Mydanahalli. June 2009

As planned, I made this trip to Mydanahalli which houses the Blackbuck Santuary with Manjunath, Apana & Nitin.

All of us were ready by 3.45am on 21st June 2009 at my residence & by 4.10am we hit the road, there was a moderate chill in the weather & the roads were something which one can't complain.

It was a smooth drive & we did not have any problems reaching the sanctuary as this was my second time. We were there by 7.30AM, after a 125kms drive.

Just before entering we made a quick stop to catch up on some home made sandwiches & tea, while we were indulging in a quick bite we met Mr.Gundappa who is a school teacher & the current Chairman of Tumkur based conservation group Wildlife Aware Nature Club (W.A.N.C), the man behind the conservation of the Slender Loris at Nagavalli village.

Down below are a few stock shots made during this trip using my Canon 30D + Canon 100-400 IS L series lens + handheld.

The safari begins......................

We were greeted by this handsome fellow.

The distinctive horns of the Blackbuck are ringed with 1 to 4 spiral turns, rarely more than 4 turns, and can be as long as 28 inches (79cm).

On the open plain, the Blackbuck is one of the fastest animals and can outrun most predators over long distances. Its chief predator was the now extinct Indian Cheetah. It is now sometimes preyed upon by wolves, feral dogs, etc.

The light-brown female is usually hornless. Blackbucks usually roam the plains in herds of 15 to 20 animals with one dominant male.

This guy was one of the biggest I have ever seen.

The diet of the Blackbuck consists mostly of grasses, although it does eat pods, flowers and fruits to supplement its diet. The maximum life span recorded is 16 years and the average is 12 years.

Like most wild animals, the Blackbuck is in principle protected in India by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Their conservation status is Near Threatened (NT).

Detailed Directions to Mydanahalli.

Take Tumkur highway (NH4), do not enter Tumkur.

At Dabbaspete junction you will approach a flyover, please do not go on the fly over.

Take the road on the left of the flyover, go ahead & go across the flyover, you will hit a fork-take the left one.
Continue on this road till you reach Madhugiri.
Continue till you reach Puravara Village - around 17 kms
From here, continue on the main road for around 8 kms till you reach a temple on your left.
Slow down, go about a kilometer further and you will see a tar road bifurcating to the left.

Take left here, continue for about a kilometer to reach another Y junction, take the right arm.
Continue on this for 1 km (you will pass a village, stay on the tarred road)You will observe a wide path.
The tarred road bends left here.
Get on to the un-tarred road to begin your safari !!!