The call of the wild is like opium. It results in lifelong addiction and any delay in fulfilling the desire leads to acute withdrawal symptoms. When 2019 general elections delayed our plans to venture out, desperation set in. So we left for the forests of Terai on 28th May right after the results were declared. Having decided against self-driving as our plan also included visits to a height of 10000 ft in the Himalayas, and not being very comfortable with hill driving, we flew to Lucknow, then drove to our first destination, Katarniaghat Wild Life Sanctuary, beginning 14 days of bliss, time equally divided between the jungles and mountains.

Florican. With the intriguing tag line of 'where rare is common' to entice us, we decided to begin our journey from Katerniaghat. Watered by rivers originating in the Himalayas, the vegetation is mostly tall grasslands, swamps and sal forests. Even during summer the forests are green and moist, resulting in temperatures many degrees cooler than found in the plains of northern India. A small reserve of around 400 sq km and situated in the district of Bahraich with a driving distance of 220 km from Lucknow, Katerniaghat is an extension of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and acts as a corridor between Dudhwa and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. Our accommodation in the forest rest house brought back pleasant memories of the Baghira Log Huts in Kanha. Situated in the middle of the forest with a boundary

Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas and north of the Indo Gangetic plain, and stretching from Corbett National Park in the west till Kaziranga National Park in the east, is a stretch known as the Terai grasslands. Home of the big three, Tigers, Elephants and Rhinos, who are visitors from Nepal, the area is also the natural habitat of other wildlife like the Himalayan bear, all species of deer found in India, gharials, Gangetic dolphins, and a multitude of exotic birds both local and migratory. This is also one of the few places for sighting of the critically endangered Bengal

wall only on one side, and with signs of elephant depredation visible while driving to the Forest Rest House (FRH), it was definitely not a very comforting feeling. To add to our discomfort, after lunch, as we were walking back towards our room which was around 50 meters from the makeshift dining area, the cook very apologetically handed us a toy whistle and said 'raat ko dinner pe ane se pehle khabar dena.' He said that predators roam around the property after dark and so we would have to be escorted to the dining area. Good thinking, but scary as hell. As the place has still not been discovered by most animal lovers except few birding enthusiasts who mostly visit during winter months, number of visitors is limited. The result is facilities which are very basic.

There is another FRH close by on the banks of the river Gerua which also houses the residences of forest officials. These are much better, but bookings are not available on the net. One has to visit the forest department office in either Lucknow or Bahraich for booking, something I was not aware of. This other FRH also boasts an interesting tree house on the banks of the river.

Our first evening was spent boating on River Gerua which flows through the sanctuary. We spotted one Gangetic dolphin, a few gharials and birds. It was a day well spent. Our two safaris next day were sheer delight. The vegetation was so dense that we could hear a herd of elephants feeding fifty meters away, but could barely see them through the thick foliage. We often had the feeling we were missing out on sighting, but were probably being sighted ourselves! Our second night was interesting. We woke up to the sound of animals behind our room. Soon after opening the back door, we heard the death cry of a deer. Next morning we learnt that a herd of chital had been roaming inside the compound when a leopard killed one of them. On inspection of the spot which had blood marks, I realised it was less than thirty meters behind our room. While talking to a forest officer who was visiting the place for inspection, we learned that such incidents are regular - along with elephant attacks on the property. Our plan of two nights was soon over and on the third morning, after an early breakfast, we left for Dudhwa National Park, a distance of 100 km which we covered in three hours.