Wildlife in Lawngtlai on Greenhiker

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PhawngPui Tlang - Blue Mountain National Park

Once a upon a time there lived a King of the  ghosts called Sangau close to  Phawngpui Tlang (Blue Mountain). Across a few hills, in Cheriang lived another king. The King of Ghosts  had a worthy son and the King of Cherian a lovely daughter and they were soon married to each other. The marriage witnessed the exchange of some splendid gifts and the most prided among them were - the gift of a Pine Tree from the bride's home  and a pair of Hollock Gibbons from the King of Ghosts to the forests of Cherian.The area where the lone pine stood is called Farpak (single Pine) and today it has multiplied to a plenty while the Hollocks that roam the forests of Cheriang are the original gift of Sangau - they sadly did not breed. Thats one of the stories associated with the highest peak in Mizoram- Blue Mountain.

Today , Blue Mountain is a National Park , Sangau  a 1000 household strong village close to it, Cheriang is the name of a hill in Burma.

The story provided for a fascinating beginning to this long awaited visit to Blue Mountain. Finally, we were at the Sangau tourist lodge , splendidly located on a hilltop towards one end of the massive Sangau. Cheural right behind and the hills of Burma ahead. The lodge offers an almost clear unobstructed view of the hills around. The place is magical on clear nights , with a generous display of stars at night  and the mornings sureal with a bed of clouds stretching between the hills. Nimesh is often tempted to attempt a walk through these!

Happy with the Sangau experience I didn't dwell much on what  Phawngpui would bring with it. At 2100mts it is double the height of Saiha and the wind was already freezing the marrow in my bones! The bounty that Blue Mountain revealed itself to be was not something I had anticipated.

Sample this- A Grassland , Cliffs and a densely wooded forest with a zealous bamboo, rhododendron and orchid sprinkling. All this when we didn't even get to the peak!  

We were generously accompanied to Farpak by the DFO and his team. We drove down to Thaltlang from Sangau and further some distance  into the National Park and walked from there on to Farpak, around it and back.

On our return , we were with the president of the Blue Mountain Guides Association. Quite the expert hunter in his earlier days , he gave up following an injury and joined the forest departments initiatives towards conservation and tourism. He assisted many a researcher on their studies here and seemed to enjoy speaking of his experiences and we were a keen audience.

Walking through Farpak my timid heart skipped a beat when a noisy Bamboo Partridge took of on a panic flight about 3 feet from where we were. And uniquely , while tossing my head around to catch sight of the avian plentitude , i realized that the birds here were a lot less weary of our presence. In most other forests I walked with Nimesh and colleagues , the birds would take to a panic filled flight at the slightest indication of our presence. Were we so inclined we probably could have brought back some decent images of them too. But the designated photographer for the trip (yours truly) kept busy in reminding herself to close her gaping jaw , to even think of attempting this feat. Talk of Gorals, Serrows and the many pheasants was interesting , but we were out at the wrong time in the day to be able to see them.We spent some leisurely hours walking and watching the birds that were around. Infact ,we were leisurely enough to get our companion worried about getting back to Thaltlang in time to get a ride back to Sangau. All the worry of getting back on time was worth it as we watched a Chestnut Bellied Rock Thrush respond to another one (we couldn't see this) from its perch! Also worth mention was a swooping flight of a Black Eagle. We could identify  close to 17 different kinds of birds and had we some more time , there would have been many more.We spent the latter part of our downhill walk in a scrambling frenzy to get to Thaltlang before sunset. 

During our drive back from Thaltlang , the headlights of our pick up revealed a Grey Night Jar sitting on the road! That was the first time i'd seen one a perfect closure to the visit.  

The forest rest house at  Farpak is currently closed , but plans for building a new one along with developing home-stay facilities at Thaltlang are underway. That would definitely help in making the most of a trip to Phawngpui. When its done , hopefully we'll come back for a visit and this time get to the alluring peak itself.

P.S - The highlight of my trip was when we were looking at the valley below from a viewpoint and someone exclaimed- hornbills - did you see them?  I instinctively looked up (!!) and on realizing my folly trained my gaze to the valley- two wreathed hornbills ,  pale white spots, gliding across the valley  . An aerial view of Hornbills- thats something I'll remember for years to come!
For more details wait for Nimesh to update his blog 

Ngengpui in a Dug Out II- Some Images

For a post on the trip itself- Visit the previous post

The road in the campus of  Lawngtlai Wildlife Division - A baby flying squirrel seems to have tumbled from one of these trees, much to the delight of the people on campus. The mother was around and the two were united soon , hearing the delightful descriptions itself was a treat. 

