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RARE NEWSLETTER
MAY, 2021 |
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| Celebrating Biodiversity |
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| “Forests are a fundamental component of our planet’s recovery. They are the best technology nature has for locking away carbon. And they are centres of biodiversity. The wilder and more diverse the forests are, the more effective they are at drawing carbon from the atmosphere. We must immediately halt deforestation everywhere.” |
| David Attenborough, A Life on our Planet 2020. |
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| Biodiversity is one of many misunderstood concepts as it is generally equated with only species diversity. Scientists use “species-diversity" or "species-richness" as an aspect to describe and characterize an area, as it is the most visible and easiest to evaluate, but this must be integrated with other metrics to fully capture biodiversity. In layman's terms, biodiversity refers to the natural character of an area. The agricultural landscape has its own characteristic and is different from natural Dry Tropical Forests. Increasing species number, if it alters the characteristic of an area, is as much a loss of biodiversity as is loss of species. |
| Dr. Raghu Chundawat, Sarai at Toria. |
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| The RARE community is blessed with every element of interest that can lure a traveller. We are particularly proud of our lodges and forest retreats in rich biodiverse regions of the Subcontinent that allow explorations of some of the most pristine primary forests, wildlife and birds. And while we don’t speak about it so much, here is where travellers also go to sketch and paint, heal and meet forest communities. These are personal accounts of owner hosts from different regions of the Subcontinent to highlight their natural heritage and habitats that they work tirelessly to preserve and promote. From the connected forests of Central India, the Terai arc landscape, Himalayas of India and Nepal and the Trans-Himalayan landscapes and the western ghats in the south, The RARE community is spread across several biodiversity zones. |
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| Panna National Park, MP |
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| At Sarai at Toria, Joanna and Raghu try to keep the land as close to its natural habitat as possible and use this as a core principle driving their conservation work. Situated in a highly drought prone area of India but also next to one of its cleanest and most beautiful rivers, the river Ken is the Sarai. This lifeline also enriches the dry deciduous forest of the neighbouring Panna Tiger Reserve through which it flows. The park encompasses three plateaux rising from each other by 80 metre escarpments that provide wonderful nesting habitats for vultures. Its landscape is a striking mosaic of grasslands, scrub forest and dense forest, so a drive through provides new vistas at every turn with their accompanying varied community of avian and animal fauna. This rich natural heritage is recognised as a UNESCO biosphere reserve complementing the adjacent cultural UNESCO site of Khajuraho. |
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| Bandhavgarh National Park, MP |
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| Among one of the early lodges in Bandhavgarh, Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge by Amit Sankhala and his team have introduced this region to many wildlife lovers and photographers from around the globe. Set amongst the Vindhya Hills in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh consists of 105 sq. kms of Sal and a mixed forest of bamboo, grasslands, and a complex cover of deciduous forests. There are at least 300 species of birds in the park, along with other mammals such as tigers, sloth bears, langur monkeys, wild boar, mongoose, 3 kinds of deer - chital, sambar and barking, to name a few. Bandhavgarh has been the backdrop of numerous wildlife documentaries where legendary tigresses have raised over 20 cubs to adulthood. Sita, was one of these star tigresses. Bandhavgarh boasts one of the highest density of tigers anywhere in the world, in a beautiful setting which are set amongst Vindhya Hills. |
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| Kanha National Park, MP |
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| Cradled in the Maikal Hills, Kanha’s mosaic of meadows, sal and bamboo forests and perennial streams, is the epitome of a high biodiversity ecosystem. Kanha is home to about 650 species of plants, nearly 300 species of birds and over 40 species of mammals. The most celebrated species of Kanha is the 'hard ground barasingha' which has been brought back from extinction. A brilliant example of Biological Diversity, the park provides food and water security and sustainable livelihoods. Kanha is a vital nature-based warrior against climate change and one of India’s most unique natural treasures. Kipling Camp situated in the buffer zone of the reserve is a little Paradise. The seamless integration of the Kipling Camp allows a viewing of the wildlife from the Camp itself. |
