SANYAM GUPTAThe vegetation inside the crater is a mix of dense evergreen forest at
the base and a mix of dry deciduous forest on the inner slope of the rim.
We can still vividly recall that poignant moment of taking
the fi rst steps onto the rim and looking down at the bottom
of the crater where sits this beautiful, idyllic lake! And then
we made the descent down only to run into surprisingly
dense thickets of forest before stepping out on the cracked
surface of the lake bed. The biodiversity of this region was
undoubtedly impressive.
We were thrilled to have sighted over 120 bird species
in and around the crater including the Common Quail, which
immediately disappeared into the bushes on spotting us. There
were waterfowl including the Ruddy Shelduck, Indian Spot-
billed Duck, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, Little Grebe
among others which were happily foraging in the lake. Flocks
of Yellow-footed Green Pigeons were seen along with the
cacophonous Plum-headed Parakeets on the treetops while a
few Indian Grey Hornbills were hovering over Ficus trees. On
the second day, as we headed out to the crater early in the
morning, we saw a breathtaking sight of hundreds of bee-
eaters fl ying above us. That evening, we were greeted by the
calls of the Mottled Wood-owl and the Indian Nightjar. We
had heard of records of fl amingos using the Lonar Lake as a
pitstop to bulk up on protein and mineral rich cyanobacteria
called spirulina, which is found here in large amounts.
We cannot forget the rush we felt on running into
fresh leopard scat while making the descent to the Lonar
Lake. So fresh that a blade of grass was still in the process
of rebounding to its upright position amongst the fecal
remains, and that unmistakable stench of a leopard nearby
said it all. We had missed it by a hair’s breadth! Like a saying
goes, ‘One does not see a leopard, the leopard allows itself
to be seen.’
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