Bangaluru.org - "Narsa" Wildlife in Karnataka

Nersa. The northern montane forests of the western ghats around a remote village named nersa in belgaum district is a place where you ll never be able to say'look at that sweet little baby monkey,i wish i could take it home '. these are the phrases for regulation game parks where the safaris are by jeep and the sights are almost orchestrated. nersa is raw and stark in it's aggression; naked and uninhibited in it's attitude; ans as wild as a forest can get.after all it's resident stars aren't ill-mannered monkeys or pigs with eating disorders. its residents are creatures that really know how to hangloose- the bats of western ghats.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

There is definately a lot to see.but to do that ,you ll have to put on a pair of shoes that come with good grips! and than simply allow your self to be led by david fernandez,who is,in more ways than one , the resident hermit at the hermitage,the base for your nersa adventures.

THE BATS OF TALEVADI

The forests has a variety of life forms ranging from the gaur,deer and beer to snakes and birds and even a herd of elephants that has moved in from nearby dandeli recently. but nersa is all about the bats, the kind that are found in the woods and not made of them deep inside the londa forest range, at talevadi,there lies some 200 bats in a laterite cave.known as wroughtons free tailed bats, they are to be found here and no where else in yhe world. about 16 km from the only hint of mans presence,"the hermitage" of which only 7 km of the route is motorable in a powerful 4 wheel drive jeep. the rest of the journey has to be on foot, through deep forest that are simply out of this world, both in their location. these rare bats take their name from wroughton, the british officer who discovered them in the early 1900s.

THE BATS OF KRISHNAPUR

beyond talevati kies an area caleed krishnapur in the mahadai valley,home to dolomite outcrops.and what do thes rocky formation's hold with in themselves? bats. some 20000 of them known as the theobaldi bats. they have been living in a three-tired cave for eons. the ancient forests has never ever come under the axe. huge, thick trees abound. they all look so forbidding. nandi, mathi, kindal, rosewood, harda, jamba and honge vie for importance.after reaching the first cave where lives 1 community of the sockingly huge colony af bats. the site is something you have never encounterd before.every square inch of the walls of the cave is covered with a millon and half cockroaches that virtually crawl all over themselves.

MEDICINAL PLANTS

go on a trek around the forests looking for rare plants that have medicinal value as many as 174 varieties are to be found here and there apllications range from small cuts to even fractures.bhagya,the local medicine man will take you around.

TREKS

places that can be reached on foot in the nersa area are bhimgad, kongla, jamgoan, abnali and dongargoan.

BIRD WATCHING

as many as 276 species of birds have made their part of the western ghats there home. from the funniest looking ceylon frogmouth to the wonderfull paradise flycatcher,you will se them all.

The hermitage tell:0831522413,9448157624,tariff:rs 1000

Distance:-	508 km North West of Bangalore
By Rail:-	11 Hours + Road 1/2 Hours
By Road:-	12 hours
Location:-	Narsa village is the forest range of Londa in the western ghats at the border of Karnataka and Goa.
Route:-	NH4 to Kittur via Chitradurga, Hubli and Darwad then district road to Khanapur via Bide then village to Nersa via Shiroli.
When to go:-	September to May is best. Avoid the rainy season, when the bats aren't accepting visitors.
Tourist offices:-	KSTDC(bookings and info) Badami House, NR Square, Bangalore Tel: 080-2275869, Fax: 2352626 Email: kstdc@vsnl.in
Where to stay :-	The Hermitage Tell:0831522413,9448157624,Ttariff:Rs 1,000