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| Satpura National Park, MP |
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| Reni Pani Jungle Lodge in a unique location close to the Satpura National Park, was one of the early settlers who introduced forests to travellers without spotlighting the tiger. Satpura is an amalgamation of rugged mountains, dry forests, evergreen patches, river ecosystems, grasslands and open woodlands. This diversity of landscape within a tiger reserve is unmatched in Central India, contributing to a diversity of flora and fauna. Apart from large predators like tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dogs frequently seen here, the unique Satpura mountains are believed to have been a land bridge between Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas and home to species like the Malabar giant squirrel and Malabar whistling thrush. The river ecosystems are home to the endangered Indian Skimmers and harbour the first known population of Eurasian Otters found here. Saptura is home to over 270 bird species making it an attractive destination for birders. Wildlife tourism in Saptura is refreshingly different with walks, canoeing, night drives and camping permitted in designated areas besides regular game drives. |
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| Pench National Park, MP |
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| Jamtara Wilderness Camp sits in its own wild calm not far from the protected forests of Pench. Pench National Park is located in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, is the 19th Project Tiger Reserve and has been one of the best-kept secrets among wildlife enthusiasts who have long been acquainted with and bedazzled by its immensely varied flora and fauna. No wonder the area providing a backdrop for its animal character dominated by fairly open canopy of mixed forest, predominantly teak, with open grassy patches, the park with its undulating land boasts the highest density of herbivores in any Indian park. It has a large diversity of wildlife, including leopard, tiger, jungle cat, dhole (wild dog), sloth bear, wild boar, mongoose, gaur and the highest density of herbivores including chital and sambar. |
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| Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, MAH |
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| Svasara (a nest) has been a ten-year rewilding journey and a valuable lesson learnt in the process is the benevolence of nature when she is simply left to flourish. Although located on the periphery of the pristine Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Svasara was a degraded, overgrazed land which the owners brought to life by planting indigenous flora. Established in 1993 and spread over an area of 625 sq km, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is the largest national park in Maharashtra. Teak is the predominant tree species in these forests while other deciduous trees include ain (crocodile bark), Indian ghost tree, mahua, karaya gum, bamboo, etc. are other common species. Some of the wildlife commonly sighted on jeep safaris include mammals like jungle cat, grey mongoose, palm civet, black-naped hare; birds like Tickell’s blue flycatcher, oriental magpie robin, house sparrow, purple-rumped sunbird etc. The beauty of Svasara is that many of the above fauna can be sighted close to the lodge and also on buffer zone safaris. |
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| The Great Aravalli Mountain region |
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| One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, the Great Aravalli Mountain region constitutes 11% of the total geographical area of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The entire forest cover (70 %) of this region falls in the main Great Aravalli region, which is characterised by high hill ranges, valleys, plains, and plateau. The vegetation consists mainly moist deciduous, dry deciduous, montane, tropical thorn, mixed deciduous and dry teak species. Many of our hotels in Rajasthan are blessed to have their backdrops enhanced by the beauty of this rugged landscape, reservoirs and semi-arid scrub lands which in turn, are home to an amazing variety of birds and wild animals. Examples in the RARE India community include Bera Safari Lodge where the Aravallis’ unique landscape is home to leopards around Jawai – a unique community conservation story. While private hunting grounds of erstwhile Maharajahs have been converted in the thriving Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, close to the forests in Khem Villas, a rewilded haven to connect you with the forests. Not far away is Ramathra Fort which sits atop a hill surrounded by a restored Dhonk (Anogeissus pendula) forest, the wilderness allows explorations on into the unique Dang plateau. |
