Maharashtra Board Class 12 English Chapter 1.6 Into the Wild Textbook PDF Download

Into The Wild

Ice Breakers

Narrate in your class any of the incidents of your life when you were extremely terrified or awestruck.

Complete the given table regarding the factors/situations/reasons - why you sometimes get scared and the factors that add to it. Give possible solutions.

Given below are various activities which you can pursue as your hobby, passion, or profession. Complete the table accordingly.

Match the following Wild-Life Sanctuaries with their locations.

Teacher's Note

India has many beautiful national parks and sanctuaries. Students should visit at least one to see animals in their real homes.

Exam Trick

Remember the parks by the animals they have. Jim Corbet = Tigers. Kaziranga = Rhinos. This helps you match correctly in exams.

Points to Remember

National parks protect wild animals and their homes.
Sanctuaries are special safe places for animals.
India has famous parks like Ranthambore and Corbett.
We must visit these parks to learn about nature.
Animals can only survive if we save their forest homes.

About The Author - Kiran Purandare

Kiran Purandare was born in 1961. After B.Com, he studied Environmental Studies at Jordanhill College of Education in Scotland. He is a recipient of the Sahitya Puraskar. He also got Pune's Bhai Madhav Bagal Award and Best Literature Award given by Cultural Department of Maharashtra State for his book Sakha Nagzira. He spent 400 days inside Nagzira and nearby forest areas and wrote this award winning book. He is a wild-life expert, a bird watcher, a writer and honorary wild life warden in Maharashtra. He is also the founder of Nisarg Wedh Organisation, which works for nature conservation and community work around Nagzira, Navegaon, a Tiger Reserve in Bhandara and Gondia districts. He also founded Kika's Bird Club in order to spread bird farming which is very popular among school-going children of Maharashtra.

Teacher's Note

Kiran Purandare shows us that one person can make a real difference for nature. He spent months in forests to write about them and protect them.

Exam Trick

Remember: Kiran = 400 days in Nagzira forest. This big number shows his dedication. He gave his life to save nature.

Points to Remember

Kiran Purandare is a wildlife expert and writer.
He spent 400 days in the forest writing a book.
He founded organisations to help nature and people.
He teaches about birds to children in schools.
He won many awards for his work on nature.

Into The Wild - Part I Lost In The Jungle

The eight-and-a-half-hour-long day inside the hide was as fruitful as the Jambha tree standing tall on the edge of Umbarzara. Before wrapping up my day at this natural waterhole, I took entries of the avifauna in my field notes. Since I was alone, I rushed to Pitezari village where I was stationed. I camouflaged the hide, took my essentials, came out of the hide and stretched out to my heart's content. I lifted my camera bag and took the familiar trail to Pitezari. Negotiating the webbed leaves of Teakwood and Moha trees, trying to make minimal sound, I was treading cautiously among the woods. Walking alone in a jungle needs more alertness than walking with a companion. I was alone here like a fox. Following the trail silently, watching with wide-open eyes, my ears were grasping a variety of sounds just when a familiar sound stunned me.

Khyak! Khyak! KhyakoSS Khyak!

It was a Langur alarm call. The leader of the gang of Langurs was sitting on the tall tree making alarm calls out of fear for life. Rest of the Langur brigade continued raising the alarm calls. The network of alarm calls was expanding its range as the petrified Langurs speeded to the trees near and far and secured their places on treetops. All this upheaval was created by only one animal's presence—a Leopard. Many animals make alarm calls when they see a predator—Tiger or Leopard nearby. The Langur is most reliable when it comes to finding clues about the presence of the apex predators in the jungle. The mighty elusive Leopard of Umbarzara was out of its lair. He was on the prowl. The stealthily moving figure in spotted gold-black cloak was spied by these Langurs. Even the small ones from the legion of Langurs were giving alarm calls.

Chyak! Chyak!

I stayed put. Gauged the leader Langur's target sight and scanned the area visually. Took some steps. Stopped again. A fresh scat was lying before me on the trail. The bluish-purple flies were hovering over it. I was sure that the Leopard was somewhere near. The distant alarm call of four-horned antelope was adding to the chaos. I barely walked around 15 metres and stopped. I had apparently entered in the sanctum sanctorum of a miracle called Leopard. But the big cat was not visible. It is an elusive animal. The surroundings were reminding me that I was all alone time and again. As I moved forward on the trail to Pitezari, the fading alarm calls were still heard in the background. I could tell instinctively that the Leopard had moved away.

Meanwhile, I saw a man standing at a distance with a stick in his hand. As I approached, he appeared spooked due to alarm calls of the Leopard. We greeted each other. He was Raju Iskape from Pitezari. He had come to collect logs but retreated due to the Leopard's movement. Raju was amazed at my regular solitary visits to Umbarzara, the haven for Tigers, Leopards and Sloth Bears. We stopped under a Kusum tree to take a break. We both felt a bit relaxed. Now we were four eyes, four hands with a stick. Then we both resumed our walking tour.

There was one tiny track that broke out of the main trail. I will take this route, you go straight, said Raju and turned right. I kept walking straight until I climbed a familiar hillock. I crossed the cement pillar and stones stacked by Forest Development Corporation to mark the boundary of the forest compartment. Took another trail after climbing down. Walked across a beautiful Mahua tree loaded with reddish-brown leaves. The ground under the tree was cleaned very well. The thought instantly flashed in my mind—I'd lost my way. Next moment, I found another dusky trail. Hastily I took that trail which took me from a narrow gorge to an open field. The area was surrounded by hillocks of dry deciduous tropical forest. I turned back to spot the sun. Now, the geographical west was set. The dusky trail had vanished. Good Heavens! I was lost. Completely lost in this jungle, That too at a very dreadful time! The sun was melting down like a fleeting runner.

Teacher's Note

This story teaches us how forests can be dangerous places. In India, many forest rangers work hard to keep people safe in jungles like Jim Corbett and Bandipur.

Exam Trick

Remember the order of events: Langurs alarm call → Leopard nearby → Writer gets lost → Finds red soil trail → Reaches village. This order will help you answer questions.

Points to Remember

Langurs make alarm calls when they see a leopard.
The writer was alone in the jungle and got lost.
He found signs like animal droppings on the trail.
He used the sun's position to find his direction.
A red soil trail and bicycle marks finally saved him.

This is a preview of the first 3 pages. To get the complete book, click below.