SHONOB LIMPUT, Wah Shonob (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Perhaps an estimated 15 m wide and 6 m high cave entrance, which faces an unidentified direction (guesswork: south-west), or -- the observations are a bit unclear -- an assemblage of dislocated limestone boulders, is locally known by some to give access to a day roost of probably edible bats and therefore can be expected to consist of more than merely a limestone boulder ruckle and a sandstone overhang (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what once was christened with unique cave name -Krem Limput- (note 1) and specified as a Krem Shonob Limput (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss). The sense, meaning, and origin of the word Shonob (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss) remains fully in the dark though it may be, but this is mere guesswork, the name of the stream which is shown on the Survey of India sheet 78-O/12 (edition 1912) to join near (±500 m) N25°10'10”: E091°44'50” the the north-western (orographically right) bank of the river whih is indicated as the Umpynjingthuli in the Khasi foothills and as the Jalia in the plains. SETTING: In the wall of a sandstone valley (Tyler 2001.10.11) or, perhaps, in a sandstone wall exposed in a valley with an unidentified stream. SITUATION: One interpretation of the GPS position, which had been recorded for the entrance to this bat cave (note 2), indicates a spot which lies not only at linear distances of about 2.5 km WNW from Bollagunj (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss) or Bholaganj (note 3) and about half a kilometre approximately WNW from the village of Tangwai (note 4) but also above the northern (orographically left) bank of a tributary, which flows south-east to join about two or three kilometres from the Krem Shonob Limput (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss) the north-western (orographically right) bank of the river which is indicated on the Survey of India sheet 78-O/12 (edition 1912) as the Umpynjingthuli in the Khasi foothills and as the Jalia in the plains of Bangladesh. APPROACH 2001a: From he KLM Guest House [N25°10'36.0”: E091°44'09.6”: 73 m asl], follow the cable tracks south until you see [what way back in March 2001 had been] two little huts, and then down to the river. Follow the River Shonob [sic! qua: Shenab] upstream. The fourth seasonally dry feeder on the right is followed for 400 yards into the jungle (Anonymous). APPROACH 2002b: Follow the Shonob river next to the KLMC quarry at Bollagunj to the source of the river. Take the dry tributary on the right and follow to the end (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION: On the left is a large sandstone block parallel to the valley. Against it lie fallen rocks forming so a cave in the boulders undercut. A squeeze between the block and the rocks leads to a protected overhang, then another climb down into 10 m of crawling 1.8x0.8. Could be pushed further (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss). CAVE LIFE (Rogers 2001.03.21 personal communication): Bats (Chiroptera) can be heard at dusk behind the ruckle and below the sandstone shlter. Lesser Horseshoe Bats & Megaderma species collected.he KLM Guest House [N25°10'36.0”: E091°44'09.6”: 73 m asl], follow the cable tracks south until you see [what way back in March 2001 had been] two little huts, and then down to the river. Follow the River Shonob [sic! qua: Shenab] upstream. The fourth seasonally dry feeder on the right is followed for 400 yards into the jungle (Anonymous). APPROACH 2002b: Follow the Shonob river next to the KLMC quarry at Bollagunj to the source of the river. Take the dry tributary on the right and follow to the end (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION: On the left is a large sandstone block parallel to the valley. Against it lie fallen rocks forming so a cave in the boulders undercut. A squeeze between the block and the rocks leads to a protected overhang, then another climb down into 10 m of crawling 1.8x0.8. Could be pushed further (Tyler 2001.10.11 Mss). CAVE LIFE (Rogers 2001.03.21 personal communication): Bats (Chiroptera) can be heard at dusk behind the ruckle and below the sandstone shlter. Lesser Horseshoe Bats & Megaderma species collected.