Ngengpui Guest House - A great place to stay at - apart from the treasure that the campus itself is a highlight is  the forest and a small  bazaar being just a hop skip and jump away. 

Ngengpui River- Surreal on a winter misty morning- just enough water for our trip

Sanga- Leading the Dugout , Niam is rowing at the rear end . Enthusiastic and informative guides on our trip 

Sambar the Dugout- Brunch Break

Ngengpui in a Dug Out I

Massive , Large , Generous , Awe-Inspiring , Humbling, Wise , Ageing, Giving , Secure , at Peace

The trees were too large for me to hug and so much in awe of them i was that I didn't even contemplate trying as I will not attempt either to string a passage together of the words that come to mind when I recall what I felt. I decide to just give you some  words and this image instead of forcibly trying to compose a psalm.
   

At the edge of Khawmawi (Dist Lawngtlai) on the banks of the river Ngengpui, snuggled and comfortable between these mammoth trees is  the Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary's Rest House. Multiple calls of birds reach out as you enter its gates and i squinted  against the golden sun to catch a glimpse of the plenty frolicking around. Like these trees, the birdlife around seems to know that its safe within these boundaries , for while the village settlement offered only few well hidden treasures, trees in the campus I understand played host to a large flock of oriental pied hornbills! These trees were unfortunately not in fruit currently and the Hornbills had moved on to some other haunt.  I’m left constructing for myself the feel of what would have been the case had I actually seen them. Of course, I’m sure I’m not in even close.

Left largely un tampered, the space lends the feel of being well within the sanctuary,  while you aren't even half a kilometer away from the Khawmawi bazaar.An office building and a few staff quarters is all that is concrete apart from the rest house itself.  The highlight of the space is of course the balcony of sorts , just the kind of place you'd want to return to after a walk in the sanctuary or a dug out ride like us.

We seem to be pre -destined to see Ngengpui from the river itself. On our last trip to the Bungtlang beat , we found ourselves camping on the river bed and walking on it through the day.  We got caught up in a storm of sorts last time and couldn't explore at leisure but this trip seemed to have the blessings of the rain gods! A long monsoon spell ensured that there was just enough water left in Ngengpui for us to venture out with the dugout.

But first things first, we needed to have tea and make some sort of brunch arrangement and this seemed to be no problem as the forest guard had predicted. Hotel Din Din was more than happy to do it. So , at five in the morning  after some refreshing morning tea and a packed brunch from the hotel we were ready to be on the move. A word about Hotel Din Din – its possibly the cleanest and one of the more enterprising hotels/teas stalls we’ve visited. The woman who runs its is a powerhouse of energy with a chubby baby sleeping soundlessly on her back while she cooks , instructs and spares more than a minute to converse with the customers. As discussed on the previous eve, she was ready for us with 5 in the morning with tea and puris and a lunch waiting to packed. The rest of Khawmawi including the roosters seemed to be still asleep.

Sanga , Niam  and the two of us , set out quited excitedly for the dugout ride , the first mist covered sight of the river made me feel we might be a bit too early for the birds but I was wrong and thrilled to be so. Anticipation was high with our companions too , they kept speculating on what we might come across and what they had previously seen while on a dug out patrol. Like on the road, wagtails seemed to know the bends of the river and ....well, were hell bent on leading us through with their dippy flight!

Through the trip , this convoy duty was taken over by a Great Bittern, a Black Crowned Night Heron , a Spotted Forktail and some more. What startled us out of our silence was the noisy scramble and flight of Jungle Fowls. So startled were we as they raised alarm and flew across the river , i feared that we would manage to topple the dugout!
Watching quite peacefully  from the sidelines were White Throated Kingfishers and we did catch sight of the Brown Winged Kingfisher too. On the sidelines again was the activity of a lone Malayan Giant Squirrel , guided by Niam  i could spot it scuttle around its tree. For more on what we saw ,  wait for Nimesh to update his blog.

