A Tigress Called Spotty but We Only Saw Elephant Potty

By adminin Bandhavgarh, India, Madhya Pradesh, others

A Tigress Called Spotty but We Only Saw Elephant Potty

October 17, 2018

Today was our last morning jungle safari. It was a five-hour drive through the thick Bandhavgarh forest covered with green sal trees and thick bamboo. The jungle was awaiting us. The sunrise sky had a pink and purple hue. One could see glimpses of the orange fireball, the sun, trying to break free from the dark shadows of the mountains. After showing our ID at the forest department office, we queued up to get inside the forest area. Our mission was to spot the tiger. We followed a new route today.

The muddy tracks gave the first whiff of the tigress of Bandhavgarh called Spotty. She had mothered three cubs who could barely walk and survived on her milk. She has been moving about the forest making tracks on the dusty roads. Ahead was a thin water stream flowing through the rocky terrain of the jungle still covered in dense foliage and thick leaves.

Suddenly, we were greeted by four elephants who marched past us one after the other as I took my ultrazoom lens to take pictures. They were carrying people who wanted an elephant safari. It was easier for them to get into the forest as they were tall and big and could cut easily through branches, bushes and dense foliage of the jungle. We had to wait on the dusty road and hope that the lady tigress would cross over the muddy road and walk towards the eastern section of the jungle. All we could do was wait as the motorcade fell silent in anticipation of what was to come. Everyone wanted to spot the tigress first and people climbed on top of their jeeps to try to get a look.

It was pin drop silence but the beast was deep in the forest. Yes, she had made a kill. A young sambar was her food today and she was eating it while lying on the bare grass. We got the signal that the elephant men had spotted her. She was having her meal. “Well, if spotty is there, her cubs must be nearby only. Let’s try and see them.” Gagan asked the driver to drive on and we moved further in search of Spotty’s family.

More forest and more dust. Spotted many animals today – white spotted deer, black langurs, and sambars running for cover. It was the dance of nature as I spotted a few peacocks that were also dancing. It was bright and sunny by now but the jungle felt cool especially when we drove through dense green areas. Nature was at its best. There were small streams, ponds and other watering holes for the thirsty animals to quench their thirst.

We stopped over at the halfway point for our sandwich, tea and fruit. Then we started off again in the hope of finding out Spotty, the female tiger. The elephant men had a treat and managed to get an aerial view of the tigress but we could not see a damn thing. Then the elephants came back. Man, I wish I had asked for an elephant safari today. I would have even got some good shots of the tigress.

Then there was sudden pandemonium as a tourist shouted, “There she is, near the bushes, there!” As if on cue, the jeeps roared ahead in hot pursuit. The first two jeeps saw her walk past the sal trees towards somewhere near the stream. However, as we got there, she had vanished again. This kept on happening a few times without any sighting of the tigress. Yes, I did see the tall elephant’s shit dung on the road. I laughed and told Gagan, “Salla! If not Spotty, at least we saw elephant’s potty today.” That, I guess was the only consolation today for us as we laughed aloud on our bad luck.

We drove back towards the ruined fort of Bandhavgarh, which is closed for tourists now. I saw old ruined horse stables where the kings and rulers of this place would keep their horses. On a steep height was situated the sheshnag idol. After walking a steep flight of stone steps, there is a huge pond with a waterfall flowing into it. Inside the pond is the stone idol of Vishnu sleeping on the sheshnag. On the extreme left is the Shiv Linga and the Trishul. After saying a prayer, we marched on towards the exit of the park. Gagan also showed me small shelters made of tree trunks, which were used to keep the elephants during their training sessions. Some were tied in chains. These were used as labour to pick up trunks, fetch water or clear up roads. They were taught to respond to name calls, sounds and navigate jeeps and other traffic.

How five hours passed, I did not know, but I do know that we did get a lot of jungle footage and did see many animals, not to mention, elephant potty.

