We had breakfast at the Dhikala rest house, situated deep within the forest, and continued further. We saw various kinds of birds -- over 580 species of birds have been recorded here -- and lots and lots of deer. But no tiger.
Disappointed, we headed back. Just then, Anup spotted a jackal. His excitement was infectious and we kept our hopes alive.
Suddenly, about 300 meters away, we saw an animal walking towards us. It was a leopard! It jumped into the bushes on seeing us. We stopped right in front of the bush where we could see him.
Spotting a leopard is even rarer than seeing a tiger. Our good luck continued and we soon saw a tusker!
We then decided to visit the forest from Bijrani -- the entry point for day visitors to the park. The elephant safari was fully booked, so we continued with our Gypsy safari.
The guide pointed out a pair of peacocks, the male dancing to woo the female. The forest here is a little less dense than Dhikala, hence easier to spot animals.
Also read: Heading for a safari? Read this!
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