I was barely 3-4 years old when I first visited a zoo and fell in love with wildlife. Wild animals of all sizes and shapes and species intrigued me and incredibly fascinated me. Among the various species, Big Cats especially Tigers hold a special place right up there on my favorites list along with a few others. It was not until I was in my early twenties that I could visit a national park and see tigers outside of a cage. When I saw these gorgeous golden big cats in Bannerghatta National Park , Bangalore for the first time outside cage (but still in captivity) , the urge to see them in wild took seed. It took almost a decade and a half post that to actually see them in wild and hunting in Tadoba (do chk my Blog https://moonlitnight.travel.blog/2019/08/16/on-the-tiger-trail/ )

However the more I read about tigers, I realized one more location in India is of THE destinations to sight tigers in their natural habitat and that is Bandhavgarh in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Legendary stories of Tigress Sita and Tiger Charger were very famous. For some reason or other, this dream of visiting Bandhavgarh never materialized, until Dec 2019. Right at cusp ..the turn of the decade, my dream finally came true!!

Wildlife and wilderness sojourns have always been go to escapades for me. The lush green jungle, stark landscape, its silence only broken by the animal calls, the unadulterated air and absolutely intriguing wild life species always leave me rejuvenated and wanting for more. Its not just about sighting them, its about learning and observing their behavior, antics and watching them go about in their natural habitat. Its overwhelming and surreal at the same time. Bandhavgarh helped me experience all this in its truest sense. If Tadoba gave an insight into Tigress & her cubs behavior including hunting, Bandhavgarh helped me delve deeper into understanding sub adult sibling Tiger cubs and mating Tiger couple. This was also my first photography tour led by Photography mentors who were our skippers, guiding us both on photography skills and animal behavior. After this not so brief introduction, let me now pen down my Bandhavgarh experience.

From warm Mumbai sultry climate to the chilly winter of Bandhavgarh was a drastic change – mid 20s Celcuius to single digit 8 Celcius. As we arrived and settled in our cosy resort – Aranyak Resort – The Jungle Kingdom Bandhavgarh, we were briefed of the our early morning safari next morning. With our jeep co-travelers and skippers assigned, I tried to sleep in vain that night, the excitement and the cold getting better of me.

At 5.30 am we were off on first safari of the tour in the Tala zone. The cold wind hit us like a bolt out of nowhere. With 6 layers of clothing, gloves, caps and a blanket to cover our legs proving futile against the biting cold wind as we sped deeper inside the jungle. Once we were inside were welcomed with the lush green of the jungle and heavy fog layer over its flowering grass. First rays of the sun had the jungle awash in a golden glow. That’s when we started seeing the wildlife. In the winter you see less wild animals stepping out of their comfort that early in the morning. However we did sight a few sambar deers, chitals, birds like kingfisher, lesser adjutant storks and gray langurs. The tigers were however elusive that morning. With no sight of tiger and literal absence of any movement of tigers indicated by lack of animal calls we returned empty handed. But but…the highlight was the breakfast break in the breakout area in the jungle where we had piping hot maggi noodles as breakfast along with our packed breakfast. In that cold climate , the hot noodles were a blessing in disguise.

After a lunch break we set off for our afternoon safari, with our skippers alternately among the 6-7 jeeps we were on our own with the guide and driver. First hour or so was a damp squib with no tigers. We had to make do with some birds and a few odd langurs. A small argument broke out between the guide and driver as to which route to explore, driver prevailed. Just as we proceeded on one of the routes, he stopped in his tracks and retraced back. There we saw fresh set of pug marks and marks of tiger which has just sat in the middle of road apparently. Then he saw the tigress, who had just got up from the road as she had heard our jeep approaching, went inside the bushes and was about to come out of the bushes in the open. That’s when I heard her growl! Can’t describe that moment when I first heard her and then saw her coming out and walking across the open into the ditches. It was a 1-2 minute sighting , that too walking away with no face shot that I could capture, but her growl was the highlight of the day for me. We followed this tigress’, named as Kajri, growl all evening, tracking across the paths we thought she’d come by. However she didn’t make an appearance again that evening despite attempts to track her all evening.

The next two days were a dream! The second day morning safari, our third one on this tour, ended without a sighting , however the afternoon safari in Magadi zone was one of the THE most successful safari sightings ever. The three handsome sub adult male cubs of Tigress Dotty not just made an appearance but enthralled us with their antics. Let me confess that sighting a tiger , seeing it appear from the bushes, the first look is a huge high. It absolutely warms you up in the coldest winter and you go all aahhhs and oooohhhss seeing these majestic creatures. Their eyes, those gorgeous golden stripes, their shiny coat, their graceful yet strong gait , to see them yawn with abandon, lick their paws, stick out their tongue, scratch their face with their paws, jump around and so on. Everything that they do is so adorable and intriguing. You just can’t get enough, and for me they were few feet away and directly gazing into my eyes!!

