BackDaroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka | Rumble in the jungle
In a sloth bear sanctuary, getting a ringside view of a no-holds-barred fight
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They butted each other in the head. They clawed at each other. They stood back and glowered. With heaving breaths, they lunged again at each other. It’s a winner-take-all fight.
Who would win? What would the victor do to the vanquished?
This battle between two belligerent sloth bears was the highlight of my visit to the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka, last winter. Daroji is home to over 120 sloth bears, and has one of the highest densities of sloth bear population in the world.
Sloth bears are a species of bear found only in India and Sri Lanka. Characterized by their long unkempt mane, a V-shaped chevron on their chest and sluggish gait, they were considered a species of sloths rather than bears, before they were identified and named sloth bears.
I had seen sloth bears from a distance in the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris before, but when I found out about Daroji, I’d leapt at the chance to see them from up close, in a sanctuary dedicated to them.
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I soon reach the Sloth Bear Resort, but I waste no time indoors. Soon, my Jeep has bounced its way into the midst of a scrub jungle. Thorny stunted trees and bushes grow out of the ground pockmarked with hillocks hewn out of huge rocks. Only a few green leaves are in sight. They offer hardly any shelter from the merciless sun. In the distance, a spherical rock is balanced precariously atop a small hill.
As my jeep stops, I get out and stand in the middle of this ochre landscape. A lone peacock emerges from nowhere. It struts around barely a few feet from our Jeep. It doesn’t unfurl its feathers, but quickly disappears behind a hillock. By then, I hear a brood of quails call out. But their presence is ephemeral too. They flit behind shrubs, and are soon out of sight.
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My guide tells me that locals believe that the name Daroji comes from the word darwaze or gates, indicating that this was a gateway to the nearby Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara empire, which flourished from 14th-17th centuries AD. Today, there are no gates to be seen. Only misshapen boulders are strewn around. No human hand has touched these stones to mould them into the sort of mantapas I’d seen on my drive here.
He adds that the nearby town of Anegundi is often referred to as the mythical Kishkindha or the “monkey kingdom" of the Ramayana, the abode of the army of monkeys who helped Rama in the war against Ravana. Amid the hordes of monkeys lived a lone bear—Jambavan. “Today there are hardly any monkeys here, but there is an army of sloth bears here," he exclaims.
These caves and boulders are the natural habitat of sloth bears, who are predominantly vegetarian. They feed on berries and wild fruits that grow in plenty here. My guide tells me that the forest department arranges for “sweet licks" on the rocks, which attract sloth bears. Even as the guide continues his commentary to fill in the time, I get impatient to see the sloth bears. Where are these sloth bears anyway?
A mongoose steps out from behind a rock and scurries down the mound. A couple of painted spur fowls stand amid the boulders, foraging for food in the thorny shrubs. Finally, two furry heads peep from behind a boulder, as if to reconnoitre the surroundings. Convinced that there is no threat nearby, they step out. Their mother follows them—she looks around anxiously to make sure nobody is watching them. I’m standing some distance away at the bottom of the hillock, so they don’t seem to notice me.
The bears walk toward the rocks where the “sweet licks" have been placed. They soon scurry from boulder to boulder, and become completely immersed in licking the honey off the surfaces.
Their treat complete, the bear cubs stand on their feet, almost like they are performing in a circus. It starts to drizzle, but they shrug off the rain drops from their fur. Suddenly, the mother lets out a loud growl. Another big sloth bear is approaching them. This bear, who has silently entered their territory, lets out a growl too. The cubs slink away and hide behind a boulder. For a few seconds, the newcomer and the mother sloth bear stand face to face and snarl at each other. Neither blinks in this Mexican standoff. The tension builds, but suddenly the mother gives way and steps back. She retreats with her cubs—they all step back from the mound. They climb over to the other side of the hillock, while the big newcomer begins to lick the surface of the rocks smeared with the “sweet licks".
I watch fascinated as this power play concludes. I then spend a few minutes photographing the painted spur fowls foraging for food amid the shrubs. As I focus my lens on the grey francolins nearby, I see the mother bear come back to the top of the mound. She’s not given up yet. The cubs stand at the top of the mound, while the mother ventures down quietly. The bigger sloth bear is still here. He growls at her, but she is not shaken this time around. The battle is not over yet.
This time, the fight gets physical. The two bears butt and bite each other. They snarl and roar, as they end up descending the hillock in their dance of thrusts and parries. They are now fighting right in front of us. In the heat of the battle, they don’t seem to notice us at all.
Slowly they wear each other out, and their fury abates. They finally exhaust themselves. There is no clear victor. Panting, they give each other one last glare. They step back, still oblivious of us, and head away in opposite directions.
I’m sure there will be a third round of hostilities. Sadly, I can’t stay. As I climb into our Jeep to leave, I feel like I’ve had to leave a thriller movie halfway.
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Daroji is around 15km from Hampi, which is about 340km from Bangalore. There are buses and trains that connect to Hospet, 13km from Hampi. One can also drive down to Hampi from Bangalore, which takes about 7 hours.
Places to stay:
There are many options to stay in Hampi and Daroji, but the best of them is the wildlife resort Sloth Bear Resort, managed by Jungle Lodges and Resorts. You can book a room at their Bangalore office (080-40554055) or visit www.junglelodges.com/sloth-bear-resort (3,000, per person per day for a regular cottage, and 5,000 for an executive cottage, inclusive of food and activities).
To stay in tented camps set up by the forest department, contact the range forest officer at Kamalapura (8394242869).
In Hampi, Mallige Hotel (8394228101) in Hospet is a good option (starting at 450, for double occupancy per night).
Places to eat:
In most of the resorts and hotels, you can get local vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
Things to do:
Go on a nature walk and do some birdwatching in Daroji. There are around 60 species of birds. The historic ruins of Hampi will take at least a couple of days to explore. If you have the time, take a coracle ride across the river to Anegundi and explore the town.
Lakshmi Sharath is a media professional, travel writer and blogger based out of Bangalore. She blogs at Backpakker.blogspot.in
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