By adminin Bandhavgarh, India, Madhya Pradesh, others

Ek Tha Tiger, Naam Charger

October 10, 2018

I plonked out of my bed at 5:00 am in the morning and tea was served to me by 5:30 am. We were in our safari open jeeps used by most resorts in the Bandhavgarh wildlife sanctuary and, mind you, there are 40 odd lodges and resorts in this area. I wasted no time in loading my mega zoom 200×400 lens in my camera. After all, I had to catch all the animals and birds up close and that is exactly what happened.

The sun came up as we entered the forest reserve area. We took the dusty road into the dense forest full off bamboo trees and green shrubs. At the onset, I was lucky to catch a glimpse of the white spotted deer, the sambar, the jackal and the 12 horned deer called the Barasingha. We followed the pugmarks of a tiger on the dusty tracks and trailed the beast. However, we could not get a glimpse of the animal, as it would disappear deep into the woods. We tried many times. We even tried to hear the morning calls of the animals, especially the monkeys and the deer to give us a clue if the tiger was nearby strolling in the vicinity. The forest was very quiet today and it was chilly with a nip in the air. I had forgotten to carry my jacket, which is a must for morning safari.

“You know, Charger was the most famous tiger of Bandhavgarh. He was ferocious and ruled the jungle for a decade. He was big, strong and ferocious. He was the pride of the jungle as everyone wanted to see ‘Charger the tiger’ when they came to the forest for safari. He would walk fearlessly on the road and dirt tracks. At times, he would stand in front of the tourist jeeps from where he would charge and attack the jeeps. That is why he was called Charger. It was his way of showing off his dominance as if to say that the road and the forest belonged to him. He lived till the age of twelve and then died.” Gagan explained to me in great detail on the history of Charger the famous tiger of the forest. “So where did he die?” I asked. “Oh, just behind there.” Gagan pointed toward a grassy patch. As if on cue, our jeep driver drove us to the very point where Charger died. There was a huge signboard in his memory. “Looks like he did wonders for the tourism in this area.” I saluted the beast and his legacy.

It was getting hot now and we decided to stop for breakfast. In the forest, there is a resting point where you can sit on your jeep and have breakfast. The local villagers serve tea and snacks. Families can be seen having a picnic. It is a kind of halfway safari point. The morning safari is from 5:30 am to 11:00 am. So, we decided to dedicate our last hour looking for the tiger. This time, we tried the ponds and the watering holes of the forest and tried to follow pugmarks. However, the beast remained elusive and shy and did not show up in spite of our efforts.

It was back to the resort by 11:00 am. I was happy to get some great snaps of birds and some other animals including the langurs. Nevertheless, it was the story of Charger, the pride of Bandhavgarh that stayed with me. Indeed, Ek Tha Tiger, grrrrhh grrhh grrhhh…

By adminin India, Kerala, others

Fishing at the Lake of Eco Park – Cochin

April 30, 2018

The April heat was on our heads but we persisted with our week-long shooting schedule without a hitch. Our next spot was the Eco Park and its lake on the outskirts of Cochin. There is an entrance fee to enter and you have to pay Rs 250 extra to take the camera equipment. One is greeted with a row of palm trees, huts and tin shelters. On one side is the kitchen that serves lunch and meals. In the middle is a huge muddy lake which has wooden huts with straw roofs right in the centre. One can sit on many benches near the pond and fish. It was the first time I did fishing and, man, one needs a lot of patience for it. I got a lot of fishes and then posed for the camera with one of my fishes in one hand and the fishing rod in the other. I sat on beach swings and spoke about tales of life. But the most fun was taking a bicycle ride around the lake. I loved it and it was also a great exercise for me as I paddled my way in circles around the pond. I almost slipped into the pond but I managed to jump back into the safety of the land.

The fish I caught was fresh and that was the one I gave to the cooking staff to cook. They made a delicious fish curry and even steamed prawns with the usual Kerala rice and sambar. The Eco Park has been built so that man and nature can live together in harmony and coexist without troubling each other’s habitat. Fresh fish is cooked instantly and I had it for supper. All plants and vegetables are grown with natural fertilisers with no chemicals and additives mixed into the soil.

