expect that the “safari” in these national parks be done with all of the care possible. We did enjoy seeing the elephants and other animals but the rough ride was a bit hard on our back and often we found that there were a few too many safari jeeps at the same place which is probably not very good for the animals.
IndiaNetzone said:
Indian Bison are predominantly found in forested areas across India. They thrive in a variety of habitats, ranging from tropical and subtropical forests to grasslands and scrublands. These habitats provide ample grazing opportunities and cover for the bison, enabling them to sustain their large populations.</