Nisarg Anubhav-2022
All of us were waiting impatiently for 16th May 2022, Budh Poornima, to join the Nisarg Anubhav Program at Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve, in Gondia district of Maharashtra. The forms for the volunteers were published on the Forest Department website to apply. The selection was on first come first serve basis. I shared the form in our group. The entire group was charged up and applied immediately. Most of us were in the list. We all opted for the Petezari zone and the forest department was kind enough to accommodate all of us at Petezari. A group of 11 drove from Hyderabad; Sanjay Thampi flew in from Bangalore, Shaunak Kulkarni from Pune, C.A. Ashish Chhabria with his associates from Nagpur. I drove from Bhopal to Nagpur on 13th May so as to receive Sanjay Thampi at Nagpur since he was reaching Nagpur on 14th May morning.
The team Hyderabad under the leadership of Vijay & Veena Reddy reached Petezari on 15th evening and checked in at Raghav Resort on Kusumtondi Road. We drove in at the resort on 16th afternoon and joined everybody for Lunch. Soon after the lunch we all changed into identical Tshirts and caps and drove to the Petezari Gate.
We have been joining the department for the annual exercise for last few years, but this year the arrangement at the gate under the guidance of Director and Dy. Director NNTR was elaborate. The Dy. Director NNTR, Pawan was there at the gate and welcomed all the participants. We presented him with a memento on behalf of the President Himalayan Explorers.
The event was being organized after a gap of two years due to the Pandemic and one can see the enthusiasm at its peak among the volunteers. After the briefing all the volunteers were taken to their respective machans in open Gypsy’s arranged by the forest department.
The most enthusiastic volunteers from Hyderabad were Dr. Latha and Shiva, who could not make it last time, because they were late to apply and were not in the list. Bad luck prevailed and they could not sight any wild life, still their morale is quite high and is ready to join next year.
Dr. Mumtaz Patel and Mr. Munaf Patel from Hyderabad drove with the group though they were not in the list, though they could have been accommodated in the place of absentees but refused to go to the machan and preferred to stay back at the resort with me.
As usual Veena Reddy was lucky to sight leopard, porcupine and many other species.
Ashish Chabria with his associates was lucky enough to sight leopard and pack of Dholes.
17th morning after the closing we all drove in a convoy to my home at Nagpur, where we celebrated my mother-in-laws 91st birthday.
18th morning all the participants drove/flew back to their destinations with promising to gather again.
My special thanks to Mr. Vijay Reddy and his team and Mr. Pawan, Dy. Director NNTR.