Wild Encounters

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Some Memoirs from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

Pictures by Sachin Rai

Posted on April 24, 2009

The godly morning rays falling softly on her coat, the arched back conveying her lazy mood, dozens of people keeping a close watch on her moves and several others becoming ecstatic at her wondrous sight - the ability of this magnetic creature to lure many hearts is what makes BNP so special and tiger conservation so important.

It was a bright morning and the first of the Safari rides we took that day. While we scanned the terrain, trying to sight something interesting, we suddenly saw a blur of brown to our right. Far away we could see two dogs trotting on the rocks, playing with each other. To our extreme delight we realised that it was a pair of Wild Dogs, a rare treat in BNP! The dogs wandered around for a while and then disappeared as niftily as they had come. An unforgettable experience for all of us!

Some sightings get imprinted on the minds of the spectators forever. The sighting of Mahaman tigress was one such experience. We were driving into a beautiful dense patch of forest, just before 'Dinosaur Rock', not expecting anything at that moment. Out of nowhere, Mahaman emerged from the woods, ran across the road and walked for some distance before turning back to look at us. The mystery of those kohl-eyes, the surprise at the sighting of this elusive tigress and the perfect setting in which it all happened - stuff that brings immense pleasure in unpredictability.

Their impeccable camouflage could give you a run for the money. One could easily mistake them for a bark unless one looks carefully and tries to deduce their form through the leaves, the moss and the logs.

We bumped into this young male squatting indolently in the middle of our path- yawning at intervals and then assuming a 'philosophical' posture as if musing over worldly ideals, occasionally glancing at his spectators with proud nonchalant eyes. In the middle of all this, a chital walked in his direction unaware of the dangers that lay ahead of the grasslands. As soon as it hit the road, its eyes were drawn to the watchful crouching tiger and off it sped as fast as it could, putting an end to the drama and anticipation in the air...

A resident of BNP that greets almost all the visitors of the Park with its enchanting big eyes and alertness so typical of owls.

Just as we were beginning to feel a little anxious as far as the sightings were concerned, we were rewarded with a beautiful sighting of Banbehi tigress with three tiny cubs. Many gypsies had missed them inspite of having crossed their path, so perfectly camouflaged they were amid the foliage and the rocks. Fresh pugmarks, alarm calls, anticipation, excitement - all were a part of this parcel of 4 tigers and what followed was Ultimate Satisfaction!

Bandhavgarh is a place that boasts of the highest density of tigers but to see this crafty cat, trying to survive amid growing pressures from various sources, was a sight to cherish.

We were lounging on the verandah of our hotel on a cool November night, not the best time for amphibians. All of a sudden, a frog leapt at our feet. To some people, frogs may bring disgust, but to amphibian-lovers like us, it was sheer glee. Sighting a lifer- that too a Painted Frog - in November - was like an icing on the cake (after all the wonderful wildlife sightings we had had throughout our trip).

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WILDLIFE SAFARI/ PHOTO TOUR TO BANDHAVGARH


To experience such pulsating and precious moments first-hand, join us to Bandhavgarh this season (15th - 21st May 2009). For more details, email us at landofthewild@gmail.com