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VCM-Photography
Welcome to VCM-Photography, a website designed and written
by myself Vernon Metcalfe to showcase my photographic passion for
military aviation and wildlife.
My aviation photography is orientated towards the dynamic aspect of military low flying,
where aircraft are captured flying landlocked against the countryside, rather than
airshow photography, where aircraft are captured against the sky.
My parallel passion is wildlife photography, encompassing all species, but with a preference
for the ‘Big Cats’, which has taken me to places such as India, looking for the
elusive tiger, Africa for the lion, leopard and cheetah and to the Brazilian Pantanal for the
iconic jaguar.
Boeing EA-18G Growler low-level in the Jedi Transition. California, U.S.A.
Nkuhuma Pride, lion cub. Sabi Sands, South Africa.
Copyright Notice
All applicable copyright laws pertain to all content on this site. Downloading, hot‑linking, copying and/or distribution (by print, electronic media or other means) is strictly prohibited. If you wish to purchase high quality images, or use any images for personal or commercial use please email: vcmetcalfe@btinternet.com
Trip Report November 2024
In November, my wife and I travelled to India on an organised group visit to Nagarhole National Park,
a wildlife reserve located approximately 225km southwest of Bengaluru, in the Kodak and Mysore district of
the south Indian state of Karnataka.
Nagarhole National Park lies in the foothills of the Western Ghats and ranges down the Brahagiri hills
and south towards the Kerala state. It derives its name from the small Nagarhole river (meaning snake
stream in Kannada language) which flows through the park before joining the Kabini river. The park is
flanked by the Wayanad Sanctuary to the southwest and separated by the Kabini river from the Banipur Tiger
Reserve to the southeast. The area forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
The core area of the park (critical tiger habitat) which covers an area of 643.34 square kilometres was
a former hunting ground of the kings of the Wadiyar dynasty, the former rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore.
In 1955 the park was declared a wildlife sanctuary and upgraded to a national park in 1988. In 1997 it was
declared the 37th tiger reserve of India.
Flora of the park consists of moist deciduous forest in the northern and western regions (rosewood, teak,
and silver oak), with dry deciduous forest in the southwestern areas (crocodile bark, axlewood and
Indian kino). The forests are interspersed with swampy fallows called hadlu, which are dominated by grasses
and sedges.
Nagarhole is home to around one thousand Asian elephants and is noted for its sightings of tiger, leopard,
wild dogs (dholes) and sloth bear. A few years ago the park burst onto the wildlife viewing scene when
a black panther (melanistic leopard) was seen regularly. This leopard was the ultimate focus of our trip,
but in recent months the sightings have become rarer. This could be due to the increasing presence of tigers
or encroaching younger male leopards. In November the park vegetation is lush and dense, and predators can easily
disappear into the jungle only a few metres from the forest tracks. On a positive note, the jungle is more
photogenic when in bloom and the temperatures are more bearable than during the intense heat of the dry season.
Bearing these points in‑mind we realised that spotting the black leopard or any predator would be down to luck,
so we decided to go with the mindset, you must be in it to win it, and if we did see a leopard or tiger it would
be a bonus.
Monday 18th.
At 05:45 our British Airways Boeing 777 overnight flight from the U.K. landed at Bengaluru Kempegowda International
Airport. Bengaluru, formerly called Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka state and the third most populous city in
India. It is a major centre for information technology (IT) and has the largest IT hub of the country and is
widely regarded as the Silicon Valley of India.
After clearing customs and converting our sterling into rupees, we entered the arrival hall where we were greeted
by Shyam Kumar, our tour leader/naturalist for the trip. After being joined by the other four guests in our
group we boarded our minibus and travelled into Bengaluru to the Taj Yeshwantpur Hotel where we had breakfast before
starting the four‑hour journey to Nagarhole.
We arrived at midday at the Kabini River Lodge, our accommodation for the next seven nights. The resort and jeep
safaris are owned by Jungle Lodges and Resorts (known as JLR), an echo‑tourism hospitality brand owned
by the Government of Karnataka, which has its presence across destinations that cover adventure, beaches, heritage,
nature and wildlife. The resort is set in a sprawling colonial estate by the banks of the Kabini river. The
54‑acre property, once the former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore is located on the southern fringes
of the Nagarhole National Park, with the entrance gate to the park only a ten‑minute drive away. Our Maharaja
cottage, just a stone's throw from the Kabini river was basic, but clean and comfortable. The resorts Gol Ghar
gazebo dining area served delicious Indian cuisine, and thankfully catered a little for westeners.
Our Maharaja cottage (left) overlooking the Kabini river.
The safari jeeps at Nagarhole are larger than the Suzuki Gypsy vehicles we are so familiar with at other parks. They are open sided with a roof for shelter and easily accommodated our group of six, plus our naturalist and driver.
Shyam, our tour leader/naturalist.
Shyam our naturalist, or Sham as he told us to call him has been a naturalist for over three decades and has played
a significant role in several wildlife conservation efforts, particularly through his participation in multiple
censuses, including those for tigers, Nilgiri tahr, butterflies and birds. He is also a licensed snake rescuer and
actively collaborates with SARPA (Snake Awareness, Rescue and Protection App) a key initiative under the
Forest and Wildlife Department of Kerala. He not only rescues and rehabilitates snakes in conflict situations but
educates local communities about snake safety and conservation. He told us quite a frightening story where he had
a near‑death experience after being bitten by a cobra he was rescuing. Within thirty minutes of being bitten,
he was struggling to breath due to the neurotoxin in the venom starting the onset of respiratory paralysis.
Fortunately he was quickly administered an antivenom and after a three‑month course of treatment made
a full recovery, but the experience left him with diabetes.
Shyam was ably assisted by Muthu, a skilful jeep driver and experienced naturalist who has worked at Nagarhole
for over seventeen years.
Nagarhole has two separate zones for safaris, Zone A and Zone B. A safari conducted by JLR is permitted to cover
only one of these zones during a jungle safari.
Muthu, our jeep driver/naturalist with our jeep for the jungle safaris.
The itinerary for a typical day with two jungle safaris was as follows: The morning would start with a 05:15 alarm call to give us time to have a refreshing cup of coffee and some biscuits before departing the resort at 06:00. It was a ten‑minute drive to the Gundathur Gate, our dedicated gate from the Kabini side, where our passports were checked and we were allocated a zone for the safari. A note was taken of our camera equipment as the park has a camera fee. The fee varied depending on the focal length of the camera lens. For my Canon 100‑500mm lens, the price was 1190 INR per safari (approximately £11 sterling). Unlike other parks we have visited we did not need to pick up a Forest Department guide/tracker, as this task was covered by the jeep driver. We entered the park at 06:15 and normally exited around 09:15. Returning to the lodge we had breakfast and free time till lunch, which was served at 13:00. After lunch we had more free time till we met for the afternoon safari at 15:00. The procedure was the same as the morning safari. We entered the park at 15:15 and normally exited around 18:15. Returning to the lodge the group would arrange a mutual time to meet at the resorts British Imperial Bar to discuss the days sightings. Dinner was served at 20:00, after which we retired to our lodges for the evening.
The British Imperial Bar, Kabini Jungle Lodge.
Gundathur Gate. Our entrance gate to Nagarhole National Park.
Monday 18th. Afternoon safari, Zone A.
Our first of thirteen jeep safaris got off to a good start with the sighting of a leopard lying on the branch of
a tree approximately fifty metres away. The leopard was cleaning herself and would occasionally stop and look in our
direction as more vehicles arrived at the sighting. We had to leave the sighting sooner than liked, as a person in
the group was requiring a comfort break (toilet). This turned out to be a blessing, because as we were returning
to the leopard sighting we spotted a tigress called Magge, by the edge of the forest. The tigress started walking
alongside the edge of the forest towards us. We kept driving ahead to keep our distance and watch as she approached us.
We did this for the next ten minutes with only one other jeep in attendance. The tigress eventually lay down in a meadow,
but her attention was soon captured by some gaur with a calf. For the next twenty minutes she slowly but purposely began
to stalk them. We did not see if she was successful, because it was time for us to exit the park.
Tigress, called Magge.
Tuesday 19th. Morning safari, Zone B.
We followed the tarmac road that runs through the zone all the way to the Kakankote Gate. Here a forest track follows
the park boundary where the park is separated from the agricultural land by an electrified anti‑elephant fence.
The hedgerows bordering the road were teaming with birdlife, which for Sham and two of the guests who were enthusiastic
birders, a seventh heaven.
Tuesday 19th. Afternoon safari, Zone A.
Monkey alarm calls were heard, but no predators were seen. We witnessed white‑backed vultures fighting over the
remains of a gaur killed earlier by a tiger. Other sightings of interest included a herd of elephant at a waterhole,
a changeable hawk‑eagle and two water monitors fighting with a grey mongoose.
Jungle view in Zone A. Nagarhole National Park.
Wednesday 20th. Morning safari, Zone B.
A cool misty morning. The jungle was quiet with no alarm calls. Most of the safari was spent observing birds, which
included a juvenile crested serpent eagle and two spotted owlets.
Wednesday 20th. Afternoon safari, Zone A.
Driving along a break in the forest (for powerlines) we saw a small herd of gaur. Moving further on we saw a
large bull gaur. No alarm calls were heard and no predators were seen.
Thursday 21st. Morning safari, Zone B.
On this safari we visited an area where the zone borders the Kabini river. A sambar deer gave a warning call, which is
considered a guarantee that a predator is in the area. Chital deer were observed with their tails raised in a state of
high alert looking in the same direction as the sambar, but nothing was seen.
