Land of the Wild: Tigers Galore at Bandhavgarh!

Through a photographer's lens

by Anup Randive

Armed with a dependable camera, back-pack, a sun hat, great company and the plan of five safaris in three days, my expectations from the trip to the Land of the Tigers – Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve were extremely sanguine. The trip not only yielded great sightings of the striped ruler of the Indian jungle, but also threw in some surprises for us like witnessing a wait-watch-stalk-missed chance by a tigress at the Rajbehra dam. (In the picture: Jhurjhura tigress cub from previous litter. Pic. courtesy: Rajan Joshi)

With plans for this trip having been made two months prior to the trip, the anticipation for the journey to commence was running high. Finally, the D-day arrived and we headed for Mumbai CST on a Friday evening. As luck would (should not) have it, our train was delayed by nothing less than 18 long hours, which unfortunately culminated in us losing our first safari! Nevertheless, we remained optimistic for our chances in the remaining four safaris – and we were not disappointed. (In the picture: Chital/ Spotted deer. Pic. courtesy: Rajan Joshi)

Our first ride in the park – on a super-hot Sunday afternoon – with the jovial Salim Bhai, whose tiger tracking skills are legendary, yielded three sightings of the striped cat and one fleeting glimpse of the sloth bear. After an initial scanning of the bushes near the stream, we sighted the Sidhbaba tigress (also called the Chorbehra female) with her two six-month old cubs. The sight of these playful cub enjoying leftovers of a spotted deer meal, drinking at the stream and then chasing a mongoose delighted us and made us forget the painful train journey. As we were enjoying the sight of the tigers, out of the blue it started pouring heavily. Though untimely, the rains brought some respite from the heat and the sky was transformed into a riot of colours and it was indeed a beautiful picture. (In the picture: Sunset after showers. Pic. courtesy: Sayali Ashar)

Our fears about the premature rains were put to rest the next morning, with clear skies and a bright sunny day. As we entered the park at 6 a.m, we were greeted to the sight of the Sidhbaba tigresses. We quickly positioned ourselves to photograph the tigresses, but she was in no mood to oblige us and kept enjoying her sleep. Salim bhai suggested we leave her alone and move on to Rajbehra. Here we managed to get a glimpse of one of Jhurjhura tigress' cubs from her previous litter. Soon it was time to head back and on our way out we again stumbled into Chorbehra tigress. Having woken up from her nap, this time she obliged us by posing heartily for the camera but didn’t look very healthy due to the injured hind limb that has been troubling her since several months. (In the picture: Chorbehra cub. Pic. courtesy: Anup Randive)

On our way back to the park gate, we also spotted the ‘resident’ Adjutant Stork, a Crested Hawk Eagle and a Brown Fish Owl. Accordingly, our second safari ended with three sightings of the tiger and several interesting birds. At night while we were strolling on in the lawn of our hotel we came across the beautiful Painted frog. The intermittent showers had activated the frogs and we also found a tree frog inside our room! (In the picture: Painted frog. Pic. courtesy: Chinmay Shetty)

On our third safari, with the sun shining bright on a sultry summer afternoon, we sighted two tigresses belonging to the previous litter of the Jhurjhura female who were busy enjoying their afternoon siesta. On our way back to the gate, around 6.15 p.m., we were stopped in our tracks with the mighty New Tala male or the Bamera male walking straight towards our jeep. This was quite an unexpected sighting and one that has been etched in my mind forever. (In the picture: New Male. Pic. courtesy: Anup Randive)

Post dinner, Saloni and Sachin got all the participants together for a round table session to share their thoughts on their experiences so far. With a wide mix of participants belonging to varied age group and interests, it was a good learning experience for all of us. Then came the best and most interesting part, where Sachin with his vast experience of wildlife photography in Bandhavgarh, took us through the topography of park and the history of the tigers, along with their lineage. This was immensely helpful for identifying the tigers based on their areas and characteristics. It also added a dash of attachment to the park having equipped us with the natures and territories of dominant tigers in the tourism zone.

On our last safari - on the morning of 4th May, we were witness to one of the magical moments of wildlife. The scene unfolded at the Rajbehra dam area, where we watched with excitement as the female tigress from Jhurjhura's previous litter stalked a herd of deer. Her patience, stealth, camouflage, though a sight to withhold ultimately fell short as the deer got a whiff of the approaching tigress and became alert. Deprived of her morning breakfast, she retreated to the cool confines of the Rajbehra dam area. (In the picture: Jhurjhura tigress cub from previous litter. Pic. courtesy: Anup Randive)

On our way back, we were in for a pleasant surprise as we came across Mirchaini tigress and her three cubs. Though, this sighting didn’t yield photographs, it was a joyful experience watching three tigers together. And as they say ‘it ain’t over till the fat lady sings’, with hardly 10 minutes left for our final safari to end, we were in for another exciting surprise when we spotted the Sidhbaba tigress! (In the picture: Chorbehra tigress. Pic. courtesy: Anup Randive)

With this, our sojourn in Bandhavgarh came to an end. Having yielded a total of 14 tiger sightings in four safaris, the results far exceeded my expectations from the trip. Sighting a tiger in its real habitat behaving as naturally as it can, was a touching experience and this created immense respect for the animal in our hearts. Further, Bandhavgarh is a paradise for wildlife photographers wanting to make good tiger images. This trip was indeed a memorable one for me. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the untiring efforts of Saloni and Sachin, who made the trip a huge success by their meticulous planning and execution, the delayed train notwithstanding! (In the picture: Jhurjhura tigress cub from previous litter. Pic. courtesy: Bijal Haria)

Some more pictures of the trip: