Devprayag Part 2

[brihacharan]

Hi Prashant, Zaheer,
Waiting with bated breath for the next post......
Hats off to you guys for your patience and perseverance
The ultimate reward is not so much as getting the quarry but in having done the job well
Briha

[zaheer.bakshi]

Some photos of the crime scene

[prashantsingh]

What troubled me was why the leopard left the goats and took the lady. We got the answer from the neighbours. No one had heard a sound or seen a thing. One of the goats was sick and it was assumed that the lady walked down at around 9 30 pm to tend to the goat and probably came inbetween the starving leopard and the goats.
One bite in the neck and she was dead. The manner in which the kill took place and was subsequently dragged, devoured and left overs hidden ......confirmed that this animal would surely strike again and kill more humans in the future. Unlike what many of us may believe .....Maneaters do not live entirely on human flesh . But they take on humans as and when the opportunity arises.

[sa_ali]

Another thriller in making. keep it coming, hope that you have success in tracking and finding the man eater. Best of luck

[aadhaulya]

Prashant,

Do you have a pic of the machan that you build?? And how do you do it?? I would love to see the actual outdoor person's arrangements.

Atul

[prashantsingh]

Will ask safarigent for the snap. He came in a couple of days later and could not locate the machaan till he was 10 feet away and I pointed it out to him.

[prashantsingh]

15 and 16 th Zaheer and I sat on the machaan. A goat was tied as bait. A trap had been placed on the exact spot where the kill had been hidden. The dog barked through the night and the goat was also very vocal.
I was sure that if the maneater was anywhere closeby. It would surely be drawn in. Some people had mentioned it was probably a mother with small cubs. If that was the case. Then she would not move very far. I thought.
But the thought of killing the mother and leaving the small cubs to die of starvation thereafter, troubled me. The pregnant FRI maneater , we shot was still fresh in my mind.
17 th. I requested Zaheer oo go home for Eid. He was reluctant to leave but I assured him this animal will take time to track and he could easily come back once the festival was over. Sure enough Zaheer was back a day after the festivities got over.
Zaheers family was overjoyed to see him. After all this was their most important festival.
Safarigent had started by then from Delhi. I had left a few things at home in a hurry and he was kind enough to take a detour of an extra 110 kms to pick it up and get it along.
I was about the leave for the machaan when I got his call . He was 15 kms away and would reach in half an hour.
I was happy to see him.We had shot the Fulsaini maneater together within three days of his arrival.
He jumped out of his car . Pulled out his 3006 and jumped into the jeep.
What passion. I thought.
Our man had been driving since 4 am and had been on the road for more that 12 hours.
On the machaan......as darkness set in......I took the flashlight from Safarigents hand and whispered.
You have worked hard. If the maneater comes. You deserve to shoot while I shall show the light.
Unfortunately the maneater did not turn up that day or the next day.
I was now confident that the animal had left the place and sitting here further was a waiste of time.

[Safarigent]

I was worried about the rains and landslides plaguing the area on my way in. After interminable hours on the roads in heavy rains but no landslides(thank god) i finally reached Devprayag. Got down to the Forest Rest House where the good doctor was waiting. A couple of things were found wanting in the place. A driving time of almost 1 hour to the village where the kill took place; the rooms were in disrepair. The false ceiling had broken down over a fifth of the area and there was no running water in the forest rest house. Plus very very smelly bathrooms. Anyway, a quick change later we were rattling away up the mountain to Bhatkot. The area we were passing filled me with a sense of foreboding. This wasnt going to be an easy affair(as the next few days proved it). The roads were narrow, we were negotiating rock falls regularly. Ledges of rock a few feet over our head and one spot where the path too was disintegrating and all the team held their breath everytime we crossed it in the the next few days. After parking the jeep on the road we went up to the village. Sweat and trembling muscles were an everyday feature we got used to. The spot where the kill was made, meeting the family members, understanding where the body was dragged and hidden; i was brought up to speed fast and in no time we ascended the machan. Odourless mosquito repellent came in handy. The wait began in earnest..... Its incredible to see how your senses become magnified. You hear every small sound which you normally wont. You feel small changes in wind and worry about your scent drifting towards the bait. Your movements become slow and deliberate. You also start attuning your ears to the jungle, that great early warning system announcing the arrival of a big cat. Langurs, babblers, dogs etc. as the darkness starts cloaking all things around you in its sombre coat, the pigeons fly home to roost, the black partridges start making themselves heard. These too quieten down. The stars appear, though you cant crane your neck up to see them, not through a mango trees canopy at the very least. The fireflies start flitting around, providing you with something to do. Count them. See aerial duels being fought, remember your childhood days. Sitting on a machan, immobile, trying to forget your aching back or the cramp down your side a firefly is your best friend. Suddenly, the goat bleats a bit louder, more panicked! Everything disappears, a leopard is dancing in the uncertan shadows of the solitary lantana bush nearby in the weak light of a new moon. But alas, its nothing. Your heartbeats take a moment to settle down. You gulp a gob of saliva down your parched throat and fall back in your reverie. Eventually, time is up and we call the forest rangers to come get us and the goat. Walking back to the village, through small fields full of crops and on narrow tracks is not as great as it sounds. Bringing up the back, i am constantly looking behind, flashing my flashlight behind me often, while also watching my footsteps. A bottle of water for me, a cup of tea for the good doc. A regal repast of chapatis and okra with the forest rangers while we discuss the next days plan of action and before we know it, its sleeping time. But no bed. A rajai is procured and spread on the floor which becomes my bed for the next two days and nights. Using the loo before sleeping is an experience all by itself. Indian style water closets take a day or two to get used to. Bolting the door securely we finally fall asleep. In this deadly game of chess, old spots got the first round.......

[aadhaulya]

Wow what an experience!!! Waiting for the further details. Where do you get the goat for bait?? who pays for it??

Atul

[Safarigent]

The goat on the first two days was procured from the family of the victim. They had a goat that would bleat a lot. The day i came, the goat had been sold off. The rangers were picking up the goat and using it for bait with the understanding that if it was killed, compensation would be paid. So on the 17th a new goat was procured and paid for out of our own pockets.

[aadhaulya]

Safarigent,

I was waiting for the photographs of your machan and preferably a list of things you carry on these real life trips

Atul

[aadhaulya]

Safarigent,

I was waiting for the photographs of your machan and preferably a list of things you carry on these real life trips

Atul

[zaheer.bakshi]

beautifully described by safarigent. I can memorize everything. You took everything minutely safarigent. Good job.

Here is one more photo of the house where we stayed after the shift. The view was mind blowing with a cup of morning tea which helped us to forget the hectic night task which we went through.

[prashantsingh]

Beautifully written safarigent. The hard wooden plank on which we sat. Had my backside paining by the third day.
It was not over after dinner.
We would then take to the road. Drive along the winding roads in the jeep and search the area with a search light till 3 am.
I found this part better than sitting still on the machaan.
We would get to spot few birds and animals and there was always the chance of coming across the maneater.
May i request zaheer to upload the snaps of chakore and a couple of short videos of the jackal running in front and the lone wildboar we spotted.

[Safarigent]

Mind you all, these few animals were seen over a ten day period or so