We got off for a bit and walked along a smaller river meeting Ngengpui inside the forest.  Wild banana growing along the banks and most of us bent over looking for tracks. We didn't venture out too far in as our  growling stomachs were scaring of much of the life around. But the Greater Racket Tail Drongo would not have us leave till we had seen it. It called till we were able to spot it, danced around on the pretext on grabbing insects and having got our attention and its ego satiated it left just as we were pleading for more! Tease.I found my self muttering.
Lunch was lavish- some resourcefully wrapped beans, eggs, rice and chicken. We ate silently against the sounds of the river. Post lunch we crouched around the field guides to confirm what we had seen. A bit thrilled about this part  cause I seemed to be getting a little better with my observations. That just means that I'm able tell the difference between a woodpecker and a Kingfisher, well maybe a little better than that :)

Talking to Sanga and Niam was quite a treat. They were disappointed that we weren't able to see any mammals apart from the Malayan Giant Squirrel and a the shadow of a Palm Civet.They repeatedly pointed out some tracks and suggested that we move further downstream in the hope of sighting something bada! Speaking of which it seems that while ago a new elephant has made its presence felt in Ngengpui , coming in from the neighbouring Mara district , they were of the opinion that it had given quite a fright to the resident four and that these four had changed their hang out for the time being! I don't have a clue about how elephants behave , but I quite enjoyed how this bit was narrated to us. Also , the honest fear with which Sanga told us of how he had fled from his path when he realized an elephant was somewhere ahead made me  happy not to have encountered them.

We returned to Hotel Din Din ( I love this name- we have a kid in the neighbourhood who is called the same and we adore him too) around noon. Sanga and Niam  should have been dog tired with all the rowing , pushing and pulling they were required to do. The water became a lil too shallow in places and the dug out needed to be dragged off those patches. Nimesh jumped off to help whenever he was quick enough but I wasn't quick enough most of the time. That left me sitting in the middle of the dugout feeling every inch ganpati like, wondering if i tick them off they might chose visarjan as an option!! Jokes aside... they did have to put in quite an effort and I'm embaressed and grateful. I enjoyed thumbing the fieldguides with them looking for a particular 3foot long animal which seems to have made the logs in th campus its home. We didn't find it , maybe next time. I sure do hope there is one.

Thanks Pu Tlana for helping us do this!

Listing what Nimesh and I saw on this trip
Black Crowned Night Heron , Black Drongo, Blue Bearded Bea Eater, Brown Winged Kingfisher, Emrald Dove , Great Bittern , Greater Racket Tailed Drongo , Red Jungle Fowl , Rose Ringed Parakeet, Shikra ,Spotted Forktail, White Throated Kingfisher , White Wagtail , Yellow Wagtail
Common Palm Civet and Malayan Giant Squirrel 


P.S  Kestrels we've seen gliding above our home in Saiha and finally we got some time to see them perched in Peace. our drives through this trip were filled with such sightings of these and we Finally saw the Lesser Kestrel nice and proper instead of just hearing its calls!! I'm more than content. For more on Kestrel Sightings visit Nimesh's Post http://mizoram-samrakshan.blogspot.com/2010/11/kestrels.html

Wildlife Week Lawngtlai- Behind the Scenes III - Ending on a colorful note

The rains were on and umbrellas out.

Adding  more than a dash of colour to the cloudy days.

Wildlife Week Lawngtlai- Behind the Scenes II -Good Shot

Hmmm.. so the context was wildlife week and a range of issues from Conservation, to hunting and the children found an animation film especially hilarious. A second film was repeated probably 6 times during the  programme and each time the laughte was louder than the last! I couldn't follow a lot of the discussions as they were in Mizo but I was all alert when the arms of little boys shot up in response to a query? Some stood up and the others followed.

Count me in

I was a tad puzzled but i felt I had an inkling too of what this might have been and my doubts were soon confirmed. Post the programme in Cheural, we were sipping some piping hot tea at our hosts home, when I heard the all too familiar  ( we have a group in Saiha , that anounces their arrival in this manner)thudding of children's footsteps. They paused at the door, hesitated for a bit , trickled into the room in  twos and threes, plonked their catapults on the table giggled and ...poof ....vanished. Some others shook hands with the elders around and were patted on their back for their good deed.

us too

For those of you who haven't understood let me elaborate. The marksmanship required for some methods of hunting is acquired at an early age.  A catapult is a preferred and accessible tool. Easy to make at home with a well sculpted piece of wood and a taut rubber strap, one finds that this little weapon is a prized possession of most boys. Birds , geckos and the like are easy game. 

Post the discussion with the children , many had volunteered to surrender  their catapults and stop chasing after these birds and animals. I was most surprised. Yes it is easy for them to make another , but how many times have I impulsively decided to curb a passtime/sport/entertainment just because I attended a discussion at school? I cannot remember any instance. 

