PUTALI CAVE, Bhalam

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Accessible cave roost. 10 minute walk from motor road. Lies in public land. Previously unexplored. Interesting for both cave, bat and studying snakes as well (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 34 table 1 item 10). ETYMOLOGY: The meaning of the cave name Putli Cave has not yet been discovered but the noun -putali- (KRÄMER, K-H 2007: 106) is the Nepali word for a butterfly (note 1), zoologically Lepidoptera (superfamilies Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea), insects with two pairs of large wings that are covered with tiny scales, usually brightly coloured, and typically held erect when at rest. Butterflies fly by day, have clubbed or dilated antennae, and usually feed on nectar. So far, I saw the name of this Butterfly Gupha called or spelled, edited or printed as Putali Cave ADHIKARI, H (2008: 45); SHRESTA, N M (2009) Putli Cave DANIEL, B A (2007: 7); PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL (2006: 34); PHUYAL (2007: 28); WASTI & ACHARYA (2011: 332). SITUATION: Northeast of Pokhara Mahendrapul and in the vicinity of Bhaam / Bhalamkhor (note 2) above the eastern (orographically left) bank of the Kali Khola. The cave entrance to the Putali cave (SHRESTA, N M 2009) or Putli Cave (Bhalam - 2) … lies in public land and not only five minutes away from the Birendra cave (SHRESTA, N M 2009) but also in front of the cave entrance to –>Birendra Cave (note 3). APPROACH 2006: The entrance to Putli Cave (Bhalam - 2) had been reached on foot from an unspecified starting point on an unidentified motor road by an estimated 10 minute walk in an unspecified direction (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 34 table 1 item 10). SITUATION 2009: Putali cave is five minutes away from the Birendra cave (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27). SITUATION 2007: DANIEL, B. Ayyachamy (2007: 7) places the same Putli Cave at an unspecified location somewhere in the back of an equally unspecified –>Birendra Cave (Daniel 2007), which itself lies also at an unspecified location and at a travelling distance of about an hour's drive plus 5 minute's walk from n unspecified starting point that possibly is the campus of the Institute of Forestry IOF at Pokhara. POSITION: The obviously erroneous GPS position near (unspecified precision error) 25°12'37” 83°59'33” (unidentified geodetic datum, ADHIKARI, Hari 2008: 45 table, site no. 11, after Sujas 2005 instead PHUYAL, Sujas Prasad 2005; WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1 site no. 6) for Putli Cave Bhalam-2 Kaski indicates an unlikely spot just above the orographically right (western) bank of the Seti gorge, north-west of the Pokhara airfield, and a little north of the road to Kathmandu. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The Putali cave is made up of limestone, conglomerate, silicate and sandstone with a continuous flow of water just inside the cave entrance. The opening is very narrow so it is quite difficult to enter but is interesting and full of adventure. Visitors to the cave have to crawl through at times. After 20 minutes (about 200 meters) divides into right and straight paths inside which are yet t be accessed because of want of light (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27). CULTURAL HISTORY - Bat conservation: A bat brochure was published in Nepali language … in collaboration with Self Help Environment Awareness Camp (SHEAC), Pokhara. Brochures were distributed among people around Bat Cave [Chamere Gufa, Battulechaur], Mahendra Cave, Crazy Cave, Birendra Cave, Putli Cave [Putali Cave], Sita Cave, Gupteshwor Cave [Gupteshwar Gupha, Chhorepatan] and Peace Cave [Shanti Gupha, Hemja 2] (PHUYAL 2007: 28). CAVE LIFE - bats (Chiroptera): Apart from one unidentified snake, which once had been seen under unspecified circumstances at an unidentified time on an unspecified day, not only ADHIKARI, H (2008: 45) but also PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL (2006: 34 table 1 item 10) consider Putli Cave (Bhalam 2) as a somehow accessible cave roost of unspecified bats. Among four bats captured from Birendra cave, there were two male and two female and single male from Putali cave. All of them were Hipposideros armiger with stimated population of 300 and 250 respectively. Hence both caves harbor same species of bat i.e. Hipposideros armiger with total population 550 (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 28).stimated population of 300 and 250 respectively. Hence both caves harbor same species of bat i.e. Hipposideros armiger with total population 550 (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 28).