Madhai

It was an all too familiar cat and dog tale that we witnessed at Madhai. The cat here - a leopard - was up on the slopes with its kill, appearing quite regal as cats usually do. The demeanor was, however, short lived. Soon came a pack of dogs – the dhole - ferocious Asiatic wild dogs. Like all cat and dog stories, no sooner had the dogs arrived, regal bearing was thrown to the air and the cat scampered up the closest tree leaving its proud possession behind. The dogs, after taking a shot at tree climbing and managing only to scratch the trunk, suddenly realized that food was essentially on the ground floor. Focus immediately shifted to the feast, which from a distance appeared to be a female black buck. Having had their full and after a few more rounds of amusement at the expense of the hungry cat, they went their way merrily. After a few minutes of cautious surveillance from the top, the leopard came down and hurried home with the leftovers.

The Madhai forest reserve, part of the Satpura National Park, is located close to the confluence between the Denwa and the Tawa (a tributary of the Narmada) rivers about 150 km from the city of Bhopal. The Satpura National Park lies entirely along the Satpura Mountain Range that runs from Gujarat in the east to Chhota Nagpur plateau in the west. The mountain range serves to divide the Gangetic plain from the Deccan plateau. Madhya Pradesh can easily be termed as the wild life capital of India with over 60 % of the state being under forest cover. It boasts of quite a few well-known National Parks like Kanha, Bandhavgarh, and Pench. We however decided to explore the less frequented forests of the state in our quest for “that isolated, untouched beauty”. And we were not disappointed. Madhai is exquisite, to say the least. It is a “complete package” of almost everything a forest goer can hope to find in a forest. Be it the densely wooded hills, the sprawling grasslands, the winding backwaters or the occasional swamps - Madhai has it all.

The sighting of two of the most coveted predators along with herds of Gaur (Indian Bison) early in our safari had us flabbergasted. No doubt, it increased our expectations as well. Madhai however was up to it! When we thought we had seen it all, suddenly the thick teak forest opened up into a magnificent meadow reminiscent of the East African savannas. The yellowish hue of dried grass contrasted splendidly with the deep green bush land on its periphery, capped perfectly by the royal blue canvas above. What with a huge gathering of Cheetal, Boar and Black Buck sifting their way through the dried grass and Cross Tailed Drongo and the Indian Roller fluttering about, sometimes riding on boar-back and occasionally diving into the grass, it seemed the world of the paintbrush has come alive.

It is amazing what vegetation can do to the climate of a place. The temperature fluctuates as you leave the dense forest for the comfort of the open grasslands. This in turn also affects the mood hanging over the forest. The bright open savannas seem to be loaded with life, with birds chirping around, monkeys scuttling about – now in mid air, hidden in the grass the next – the sun weaving a magic of life, while, the thicker woods paint a countenance of dark, grim, sullen disposition. The mood, no doubt, is also impacted by the time of the day with the setting sun spreading a gloom across the entire horizon.

In the afternoon, we hired a boat from the forest department and set off to explore the backwaters. The backwaters are, in essence, narrow winding off shoots of the main river that coils its way through the forest much like an octopus spreading its tentacles over a prey. These shallow waters, brimming with fish, insects and other reptiles are the favorite “haunts of coot and herns” - wading birds like Storks, Cranes, Herons, Cormorants - so lively immortalized by Tennyson. One can easily spot a cormorant sitting atop a dead branch looking like a mere extension of the branch. Often one can also spot a Pied Kingfisher hovering over the water, and then suddenly swooping down at full speed, scooping up a small fish from near the water surface and settling on another branch close by – all in one smooth motion. An abundance of prey invariably ensures the presence of predators. High above, the Fishing Eagle and the Osprey patrol the skies. They also use the taller trees by the river as watchtowers and remain perched there to keep a watch over their territory below. The banks are also home to the crocodile. The crocs spend most of the winter days sun bathing and rarely stay under water. They invariably jump in though on hearing the sound of the motor. The relatively quieter petrol boat is thus a preferred choice over the diesel one, albeit costlier too. The ride through the backwaters is not only useful for bird-watching, it can also be used to good effect to spot game in the forest as they come out for a drink in the water channels that cut through the forest. In fact, these narrow channels are the hunting ground for the crocs as they lay ambush for thirsty deer. Just as we were about to wind up for the day, we heard a ruffle in the woods near by. Our boatman stopped the engine and we waded closer. The ruffling stopped and there was silence. We craned our necks to peer through the foliage. Then suddenly it began all over again and the bushes moved violently. And almost as suddenly out came a sloth bear!

Our shelter, Madhai Wildlife Resort was on the banks of the Denwa River at the edge of the forest. The only other accommodation available is a couple of nearby forest bungalows. The key feature of the resort is its wonderful location – overlooking the forest - not to mention the possibilities of gastronomical pleasures. We would simply devour the mouth-watering ‘alu parathas’ and curry made from local country chicken prepared by the cook. One can simply while away time lazing on the balcony sipping coffee and munching on the sumptuous ‘pakoras’ watching pied kingfisher swoop down and create ripples in the still water or painted storks create wonderful patterns as they soar high above. Additionally, the owner Mr. Dubey was also of great help in planning our safaris.

A faint orange glow broke in through the mist hanging over the water like a fleece of wool. The winter sun lazily propped itself up over the distant hills. The chirping of the birds filled the cold morning air. It was around six thirty and people were queuing up at the jetty to cross over for the morning safari. The forest department manages the safaris as well as the river crossings. The resort, however, takes the onus for arrangements for tourists putting up at the resort. A gentle breeze started to blow over the river and the mist slowly started to clear away. A flock of geese flapped their way down the river. Far away, a Serpent Eagle let out a shrill cry – a cry of joy as it welcomed the beginning of another day. I stood on the balcony and wondered how long this will last. How long, before fifty hotels cram the riverbanks with their ugly billboards to draw flocks of humans. How long, before 10 motor boats start crossing the river every minute and all the geese fly away. How long, before100 gypsies throng the forests in a day instead of the five now, shrouding the grasslands with whirls of dust and leaving remnants of our plastic culture to pollute this Garden of Eden. I wonder.