The Royal family of Tadoba

There are always two groups, glaringly opposite to each other. Coffee lovers and Tea lovers. Cat lovers versus Dog lovers. Mumbaikars fighting Punekars. Similarly, there are Lion lovers and/or Tiger lovers. I am without doubt 'Tiger' lover. For me, the lions are lazy, dirty, graceless wild cats, who have unnecessarily been crowned as the 'King' of the jungle! The real king without any doubt whatsoever is definitely 'Tiger'! It starts with the appearance itself. The brightly glistening yellow black stripes, the pattern of which is unique for every individual animal, in itself are mesmerizing. The face though devoid of mane, sharp and prominent whiskers with distinguishing features make him look as if some dignified king is making his presence felt. And if you watch him walking, ah, that grace, that poise, that grandeur even the topmost model cannot imitate to the tenth! 
We were extremely lucky to have Paresh Deshmukh and Ameya Gole as our guides, mentors and teachers in the jungles of Tadoba. They knew the entire terrain like the lines on the palms. At every juncture, we were told some enthralling details which not only made us richer in the knowledge but removed many misconceptions about tigers and their abode!
Royal Bengal Tigers, tigers of India, were about to be extinct but thanks to the hard work of youngsters like Paresh and Ameya and the original inhabitants of the jungles, now the population of Tigers is on the rise.
The forest is divided basically into two prominent zones, The Core zone where the animals rule the roost and The Buffer zone where humans and tigers try to coexist. The hamlets those were deep inside the Core zone have been shifted elsewhere to facilitate the free movement of the tigers for breeding. And it has helped. There are hardly any villages now in the core zones but the buffer zones still have more than 50 villages where the tussle for existence between the beast and the humans goes on. It's really a dicey situation because the question is, what should be put at the stake, conservation of the tigers or the human lives? I don't have the answers.
The first one that we sighted was male. Shying away from the passing crowd of so-called nature lovers who were more of picnickers than the 'Tiger' lovers, he lay cool in the shades of bamboo bunches. The interesting thing is that every tiger in the area is affectionately called by some name and he was Chhota Mogali.

The immensely hot season, though not suitable for humans, is the best season to sight the animal with grace par excellence! They set out to be near the waterhole all the time, to keep cool and quench the thirst! But the natural waterholes were limited and far apart so the Tiger conservation body has built many artificial waterholes those pump out the water from the borewells using solar panel electricity. I may have sighted an another one behind Chhota Mogali but everybody vetoed me out. And within minutes, call of another tiger sighting came in. These calls are absolutely mysterious for the city dwellers and they can hardly comprehend them! But the locals immediately pick them up and take the necessary action. The peculiar call may be in the form of, monkeys running amuck suddenly or making shrieking sounds, birds flying away in every direction or the deer running away for their lives.  

The guides and the jeep drivers are picked up from the local tribes, mostly 'Gonds' and 'Pardans' They are so adept with the topography of the region that they navigate to the site where the 'Movement'[ that's the word used for feline activity] is observed, in no time. Within minutes, with the least audible sound of our jeep engine, the driver took us to the site where a tigress was taking her afternoon nap. She was 'Kuhani'.[ maybe Kouni].

Of the tigers and tigresses, we saw thereafter, she was the most listless! As they say, without even batting the eyelid she viewed us with her kinky eyes and went back to sleep or did she pretend? Because within minutes she changed her posture, yawned opening her jaw widely, showing her menacing dentures with those ultra-sharp canines, for which the wild cats are famous, and just ignored us as if we were some unimportant creatures trying to beg for her 'Darshan'!

The waterholes too have been given names which are as peculiar as tigers themselves. Kankazari, Raiba, Shivanzari etc. At Shivanzari,  the black leopard was sighted only a few days ago, probably for the first time in the history of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve! Here the titbit provided by Ameya was damn interesting. There is nothing like 'Black Leopard'. It's only the variation in melanin pigmentation, just like us in humans, that makes the cat special. So the way we have Albino tigers of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh where they don't have melanin, here it is the leopard who has the excess of it! 
It's very interesting to note that, when a male tiger delineates his area by urinating on the surroundings he allows only females to venture but fights tooth and nail with another male trying to intrude his domain, to protect it! And here comes the peculiar statistics! If one tiger proclaims around 100 to 300 acres of the jungle as his domain, as of now there is not enough forest cover to accommodate prevalent male tiger population! The forest which once was covering 33% of land in India, has now been reduced to mere 13%. Is the growing human population responsible, if so, what's the solution? Would there be a political will to curtail the cancerous growth of human population??!!

Sighting full-grown tiger was a feast to the eyes while watching the games of the tiger cubs was enormously entertaining. Junabai has made Madnapur as her home and has three cubs.[ Cubs are not given the names, till they mature, i.e.are two years of age.] These ones are hardly 8 months old. Absolute pranksters. Oblivious of the prying human eyes, or maybe they just ignored us, they were having a gala time while prancing in the water. They mockingly fought, jumped on each other, chased, maybe playing hide and seek, they were doing everything that normal human twins would do in the respective age!
Moharli Dewda gate is the most popular gate of Tadoba as it is juxtaposed to the highway, so is easily accessible. The number of vehicles allowed too is quite handsome. And that makes it 'Tiger Funfair for the tourists'. I just abhorred the crowds, their unruly behaviour and their callousness towards decorum that the jungle normally demands. They were behaving as if they were on the beaches of Goa! It was exactly how tourism should not be! But I would just forget and forgive them as the most memorable moment in the lives of everybody who was in our jeep was enacted on the stage that was just a few metres away.

