The sun is just about to rise as the staff of the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary office at Lakkavali keep the vehicles ready for the morning safari. One member is busy issuing tickets after taking the fixed fee, while others are instructing the visitors to get into the vehicles meant for safari.
The chorus of the birds, the fragrance of flowers, and the dust rising from the rough lane welcome the guests to the forest. Anticipating sighting of a leopard, if not a tiger, the travellers maintain silence. Eyes are busy scanning every movement in the bushes and the rustle of the leaves.
Suddenly, the driver-cum-guide raises his hand, pointing his fingers to a shrub, and whispers, “Two leopards.” Even as all the tourists in the vehicle strain to catch a glimpse, the animals disappear in the greens. “Oh, I missed it,” says a man with a high-end camera.