Abandoned midway 

We felt the need to talk to some of these boys in whatever limited (is it really? I wonder now)  conversation was possible. So while clicking images of the catapults or what would have been catapults (some of them were still in the assembling stages, i.e we got fresh sculpted pieces of wood and the strips of fresh unused rubber intended for it)  , we chatted. 

Connoisseur

They shared how mud bullets were made and provided their assessments on the catapults surrendered. Good , Not good and aaaaaaaaah  Baby's catapult!!! 

...and how did he get this big without
 learning to hold a catapult straight???

Turns out one of them was the expert in making these while the other seemed to be quite a shot. While frowning at Nimesh's attempts to take aim , he picked up one said "that "and before we tuned in he hit the   electricity pole over 50 feet away. Bullseye! 

Nimesh made no further attempts apart from this last one below.   

Destroy the evidence!!

  But I lived to tell the tale.

Wildlife Week Lawngtlai - Behind the Scenes I - More than welcome

In complete agreement  with Mr Tlana when he shared that homestays were the highlight of the visit to the villages. I am humbled by the generosity extended by families in sharing their homes and meals with absolute strangers and am reminded repeatedly of my adolescence where visitors were people you had to grit your teeth and tolerate.

Our Hosts Home in Cheural

We stayed with two beautiful families in Cheural and Lungpher. Over dinner , at tea between the programmes we had the opportunity to talk to the families. I have found these interactions very interesting. While running through some wildlife magazines and field guides and photographs there is space for discussions on the village,forests and wildlife around or of Samrakshan's work in Saiha etc. Rarely have these interactions that I've been part or witnessed disappointed in their content, especially when there are people over 50 around and often even with younger people. Sometimes , you can feel almost tangibly the intimate connect they share with the forests around , the wealth of knowledge that comes with the dependence and so much more. 

Lunch at Cheural

Coming back to the hospitality , it is usually assumed in most households that Nimesh and I are vegetarians and there is such care taken to ensuring that there is plenty for us to eat. From pumpkins to cabbage and carrots..... i cringe with embarrassment when I see the effort. When its time to leave , I'm at a loss. Do not know how to tell them that we're touched and grateful. It usually is a handshake with a sincere invitation to visit us in Saiha and Kalome  i.e thank you.

Unfortunately (or maybe not ) we had such a blast with the children of our hosts in Lungpher that the camera was all forgotten about. Being higher than Saiha, Lungpher was cold and after a walk in the rains we warmed ourselves beside a lovely family (kids , parents , grandma and neighbours!)  and i remember thinking its we've been lucky to receive such warmth of home and hearth in a places so far away from home. 

Wildlife Week Lawngtlai - Oct 2010

The first week of October was wildlife week and we visited some villages in the neighboring Lawngtlai district. Started with  Cheural and moved onto Lungpher and Bualpui. All of these villages  lie outside the Blue Mountain (Phawmpui Tlang) National Park , which is currently on our must visit list. The road to blue mountain has been blocked for a while owing to a landslide and prolonged monsoons. So Blue Mountain remains on the wish list as opposed to the been there  list .

The programmes in most of these villages involved at one level interactions and discsussions with the Village Council Members and Youth Groups and at the other Children from the local schools. In both instances films were shown and this was my personal favourite part of the programme. In long dark town halls or homes , post dinner , the youth and village council would slowly trickle in while the projector and screen were being set up. With the young ones we had interactions in the daytime.

House Full

Walls were screens in some places, while bedsheets were quickly quickly put together in the others. electricity was a concern, and amidst all of this I was quite surprised at  how quickly and efficiently the generator , screen and seating was organized. I was expecting a more laid back process but in most instances we started on time and the participants seemed quite interested.

Me too!

While there was very little I could understand of the the discussions it was indeed interesting to observe the reactions of people to the films and photographs. Pictures of familiar animals would lead to a sudden perking up or nodding, creases on the forehead when the not so familiar appeared and of course nudges and discussions. The children of course were delightful with unrestrained laughter and curiosity.There was one little girl who chose to sway on a pole while watching the films and some others creeping upto the laptop and checking at the consistency of what they saw on the screen and what they saw on the laptop.

Not without my pole

or in my case my umbrella 

Overall the trip was great , I got to be in places that were quite different from the one's i'd been to earlier in the year and it also gave me a taste of how programmes like these are organized locally.  But as is usually the case with me ...its what happened behind the scenes that left its mark............To be Contd in the next post