Lara the tigress with enchanting grace was sighted near the waterhole of Dewada. She must be actress beyond compare. She had a huge audience but she cared two hoots for it. Though the waterhole was just a few metres away from her, she did not move an inch for more than two hours, kept her suitors waiting for aeons and then as if in trance got up, went straight to the waterhole in her leisurely gait, had a nice dip in the cool waters and then ventured out to search for her cubs. We were far behind in the queue so could not see her vividly. I don't know how our driver manipulated, of course, he did not break any rule nor was he hostile towards any of our co-revellers, but somehow in minutes, we, who were the last ones became the first in the queue. And Lara for our feat honoured us with her most exotic appearance.

She lingered around our jeep at a distance of merely few metres, examined us from top to bottom, passed by the side, just next to Pradnya, then retraced back to vanish in the jungles to search for her cubs.

On seeing the tigress from such close quarters my daughter Saana burst out in tears as she could not believe her own eyes. A full-grown tigress of real wilds, in flesh and blood, had just passed by her! 
It's difficult to keep chronology so I am just jotting down the narrative as it suits. 
On the penultimate day of our camping, we decided to visit the jungles from a totally different gate. Kolara gate And the gamble paid. As soon as we entered, there was a call. Two cubs were sighted sitting on the earthen dam. Both females, totally in the playful mood. How we Indians behave in extreme, unusual environs tells largely about our character as citizens. In short, we are useless, horrible citizens! A family with a kid in arms was in the jeep just behind our's. The kid started howling so the head of the family was requested to retrace back. He started arguing with the guide and the driver, 'It's just a child!' The guide said, 'Whatever! When the tiger cubs are in the vicinity you have to keep mum, period.' He just did not budge so we all have to reprimand him,' That's tiger cub, no less. Do as told.' He got the message so retraced back without uttering another word. At such places, it's very foolish to carry babes in the arms!

Another group from Mumbai was over smart. One of the two cubs had come so near to their jeep that she was almost in attacking position. But these fools were busy in taking selfies with her. Our guide literally had to shout at the driver of their jeep to reverse to avoid the catastrophe. They complied but the cub was not in a mood to give up. She advanced towards the jeep bit angrily. God knows maybe good sense prevailed upon her and grudgingly she went back. Mature adults may be less dangerous but as cubs are immature, they are most unpredictable. Fortunately for them, the mother tigress was not around otherwise the scenario would have been completely different! 
As Paresh has already put down, 10 campers, 4 days, travel of more than 600 kilometres,11 tigers, 2 leopards[ misfortune of our jeep, we could not sight them] Cobra, Civet, Rusty-spotted Cat, Monitor Lizard, Spotted Deer, Gaurs, Serpent Eagle and other countless exotic birds new friends and bountiful of memories. What more one wants!

Tadoba: An experience beyond compare !

Wanderlust is that bug when it bites it poisons your blood lifelong. I was under the assumption that I have done away with it. After visiting more than 20 countries, precisely 27, some more than once, roaming all over India practically covering all the states [ except J&K, which I never intend to, for reasons of my own] I had the feeling, not of boredom but of satiety. Enough I had said, I have seen all, done all and don't have the desire to set the foot out for yet another sojourn. It was not going to be so. Through a childhood chum, I came across two unimaginable, unthinkable remarkable young enthus who run the show of 'Footloose Journeys', Paresh Deshmukh and Ameya Gole, who made me rethink about my decision and there I was with my young dynamic daughter Saana, registering for the camp to be held in the thick jungles of Tadoba.
Apart from the tigers, those have eluded me previously in Pench and Sundarbans, there was also this dormant longing, 'To be in the land of my forefathers'. The Benurwars hail from the district of Chandrapur, previously known as Chanda in their times, and had owned acres and acres of land in a small village called Dhidshi from Rajura tehsil. If time permitted it was a plan to set foot on the soil which my grandfather, his father and his father tilled! I very well knew the constraints of the busy camping schedule but even then... maybe for another time!