A section of the road running through Zone B, which leads to the Kakankote Gate. Nagarhole National Park.
Thursday 21st. Afternoon safari.
This afternoon we embarked on a boat safari from the jetty at the Kabini River Lodge. Mugger crocodiles were spotted
on the riverbank, but they were too far away to photograph. We had some wonderful views of cormorant, osprey and a
greater spotted eagle. We heard sambar deer warning calls from the area of forest we visited on the morning safari.
We entered a small tributary and berthed by the riverbank and waited, but nothing appeared.
Boat safari on the Kabini river.
Friday 22nd. Morning safari, Zone B.
We visited the same area as yesterday morning. We observed two sambar deer in a state of high alert with their tails
raised, but they didn't give an alarm call. We then travelled towards the Kakankote Gate. On the way we spotted
a large bull elephant grazing within the forest. The elephant eventually emerged into the open, allowing us a nice
clear view to take photos. During the drive we also saw a shikra, juvenile serpent eagle, lesser fish eagle and a
swarm/kaleidoscope of blue tiger butterflies.
Friday 22nd. Afternoon safari, Zone A.
Shortly after entering the park, we saw a sambar deer having a mud bath. We came across another jeep which had spotted
a tiger entering the forest, so we moved further down the road and parked. There were jeeps surrounding the whole section
of forest. Monkey and chital alarm calls were heard, but the tiger did not appear before we had to exit
the park.
Saturday 23rd. Morning safari, Zone B.
There was news the tigress called Magge, had been spotted in Zone A where it borders Zone B. We waited hoping she would
come into our zone, but she did not appear. We travelled to the area bordering the Kabini river. A section of the forest
track crosses an inlet which is about 3ft deep. Muthu put the jeep into four‑wheel drive to make the crossing.
A jeep following us got pushed‑off course by the current and nearly didn't make it across. We came across
two jeeps who had heard alarm calls. While waiting we also heard chital and monkey alarm calls, but nothing appeared
before we had to exit the park.
Safari jeep crossing a section of water in Zone B. Nagarhole National Park.
Saturday 23rd. Afternoon safari, Zone A.
We searched a couple of areas where alarm calls were heard but nothing appeared. Moving on, we approached an area
of forest where the road overlooked a ravine. Grazing on the roadside was a herd of gaur. We returned to the same area
later in the safari, and as we approached the gaur we noticed they were all staring down at the opposite side of the
riverbank. Then suddenly they all started grunting and snorting very loudly. The reason, a large male tiger was walking
along the riverbank. I only managed to get a semi‑decent photo before the tiger disappeared into the tall grass.
It came into view again further upstream where there was a large gaur bull. The gaur became very agitated and started
snorting and grunting, but it did not flee. The tiger which looked to have a full belly, ignored the gaur and carried on
upstream. Muthu said it was a rogue male unknown to the area.
Sighting of the large male tiger. A rogue, unknown to the area.
Sunday 24th. Morning safari, Zone B.
A cold, misty morning. After entering the park we headed straight to the Kakankote Gate, as dholes/Asiatic wild dogs
had been spotted in the area. We searched the area but could not find them. We were observing some birdlife, when
suddenly we saw a single dhole 100m away, standing in the middle of the road. Before we could move the jeep it disappeared
back into the forest. Two minutes later a pack of four dholes emerged from the forest onto the road and started running
in our direction. For the next ten minutes we followed the pack as they scoured the area looking for potential prey. We
eventually lost them as they entered Zone A, where we could not follow.
Dholes/Asiatic wild dogs.
After we left the dholes we made a fifteen‑minute drive to the area bordering the Kabini river as a tiger had
been spotted. Four jeeps had surrounded an area of forest where the tiger was believed to be resting. The tiger did not appear
before we had to exit the park.
Sunday 24th. Afternoon safari, Zone A.
The drive started with the sighting of a large male elephant near a waterbody. Next we saw a stripe‑necked mongoose
mother with its young. The remainder of the safari was spent searching for a tiger which had been spotted by another jeep,
but to no avail.
Monday 25th. Morning safari, Zone B.
This morning was our last safari. We searched the area from the Kabini river to the Kakankote Gate, but no predator was seen.
Driving back to the exit we found the road blocked by a male elephant. This was a nice opportunity to get some photos before
the elephant allowed us to pass. A nice sighting to end our last safari.
Male elephant feeding on the roadside vegetation.
Returning to the resort, we collected our belongings, bid farewell to Sham and Mathu and boarded our transport back to
Bengaluru. Arriving in Bengaluru at 15:15 we checked into the Taj Yeshwantpur Hotel where we had rooms reserved
for the evening.
Tuesday 26th.
At 07:15 we departed Bengaluru on a British Airways Boeing 777 bound for the U.K. We arrived into London Heathrow
at 13:20 after an uneventful 11.5‑hour flight.
Photographs from my trip can be viewed at: 2024 ‑ Nagarhole, India.
