Musings of a Naturalist — the lesser-known star of Kabini
The story behind the stories
I wrote a series of short articles for Evolve Back (then called Orange County) about my experiences as a naturalist in the Kabini region of Nagarhole National Park. These articles and accompanying photographs were published on the blog section of their website between 2008 and 2014. Recently, while going through my archives, I realized that with some editing and rewriting, they would make a nice collection that I could share in sequential instalments. Welcome to ‘Musings of a Naturalist’ I hope you derive as much pleasure in reading them as I did in rereading and editing them after a gap of over ten years.
When we think of the ‘Giants of Kabini’, our minds naturally turn to elephants. Yet, there is a lesser-known giant that roams the forests of Kabini -the Gaur, also known as the Indian Bison. The Gaur in Kabini holds a unique charm, distinct from its counterparts in other wildlife parks.
The Gaur is a very shy animal, making it quite difficult to observe its behaviour over long periods of time. However, for reasons delightful but unknown, they seem to have shed this shy behaviour in Kabini. This unique change in behaviour makes Kabini one of the rare places where one can observe this magnificent animal for long periods of time and very often at close quarters, creating a truly magical wildlife experience.
There is another unique feature of the Gaur of Kabini. For some reason, the Gaurs achieve their most magnificent physical form in this region. This makes Kabini doubly important — as one can experience the Gaur in all its splendour at close quarters and for a reasonable amount of time. Sighting and observing their behaviour is a true Kabini experience often overlooked due to a genuine lack of knowledge.
One such is the lateral display, which is a behavioural pattern used by Gaur bulls to establish dominance. When two bulls meet, they proceed to present their profiles to each other, standing parallel to each other with their heads lowered and their backs hunched. Often, one of the bulls will start to circle, moving very slowly and stiff-legged, while the other stands still but shifts position to keep his broadside towards the other. This ‘display’ carries on till one accepts a subordinate position. At times, when neither bull accepts subordination, a duel occurs with the locking of horns. Such duels rarely end in death.
Another interesting feature can be observed during the rut or mating season. The onset of the rut results in extensive calling and roaming, with bulls raising their muzzles and making their characteristic rutting calls with a slightly open mouth. Most of the calling is done during dawn and dusk. There is no pleasanter sound in the forests of Kabini than that of a Gaur calling during the rut.
Oh, and a bull Gaur in his prime is a majestic and awe-inspiring sight.