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| The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) is an 810 km stretch between the river Yamuna in the west and the river Bhagmati in the east, comprising the Shivalik hills, the adjoining Bhabhar areas and the Terai flood plains. It is spread across the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and the low lying hills of Nepal. The landscape boasts of some of India’s most well-known Tiger Reserves and Protected Areas such as Corbett Tiger Reserve, Rajaji National Park, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Valmiki Tiger Reserve and Nepal’s Bardia Wildlife Sanctuary, Chitwan National Park, and Sukhla Phanta Wildlife Sanctuary. In total, the landscape has 13 Protected Areas, nine in India and four in Nepal, covering a total area of 49,500 sq. km, of which 30,000 sq. km lies in India. |
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| Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand |
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| Located in the buffer zone of Corbett Tiger Reserve, Jim's Jungle Retreat sits in the middle of a biodiversity hotspot. The area has moist mixed semi-deciduous habitat, dominated by Sal forests and consists of extensive mixed and riverine forests and some fine grasslands and is home to the largest population of tigers for any reserve, more than 252 as per the last count. Jim's Jungle Retreat is home to over 141 species of trees, shrubs and grasses. There are about 20 species of mammals, 240 species of birds, 15 species of reptiles and 50 species of butterflies that have been recorded on the property. Various activities including Jungle Safaris, birding and several nature interpretation walks are organized and some of the species that can be seen in and around Jim's Jungle Retreat include tiger, Asian elephant, yellow-throated marten, great hornbill, blue-bearded bee-eater, red-headed vulture, rufous-bellied niltava, Burmese python and king cobra. |
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| Eastern Himalayan Botanic Ark |
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| Serenely tucked in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam and nurtured by local communities the Eastern Himalayan Botanic Ark is in residence at Wild Mahseer - a natural paradise. The Eastern Himalayan Botanic Ark is a bio-diverse haven comprising over 1,00,000+ trees and plants of approximately 300 varieties of endemic and endangered species, over 92 species of birds and 72 species of butterflies. In the vicinity is the UNESCO World Heritage Kaziranga National Park, Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve, Balipara Reserve Forest, Pakke Tiger Reserve, Orang National Park and the mighty Brahmaputra River. These areas have 1,000 + species of plants, 600 species of orchids, 343 woody species of flowering plants, 505 species of birds, 42 species of fish, 36 reptile species and 30 amphibian species. In terms of the Big Five the population numbers are in the region of 1,000 Asian elephants, 1,600 great Indian one-horned rhinos, 1,400 wild buffalo, 90 tigers, and 500 swamp deer, co-existing with leopards, sambar, wild boar, hog deer, bears, gaur, capped langurs and gibbons. The Brahmaputra is also home to the extremely endangered Gangetic river dolphin. |
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| Western Ghats |
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| The RARE Community is spread over the western ghats - Sinna Dorai’s Bungalows in Valparai, Nilgiris and Kadamane and also in other regions like Munnar, Thekkady, Thatekad, Wayanad. Often referred to as the great escarpment, the Western Ghats is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of peninsular India and traverses the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Western Ghats cover 1,60,000 sq. km and is counted among the top eight biodiverse hotspots of the world. The forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers, and plantations in India's Western Ghats mountains are world-renowned for their biological diversity. From frogs that glide by night to subterranean purple frogs, from tiny geckos to huge mugger crocodiles, jewel-like sunbirds to great hornbills, shrews and dormouse to tigers and elephants, a stunning array of species thrive here. Many, like the lion-tailed macaque, a spectacular black-and-white monkey, and the Nilgiri tahr - a mountain goat of the high grasslands and cliffs, are found nowhere else in the world. In the tea and coffee plantations, you will wake up to the song of the Malabar whistling thrush and can see wildlife like gaur, hornbills, monkeys, leopards, and elephants sharing the landscape with local communities like the Kadars, Muthuvars and Malayars. |
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From the time we began, the RARE India community has been a an advocate of biodiversity protection and also introducing travellers to community forests, sacred forests, river and marine eco systems, fields and plantations, grasslands and meadows which need to be projected and enjoyed. We are what we are today and owe immense gratitude to our partners who have inspired us and continue to inspire a generation of travellers and tour consultants.
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