People from Mumbai and Pune, me inclusive, have wrong notions about the parts they are not conversant with. The roads from Nagpur taking us to Tadoba were absolutely fabulous, wide and potholes free. Chandrapur too is a well-developed city, far away from the picture my mother had painted years ago that was vivid on my mind. I had never visited Chandrapur before leave aside Dhidshi, but when our Innova took a left turn for Tadoba, leaving the road to Rajura behind, there was a lump in the throat and an uneasy feeling in the chest, as if I was about to miss out on something. At one level it was overwhelming because barring first few early years of life, spent in Pachmarhi, I have spent my entire life in metropolises like Pune and Mumbai and thus never had the glimpse of my 'Native Place'.So the pull was unbelievable. Only for a few genetic strands those came from my father I had no physical or any emotional bonding with the place but the attraction was genuine and I myself was perplexed at my own emotion!  But I believe the future is always quirky and must be holding something good in his chest for me! Hope so!
Footloose fellows are extremely venturesome and are always on the lookout for off the beaten tracks. So rather than 'Doing' the Tadoba in every cliched manner, they had selected 'Kolsa' off Zhari buffer as the entry gate. There are in all six gates and these stalwarts had chosen all except the most frequented ones! By the time we reached Kolsa, a very small hamlet actually situated in the core zone, it was around 2 P.M. and it was sheer hell. The outside temperature had reached 47-degree Celsius! From frying pan to fire, directly! To leave cool Innova and step in the scorching sun was viva voce by the toughest 'Khadoos' examiners! And we passed it by almost running to the cool environs of our camping building that was air-conditioned! The pleasure of cool was not going to last long. Our first safari was to start at 3 PM just within 45 minutes after lunch.
As you travel in open 'Gypsies' your first concern is harsh sun followed by bothering dust. Thus the way one has to dress for extreme colds here too is a dress code that one must follow strictly. The colours must be matching with jungles, so green, ash, grey and dark sienna are the preferred ones. Bright colours, like reds, pinks, snow-white or shinners, are strict 'No"! Due to extreme sun, the head must be fully covered especially nape part of your neck. Bright sun makes it compulsory to wear shades, goggles. Sun protecting creams should be used liberally as 47 degrees is not less than hot air oven in the open! And most must! you have to keep on sipping the water every few minutes. You won't realise the loss of water from the skin, and as it hardly reaches kidneys, there is no urge to urinate! Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate, that's the mantra to survive in Tadoba!
Every gate is allowed a prerequisite number of open jeeps. Zhari gate has permission for few, so there is never overcrowding. Contrary to Zhari, Moharli has permission for so many, that in the end, it turned out to be funfair of the 'Tiger Touristers'.
Tadoba is thick jungle falling under the category of dry deciduous class. Though the trees are not very tall like in the rainforest, the density of trees is so much that it makes viewing of the other side totally difficult. Bahavas[ Amaltas in Hindi], teak trees, tendu, croc bark and bamboos dominate. The outer cover of Crocodile bark resembles back of the croc so much that one may get confused.
The tall yellow grass and drying bamboos are extremely good camouflage for striped tigers, so much so that at times even if you know that there is a tiger resting in the shadows, your eyes won't catch him. And it happened with us too, when I sighted the tiger for the first time! Apart from me, nobody could see him and they did not believe. He was so much one with the background that he hardly stood out! In the excitement I totally forgot that one must only whisper in the jungles, I exclaimed bit loudly " Look there he is, behind the bamboo bunch!"

and I got the reprimand of my life for "shouting" but, 'there' he was lying languidly, not bothered about the world passing by. Read chillar jungle enthus like us! Once he was sighted by everybody, there was just the stampede of camera clicks. Zooms came out, telescopic lenses struggled to capture him in a frame which at that juncture appeared bigger than the 'IMAX' screen!

And thereafter, it was as if Pandora's box was opened. Before we could realise, just a few kilometres away we heard a rustle behind a thick bush and there was some faint trace of a big black cotton ball rolling towards the road. The immediate reaction was "Shooo!" Our guide without directly pointing at him, that's not a done thing in the jungle, told us in a whisper, 'That's Sloth Bear, wait till he gets out on the open road, you'll get the full vision!.' And it happened exactly as he had predicted.

The animal was in need of water so was rushing to the waterhole. In minutes he came out, covered in thick black fur, pointed snout differently coloured than the fur, shining beady eyes, he was so much in a hurry as if was trying to catch 8.43 Dombivali fast! In a jiffy, he reached the waterhole, drank water to his heart's contents, and disappeared in the jungle behind equally fast! Even though it's very heavy it climbs up the tall trees, maybe more than 30 to 40 feet to savour the honey from the hive. And it leaves the nail marks on the bark of the tree

Beehives have 3 distinct parts. The white one, where the larvae live and finish off the honey for growth, the central dark part is full of bees where the queen bee resides while the fluorescent one has actual honey!

The jungle is full of Indian bison, locally known as 'Gaur', Wild Boars, Spotted deer,

Civet, Rusty-spotted jungle cats and an innumerable number of exotic birds. 

The wild dogs in the area at times are more ferocious than the tigers who may not attack the passers-by but the 'Dhole' as they are known are most likely to do so!





I lost the count of the birds we sighted. But those who etched vivid impression on the mind were regal, royal, dignified in every which way, all in all 'Serpent Eagle took the crown away.

Indian Pitta bird has so many bright colours that rainbow may lose the competition! To see a peacock in the wilds is also a sight to cherish. it flies from one tree to other so smoothly that 'Elegance' cannot be spelt differently.
Well about the Tigers, for what Tadoba is known for... Do you think it could be covered in one blog? So let's meet again to meet 'The Royal Family of Tadoba'.