Prelude

Summer 2016. T’was time to plan an outing. We racked our brains and searched for possible locations for a short getaway – Resorts, beaches et al. Unnecessary exercise, in the hindsight, as in the recent times we opted for a wild sojourn. Yet Again.

So there we were in Nagpur-mid May with the scorching sun roasting us at a staggering 44 degree Celsius. But nothing could deter us from visiting Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

The heat hit us like a ball of fire moment we stepped out of the airport, however thanks to the AC vehicle which transported us to the quaint little village of Moroli 10kms from Chandrapur quite comfortably. A small village, hardly 2.5 sq km area and still retaining its old world charm and not commercialized at all. The region is a dry deciduous forest, with black soil and mostly bamboo, teak and Mahua plantations with generous scattering of tall dry grass and thorny bushes.

After having a quick homemade lunch at our clean and simple Waghai homestay, we were ready to board the safari Jeep. The plan included 4 safaris across 3 days. Wearing huge smiles, ready with our cameras and eager eyes we set forth on our first safari of the tour. The afternoon sun shining bright and showering its bounty on us with stinging hot rays, but dare anyone in the group complain!! Including the kids, we had a single-minded urge and focus – To spot the Tigers.

The Long wait

Being summer lakes were the best bets to spot the tigers. We headed towards Telia lake, Tigress Sonam and cubs’ territory. Within minutes, in the bushes deep inside on our right about 20-30 feet away, almost hidden behind the thick foliage was a cub, enjoying its siesta !! We all sat in anticipation of the cub and Sonam to make a visit to the lake crossing the road where we were parked.

Minutes turned hour and almost two hours later, literally roasted in the scorching sun, still hopeful that the cub will make an appearance we stayed put. Suddenly we heard animal calls – a barking deer call, a most certain sign that the tiger is around and on the move. The langurs were jumping around screeching. As anticipated the cub then made a quick leap across the road from behind one of the jeeps to the dried 4-6 feet tall grass adjacent to the lake. That’s when we first saw the Tiger up close, Playing hide n seek behind the tall grass. After a few minutes of first spotting its ears amidst the 4-5 feet tall grass, it finally turned to face us. It was a heart stopping moment to look directly in the eye of the tiger!

Tender Moments in Wild

Day 2 early morning safari took us to the Pandarpauni lake, Tigress Maya’s territory. On the way we sighted spotted deers and Antelopes crossing the road in their dainty gait. We also sighted Sambar and barking deers. It was likely that Maya will make her regular morning trip to the lake with her cubs to quench her thirst. There was visible activity around with animal calls and jeeps gathering around in anticipation. After a 15 min wait the cub made an entry from within the forest to the lake. After taking few sips it plonked itself in the water. While we were frantically taking cub’s pics, Maya made a majestic entry. As she walked to the edge of the lake and seated herself, the cub got up and went towards her. Then another and then another cub came by. A heart melting tender moment it was to see Maya caressing, cuddling and licking her cubs!! The cubs were jumping on top and across their mother into the lake with a splash and frolicking in the lake’s water. It was Maya’s family time with her cubs!!

We discovered that it wasn’t an uncommon sight in the most unlikely of places – a forest to see such tender moments. A Bison with her playful young calf barely able to walk and Mama a langur suckling her new born baby which still had raw skin and no hair on its body. The baby langur’s piercing gaze felt so innocent, so raw and so vulnerable. At the entrance forest gate was an elephant tied to a tree with her baby running around her legs, trying its best to free its mom from the chains around her mother legs. When it couldn’t it resigned itself to emulate its mom having a shower with a splash of water followed by a mud bath!! These tender scenes will remain forever etched in my memory and invoking a smile every time I recollect them.

 

Kiss of death

Forest is an ecosystem with each animal dependent on the other for its survival. They have to coexist. When the wild animals coexist there is going to be war, they will need to battle it out every day. Tadoba was no different. With its very few lakes the entire forest’s inhabitants have to share this common source of water. We saw wild boars, the deer and antelopes, the egrets and the cormorants, the peacocks and mongoose and who can forget the landlords – The Tigers, All sharing the lake to quench their thirst. Sure fire spot for fights and deadly hunts. But who knew that we would witness one right there in front our eyes!!

