Tiger Reserves. Jungle safaris. Animals' pugmarks and sightings. Stack of videos and pictures. One or more blog posts. That is routine for Ghumakkad. Isn't it?
So, what next? A jungle walk at night! But haven't you done it before? Yes, but not in the monsoon. So, let's go!
This is a short picture story of four adventurers (two first-timers) who explored the 'friendly' neighbourhood in their jungle resort at night. Rain did not deter them. On the contrary, their 'friends' came out of hiding as if to say, 'Hello night walkers, hope you are doing fine'! We had to talk in muted whispers not to disturb the insects and other creatures of the night. The audio quality in the video clips below may not be very clear. But we have neither processed nor edited any of the pictures or clips. We want to give you the raw and real feel of the jungle at night. It is like a snapshot of the whole night as we had to terminate our night walk at 11.30pm to be up for a forest trek next morning! Let our pictures and the videos do the talking.
Exploration Begins
Armed with a small flashlight, we set out around the boundary fence looking for snakes, frogs, scorpions and their clan! See the video below.
Rain
We had barely begun our night-exploration, when it started to rain. We had to take shelter in Chinkara Hall to protect the gear. It poured for a while. Feel the rain in the short video below.
Sri Lankan Painted Frog
We resumed our night walk once the rain subsided. The first 'friend' who showed up at the edge of a walkway was the Sri Lankan Painted Frog aka Sri Lankan Kaloula or Indian Painted Frog. See the visuals below.
Indian Balloon Frog
Next to show up was an Indian Balloon Frog. It gets its name from the behaviour- when in danger, it bloats up as a balloon and hides its face. Once the threat is clear, the balloon deflates and its head and legs becomes visible again. It is a species of narrow-mouthed frog found in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. See the visuals below.
Giant Forest Scorpion
Jet black in colour, it was looking for insects/food along a pathway. With its large pincers and erect tail it looked frightening. but as the thumb rule goes, large pincers mean weak venom.
Venom Vs Poison
Akhil, the Head Naturalist then explained the difference between the venom and poison. The main difference between venom and poison is how they enter the body. Venom is injected through a bite or sting (like snakes, scorpions and spiders), while poison is absorbed, ingested, or inhaled (like Poison dart frogs, pufferfish, and certain mushrooms). A quick Rule of Thumb- if you bite it and get sick, it is poisonous; if it bites you and you get sick, it is venomous. See the video below.
Tigress Territory
We also did some hiking after dusk while returning from Uma Maheshwar Gorge trek. How does it sound if you come across a tigress' territory marks on a tree in darkness?. Scary or exciting or both? Tell us in the comments. In the meanwhile, see the video of the tell-tale signs of s tigress below. Remember, we were on foot while taking the video!
A short video clip shows how we were 'hunting' for the wildlife after dusk in the jungle.
Special thanks to Sagar Sharma for sharing the pictures.
Location
Those planning a trip to Amrabad, may study the maps below:
The Darkness Daredevils
Who were the four who ventured to walk at night in the wild? Youngest first.
Sagar Sharma: An engineer-entrepreneur manufacturing control systems for industries and defence. A keen photographer who loved his first 'night' adventure!
Akhil: Head Naturalist, Telangana State Forest Development Corporation. Armed with an MBA, he is a self taught naturalist. Loves to share his knowledge.
Arundhati Rao: Management professional, promotes entrepreneurship, keen gardener and nature lover. She readily came forward for the adventure at night!
Harsh-the-Ghumakkad: The 'youngest' of the four. Always ready for any crazy thing in life be it sky diving, scuba diving or a night walk. Blogger, photographer and teacher.
Wasn't the night walk exciting and thrilling with the frogs, fangs and the stings? A jungle offers much more than the Tiger. You need to be able to appreciate it.
Other Night Walks
We are sharing below the links to our earlier night walks in the jungle. Click on the links to browse the complete picture story.
Jungle Walk at night in Pench Tiger Reserve - Walking in complete darkness! One km seemed tens of kms away!
Jungle Walk at Night Rescuing a Cobra - Feel the thrill The story includes rescue of snakes, birds, bats and squirrels.
Hope you have gathered enough courage to take a night walk in a jungle.
Caution: Do it with the permission of the Forest Department. Many Tiger Reserves have a night safari.
Thanks for browsing and stay connected. Do leave a comment, few words will do.
-Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Amrabad and Secunderabad/ 18th August 2026
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