I took long walks around the lake and engaged to do some paddle boating with my film crew. I was spotted by an Asianet news crew who were also shooting a TV show at the Eco Park. I was able to chat with them and told them about my blog www.tikksutravelthon.in. I also showed them my videos and enquired about their shooting equipment. I hope they give me some promotion but still, it was fun to learn from them.

The kitchen was clean with taps to wash up and the food arrived with extra sambar and papad served if one needed it. The bony fried fish was my favourite with green chutney. The sun was about to set and a cool breeze started to flow as we decided to pack up and head back to our hotel after another day of adventure with nature.

By adminin others

The Kings of the Jungle at the Rajaji National Park

December 23, 2016

The Rajaji National Park was my next destination as Janak Singh, my friend from Welham Boys’ coaxed me into a trip to see the wildlife of this place. Situated in Rishikesh, about an hour’s drive from Dehradun, it is an old wildlife reserve. Janak was a director at the park and helped develop the park during his younger days. So, needless to say, we easily got a booking and all the staff had come forward to make our stay a memorable one. “You see Anuj, the animal safari in Africa that you just saw is nothing compared to the tigers of the Rajaji Park. Now you need to observe and admire the Indian jungles and what better man to take you there than me. I have been the director of the park for a few years and I know it like the back of my hand.” He said boastfully.

The staff of the park packing mutton, vegetables and other requirements.

We had packed 3 kg of mutton and stopped over to shop for fruits and vegetables on the way. We reached the park in the afternoon and dumped our stuff in the bungalow provided to us.

12231 — Janak busy chatting with the local staff.

Janak was busy chatting with the local staff and the game wardens as I strolled around trying to test my new Canon Mark IV camera taking shots of the sunset and monkeys that ran amok in the garden near our bungalow.

Presenting a bottle of single malt whiskey.

We lighted up a huge bonfire and the cooks got busy cooking the mutton in the kitchen as I opened a new bottle of single malt and offered the liquor to all in the sundry.

It was great to see everyone enjoying the night near the fire. After all, it was getting a wee bit cold. Discussions centered on the Beatles and the Maharishi Ashram for which Rishikesh is very famous for.

Janak and the park staff around the bonfire.

The locals wanted to do a film and a cultural festival for which they wanted to invite important directors and other celebrities. I got an invite too and promised to do a documentary when I come to the park next time.

The next morning, a beautiful dawn, a new beginning. — The next morning, a beautiful dawn, another beginning.

Next morning was rock and roll time as we took a gypsy with gunmen inside the jungle and navigated its thick foliage and muddy terrain. After some time, we started walking on foot as we had to climb a bit. It was there that I first saw the pug marks of the tiger and the marks of its claws on the bark of a nearby tree.

It seemed that the tiger had been trailing a buffalo, the one owned by the Gujjar family who lived in the forest. “These bloody vermin are a curse to the jungles. These Gujjar Naiads from Kashmir come into the jungle and destroy it by cutting trees and letting their buffalos go amok. We have tried so many times to relocate them but they don’t listen. They keep coming back and destroy the natural habitat of the forest.” Janak said angrily.

12237 — Trekking through the park and looking for tiger marks.

The climb was steep and I had to navigate small streams to move ahead. Luckily, we were able to sight bucks and deer at the banks of the dry stream. The climb back was uphill and a bit steep but I managed to make it. It left me exhausted but the trip was worth it. With monkeys and langurs on the way, we managed to get a good look at the wildlife of the area.

12235 — The park was filled with monkeys and langurs of all kinds.

At midnight, we did a night safari and went deep into the jungle. Someone had left a scooter in a ditch nearby and looked suspicious. One of the forest guards took action and noted its number to report its sighting. Suddenly, a Sambar ran out on the road and Janak took a snap of it. With the headlight shining on it, it was a rare shot.