On the afternoon safari, we spotted a Nilgai, Maya with her cubs and a family of wild boars around the Pandarpauni lake. Maya led her cubs in the bushes away from the lake making way for the boars to take a dip and a sip in the lake. Little did we know that this was her strategy to hunt on these unsuspecting preys. As she made her cubs hide in a semicircular fashion around the lake’s periphery in the surrounding bushes we knew something was going to happen. Then suddenly one cub came out of the bushes almost sprinting towards the lake taking the boars by surprise. They darted out of the lake running for their lives, but unfortunately towards the bushes where Maya and her other 2 cubs were hiding. Just then Maya sprang out of the bushes and took a deadly leap on her kill…the boar. Then she emerged out of the lake with her catch, with the cubs close on heels fighting for their share. This entire scene was totally Nat Geo stuff, only this time I saw it live!!

On the way back we saw a white eye buzzard, perched on a tree, ripping off the feathers and pecking on her kill …a water hen. We noticed this when we saw feathers falling down from the tree.

Day 3 : On our last safari early morning, we missed the Wild Dog hunting a Sambar by few minutes. By the time we reached the spot the Wild Dog or Indian Dhole was pulling the Sambar’s carcass across the road into the bushes. It weighs about a max of 20 odd kgs and the Sambar female up to 180Kgs. To see a creature not just hunt a prey almost 8 times its size , but also pull it all across the road into bushes with every ounce of strength it had was astonishing. It is one of the most ferocious and a deadly hunter in that jungle. It was a poignant moment too see Wild Dog pull the Sambar by its mouth akin to a kiss of death!!

Later we went to a pond where we were expecting to see a Sloth bear. We waited for almost 30 mins, suddenly from nowhere arrived a huge army sticky insects making us vacate the area and wait a bit further. After another zillion minutes we heard a lot of activity and rushed to the spot, only to have missed the Sloth bear which had made an appearance , quenched its thirst and gone back inside the jungle, by the time we reached there.

The Custodians

The forest is a protected zone maintaining its ecological sanctity and conserving its natural beauty. No air or sound pollution or garbage strewn around – a plastic free zone. Knowledgeable guides and drivers who know the jungle very closely. They are fully aware about the animals’ habits like their own family members. They are fiercely protective of their forest, taking care of its every inch and ensuring the animals are safe in their natural habitat. One incident reiterated this fact, when the guide on our jeep made the driver stop in middle of the jungle, a dangerous move, to pick up a chips packet carelessly thrown on the road by a tourist. On our second night there, a fierce thunderstorm hit the village and the forest. Next day morning when we went for the early morning safari the machans were destroyed, many dry trees had fallen and roads were strewn with branches of these trees. The eyes of the guide and driver were alert to not just to spot the fresh pug marks of the tiger we saw but also to watch out for injured animals or blocked pathways of the tigers and report it back to the control room. They were the true custodians of the jungle!!

Rounding up

Few other animals we spotted were the monitor lizard, birds like Indian roller, Robin, Magpie, White eye buzzard, Great hawk eagle, Owl, Jungle Fowl, Open Billed Stork and a tailed bird. The serene Tadoba lake was picture perfect with its blue waters, lined by green trees and birds flying around. The Irai lake and dam on the fringes of the forest and village was a sight to behold. For me this was the one of the most fulfilling visits to the wilderness of a jungle and spotting animals in their natural habitat.

I remember as a four-year-old, on a trip to a zoo, clutching my dad’s fingers and being perched on his shoulders, I felt a strange attraction and curiosity for wild animals. Of all the animals I saw, it the golden Majestic Tiger that I fell in love with!! No doubt I felt so ecstatic and also humbled at this surreal moment to see these animals’ lives so up close and personal. On the way back when I saw rays of the setting sun piercing through the clouds formed an umbrella over of the forest, I smiled considering how lucky I was to have seen the nature’s bountiful beauty and its beautiful creatures so up close!!