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So out came the first one, trying to scratch up the tree trunk, got a glimpse from far as there were other jeeps who had already reached there before us. As two of the three cubs moved further, the jeeps moved. We saw the third one coming, twas like a bumper sighting..not one, not two but three tigers!! Whoa, couldn’t believe my luck! The third one came and plonked itself in the bushes exactly parallel to our jeep. I was seated on the left side, where the tiger was, and with a direct line of sight with the tiger which was about 10-15 feet away. I had not seen a tiger so close in the wild! It was absolutely mesmerizing. Its gaze and those eyes peering out from the bushes amongst the greens is something that’s gonna stay with me forever. My heart skipped a beat when our eyes met. For a long time it eyed me curiously (or nonchalantly, I will never know)and me literally hypnotized by that sight. With my heart beating fast, I had to calm myself down so that I could gather myself and take a few shots. I was so lucky to get some gorgeous shots of its eyes, face up close, with it yawning and tongue sticking out. After a few minutes it got up and joined its siblings in the open grass meadow.

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It was here that they put up a grand show for us. Again, as the other jeeps moved away our driver stopped near the open meadow just at the perfect location, for within a couple of mins the two cubs came out, sat right in front our jeep and started rolling on the ground!! The driver mentioned that they will now play , take pot shots at each other and get up and jump, so be alert and capture those moments. How right he was !! They were like any toddlers, rolling on each other, pawing and punching in the face, scratching up, yawning with their jaws so wide open ( that it reminded me of an incident I had in my college days, when I was badly yawning in the first lecture one early morning, that my jaw got stuck when wide open. I had to take my friends and classmates help to shut it back!! Such a funny and embarrassing incident that was) and giving us menacing looks by baring their canines. Also got a glimpse in difference in behavior of the three siblings, one almost on the verge of adulthood and independence was aloof and wandered alone, the other two while they stuck together, one appeared more dominant than the other. They were just two adorable kids enjoying sibling time together. Then suddenly they got up, faced each other as they sat on their hind legs and without warning lunged at each other!! After this they sped away inside the bushes again. The collective aaahhs of the people when they lunged at each other in a mock fight was like an ovation to the amazing show these boys put up for us. And I had that good fortune of seeing and capturing those moments unravel in front of my eyes with a grandstand uninterrupted view.

After a successful fourth safari, the next one on the third day was special. Not only because we were skippered by a renowned wild life photographer, whom I look up to as my mentor as well as a dear friend now, but also for the four back to sightings we had that day along with booster dose of insights into animal behavior I got from my mentor. All this most certainly wouldn’t have been possible without him.

Early morning started with these three cubs we saw day before evening, come near a waterhole for early morning sip. The scene was most beautiful, with fine mist covering the beautiful pond and lush green expanse of forest beyond pond, early morning first rays of sun breaking in from the tall trees behind , cool chill in the air and then walked in these three princes one by one. One of them entered the water and plonked himself in it, the other skimmed the bank taking a sip in between allowing us a glimpse of his reflection and the third one was not interested in the water wandered along with bank and went back into jungle. Though they were far, the scene was most beautiful to see go about their early morning ritual.

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As they went back inside the jungle, guided by our mentor and driver (btw what a crackling chemistry they both have) we proceeded to the path where we anticipated they will appear from and they were bang on !! We reached the path after sometime and there we saw Sambar deers alert and alarmed, just off the road in the bushes, as I set my camera to capture them, they darted across in full speed. That’s when we saw the cub chasing them! What an amateurish attempt that was to hunt the sambar deers. He is a kid after all and sure he’ll learn quickly. After a failed attempt at hunting, these two cubs decided to rest and one of them sat down in the middle of the road akin to a prince lounging in his lair. What a sight that was. It was his kingdom and with no worry in his world lounging and soaking in the morning sun. Another one sat on a mound of mud just off the road, where I was able to capture my favorite shot where this cub’s face was lit up on one side with sun rays with he himself being in shade. Was a wonderful wonderful sight.

After they left, we decided to track them further and proceeded to path where we thought they exit and cross from. After sometime again got a glimpse of them in the bushes. With a successful safari where we saw these cubs thrice in three different locations we were on our way out, when one of jeeps alerted us of a two tigers nearby. We sped to catch a glimpse, there they were a couple, Bamera son and Arhariya female in the process of mating behind the bushes!! While we couldn’t get a clear view to capture their pics , hearing them growl and roar of their passion every time they mated was surreal. Thanks to my mentor for explaining in detail their behavior and how this process of mating will go on for a week without food or water!! Couldn’t have been a better end to a successful safari.

Next one in the evening was a dud with no decent sightings at all. However our last one , the seventh in the trip was not disappointing at all. We ran into this mating couple once again. For about an hour so got a glimpse into their mating behavior, few seconds of passion coupled with loud roars and then resting in between for long time. With both the tiger and tigress alternately wooing and initiating post their rest that they are ready for another go. This is how my winter sojourn to Bandhavgarh Tiger reserve ended on a high.

Can never describe or do justice to how it feels to see these tigers in the wild, in their own backyard going about their everyday lives, their relationships, their antics and their habitat. It was so satisfying and emotional at the same time to experience this so up close. There is a strange connect I feel every time I am in the jungle, its wilderness calling out to me. I consider myself so damn lucky to have sighted these tigers and spent time watching them. I am so grateful to these creatures who allow us to share space with them and help us experience their lives even for few mins or seconds. Thanks to my wonderful mentor and skippers to help gain insights into their behavior. I came back with 100 odd grams of dust in my clothes, 1000 odd pictures , a bunch of new friends and tons of memories to last a lifetime!!

If you want to experience tigers you must visit Bandhavgarh and best time I would recommend is winters!

Until next time ,

Vibhavari Nagarhalli