It was a crisp morning in Singara, deep inside the Masinagudi forest. The Dec air had a slight nip to it and the first rays of light coming into the room had awakened me. We had seen elephant dung right next to our cottage the previous evening. So I gingerly opened the front door, being careful not to awaken anyone else. It had rained sometime during the night and the forest had turned magical. The sun was caressing a brilliant green and droplets of water sparkled like tiny jewels on the forest floor. A cacophony of birds was setting up natures alarm clock and langurs whooped joyously from the treetops.
Slinging my trusty Canon with the “walkabout” 100-400 lens on, I decided to stroll about for a bit of early morning birding. As I started down the jeep track that ran through the jungle, I could see 3 peahens perched in perfect symmetry on a bare tree and I stopped to take some photos. Behind me, I could see the camp manager and another guest starting to walk along the same path. Not feeling particularly chatty in the morning, I decided to walk ahead instead of waiting for them.
As I pushed on, I could see a troupe of langurs frolicking in the distance. The little ones were hanging from each others tails while mom kept a close eye on them. As I walked on, I suddenly heard rustling through the bushes and a huge herd of spotted deer literally dashed across my path, spooked by something further inside the forest. This got me curious and I looked up at the langurs again. It seemed like their fun and games were now over and they were all peering intently into the forest and further down the track I was walking on. And then the alarm calls started! “Har..har..har” shouted the langur watchman, while the little ones scrambled higher in fear. The chital set up a panic stricken “koww.. koww” as well. Predator! I thought to myself. Maybe I’ll get lucky and spot a tiger or a leopard on the track. Or at the very least wild dogs. Slowly and carefully I started walking down the track, towards the spot that all the langurs were intently staring at. Adrenalin was kicking in and I had completely forgotten the two people coming up behind me. I crossed a steep U shaped bend in the track as I walked ahead and lost sight of them. Now I found myself alone in a clearing on one side, with a line of sight through the bushes enclosed by the walking track. Hoping that whatever it was would come through the bushes and step into the clearing, I found a rock and decided to sit motionless on it. For a while everything went silent and suddenly I was very aware of how alone I was. I glanced nervously behind me, making a mental note to keep checking in case an elephant emerged from behind while I was staring into the bushes in front! Now suddenly the langurs started their alarm calls again. Har.. Har..they shrieked in panic above me while their heads started moving, tracking something through the bushes. The predator was on the move!
Whatever it was seemed to be walking parallel to me, through the bushes and was probably just 50 to 80 feet away. With a sensation of butterflies in my stomach I bent down and peered intently through the bushes. And suddenly I could see a lithe and dark shape slipping through the bushes. Looking at the graceful and fluid movement, I knew I was looking at a leopard. At one gap, I saw the form go past me in the distance and was transfixed till the slender tail finally slipped past. “Get up and go back on the trail” my brain urged me. It’s going to exit somewhere beyond the bend that I had just crossed. But for a moment my courage failed. Did I really want a photo that badly? It was bound to cross the track somewhere. But there was no way of knowing exactly where! For all I knew, it could jump out 5 feet ahead of me and attack out of sheer fear and surprise. I think if I had even one more person along with me, I may have risked it. But for the moment my heart quailed and I decided to sit down for a while and calm my nerves.
After what must have been five minutes but seemed to be an eternity and with every sense on high alert, I started slowly retracing my path. And then I heard a fresh set of alarm calls, this time from the other side of the track. It had crossed. I now relaxed and started walking back with more confidence. As I crossed the U bend and continued walking, I found myself face to face with the two people who had been walking up behind me. I had forgotten about them and something had evidently happened. The guest looked like he had seen a ghost. He was sweating and his mouth was agape. Did you see it, I asked them expectantly? Black… black panther! He gasped! Crossed in front of us. Right where you are standing now! I was struck by a rush of jealousy and amazement. What a rare sight I had just missed! The graceful black form I had seen was not dark just because of the shadows. It was one of the rarest and most beautiful of cats in the Indian jungle. A black panther!
I was left with no photograph to show, but the memory of the event would stay with me forever.
