"Night safari" at Bandipur & Mudumalai

Hi all, I taught of sharing my experience with you, although it may not be new for most of you, but for me it was something else. Yesterday i had an opportunity to have a "night safari" through the BTR and MTR during the traffic restricted hours 2.30 am in a Kerala bound Kerala SRTC bus for which i booked my seat in front of the bus just with the hope of seeing something in the wild, although i was not sure whether they will permit bus entry through the reserve. But they had pass to go through. To my surpirse and unimaginable joy i was able to see a Leopard cross the road, which ofcourse was my first sighting of a leopard in the wild which added to my joy. Although i was expecting elephants, i could only see one elephant. Was able to see a lots of Nocturnal creatures like Hares and mouse, palm civet. porcupine and chitals, Sambars...all the while hoping that no animal would get run over by the bus, which fortunately didn't happen.

Prasanth,
I can understand your joy. Long back, when I was a consultant with PwC, I used to travel extensively in rural Odisha and I used to make it a point to pass through the forest areas in the night to see wildlife.

Watching a leopard is a treat. Not many people get to see a porcupine. You should consider yourself fortunate that you saw charismatic species like leopard, elephant as well as nocturnals like porcupine and palm civet. How many vehicles get this night pass?

congrats prasanth.... if i am not wrong it one bus both ways.

Rgds
Roopak

Thanks Sabyasachi sir and Roopak Gangadharan. i could see only one Kerala RTC bus to bangalore go the opposite way. so i guess only one schedule to either side is permitted, although not sure whether any vehicles went thru before or after that. The rest either go thru kutta - mananthavadi route or park near the checkpost and it wont be a pretty sight when all the vehicles goes through the reserve when the gates are open, i guess!