This was my third trip to the national park, before this I had visited Tadoba Tiger reserve, Chandrapur, (Maharashtra) and Ranthambore National Park, (Rajasthan) but both the times no luck with the tigers, could not even see a single predator except few crocks at Ranthambore.
This year I had planned for Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. Just before the visit, I had the shocking news that only 1400 tigers left in India and around 200 in Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh is the only state which has 4 national parks - Pench, Panna, Kanha & Bandhavgarh.
Bandhavgarh was declared national park in 1968 and got the status of Tiger reserve in 1993. Bandhavgarh National Park & Tiger Reserve located in Madhya Pradesh appox. 130 Km away from Jabalpur was spread in 1100 sq km and has 64 tigers. Out of 1100 sq km only 105 sq km were opened for public which had 26 Tigers and little cubs which are not yet counted. Tiger population is slowly growing here, all credits goes to Chief Forest Officer of Bandhavgarh Mr. A. Shrivastav and his team and few local youngster who themselves understand importance’s of forest and from their initiatives they founded one NGO which not only spreads the message of “Saving the Tigers and Jungles” but along with that they make sure all the local tribal’s should get jobs and understand importance of Jungle and Tigers in their life and they will stop helping poachers for few thousand rupees and due to this it is working very well there.
We reached the Katani Railway station early morning at around 01:00am, from there travelled nearly 100 Km to our resort near the National Park. The road towards the resort passes from the national park, as you enter the park area, we need to pass the two check point at every point you have make entry of your vehicle. Road has been secured by the metal fencing to prevent the wild animal to come on the road but they still manage to do so as our driver who is local from the same area stated telling stories about the tiger sitting in the road and blocking it for hours.
Very soon we found that it was very true, in the dark night few animals crossed the road. We saw a herd of spotted dears and very soon we realized that they are every where. We waited there to take their pictures. It was a chill night and temperature was about 06-08 degrees and on that lonely road suddenly we heard something, deer’s started vanishing in a flash, as per our driver it might be leopard’s roar we saw nothing but automatically our window glasses came up. We waited for a while but it was hard to see anything around in that dark night.
We reached the resort at 04:30 hrs, as per the schedule our first trip in Jungle would start at 05:45 Hrs but everybody was tired after 18 hours of long journey but still gathered on
time to watch the king. In our dinning room we were introduced to our driver Mr. Tirath Singh he came with an open Gypsy. There were already 10-15 Gypsy’s near the gate. It was mandatory in the national park to use only four wheelers and was accompanied by one guide who was provided by the park authorities and every car had been assigned a route to follow and have to reach at center point which was actually at other side of jungle from where jungle ends and village starts. At the center point you will be assigned one number for the elephant ride but that can be used only in case where tiger is sitting and car cannot reach. There are 2 elephants on duty in the Jungle at a time so you will find everybody in hurry to reach to center point for the elephant ride.
Day – 1 (Morning Safari 06:00 – 10:00)
We were assigned route B, which is the longest route to reach center point. We managed to reach there but still we got No. 25 for the ride. After you reach the center point following the route you can go any where in jungle, but due to the chilled morning hardly any animals were out. After the sun came few animals like spotted dear, wild boars and other herbivores could be seen every where but could only find tigers pug mark and few territory mark on tress and tiger dropping and lots of beautiful birds. There are more than 140 species of bird in the Jungle, but no sign of Tiger. Park timings ended at 10:00 am and we had to return back. We were too disappointed the first day when we got the news that tigers were seen in the evening Safari.
Day-2
Next morning we managed to get No. 15 for the elephant ride. Fortunately, one tiger was located which could be seen by elephant but by the time our turn came for the elephant ride, the tiger vanished into the deep forest, but we could clearly hear the Sāmbhar and monkeys giving warning calls to other animals that the king is on the walk. We waited long but had to return back as it was10 am. But as per our driver and guide who were working in the jungle for 16 years, were well known with the habits of the tiger, they also knew their regular patrolling route, so they are very much sure that the same tiger will return back on to that place in the evening around 5 PM, so we made sure to come back in the evening also.
As per the plan we came for evening safari when the parks open at 15:00 till 18:00 and there is no route allotted, we can go any where we want to go in the jungle but just can’t get down from the car , our driver and guide first took us to one place called Vishnu-Sheshshayya , this is an Idol of god Vishnu in a sleeping position which is more than a thirty feet long and 15 feet in height built in somewhere around 16th century and also there is one Shiva ling, which as per the local belief if you take Darshan of this Idol , Tiger sighting is sure. As per the discussion amongst all the drivers we need to be at the spot called Chakradhara which actually is a marshy land, which is supposed to be favorite spot for tiger as there is water and tall grass around, we had to be there at around 16:30hrs but our guide heard a sambhar call which was coming from other direction and hence he took us over there.
All the other cars gathered near Chakradhara but we were in some other direction. Initially we were all a bit angry with our driver and guide as we wanted to go to Chakradhara but both of them were very sure about the tiger presence in that area which is called as Mahamann Dam, a natural dam and one of the source of water for animals. Our guide knew that this area belonged to one tigress with four cubs, they were asking us to keep quiet as they wanted to listen to other animal calls which makes very easy for them to trace the tiger. Our car was moving very slowly in that area, driver spotted pug marks but that was common in the jungle hence none of us paid much attention to them but driver knew that these pug marks were fresh, both of them were very sure that the pug marks belongs to female tigress of that area.
All of them were very confused as we thought normally tiger preferred to walk on road as they have very soft paw. We were in that area for 15 minutes but only pug marks all around us and no other car was in that area , our guide advised that the tigress must be watching us which increased both our anxiousness as well the fear because our car was open ……….. . Finally that wonderful moment arrived and we spotted a tail which vanished in the bushes. Driver was very much sure that this was a tiger, that spot was just 25 meters away from us and my wait was over after three years. Tiger was sitting very quietly, distance between our car and tiger was hardly 20 feet we could clearly see him, guide gave us warning not to do any big movements or not to make any kind of voice which might distract the animal, he continued to give information about that tiger actually she was the same tigress which belongs to that area called as Mahamann Tigress, she had four cubs they were not with her, she was alone that time, she was looking for a hunt. I just wondered if she chose any one amongst us for treat but she looked at us once and ignored. She sat there for about 3 minutes; we just kept on staring at her and literally forgot to take her snaps initially because she was so beautiful. We then started clicking her snaps; she was then walking parallel to our car for some distance and then decided to cross the road right in front of our car which was amazing. Then she went inside the tall grass and vanished we waited there for some time but no signs later on. We felt very much lucky and to be honored by one tigress to see her in the Jungle and everybody of us bowed down for the beautiful creation of nature and god.
I felt we were just too much lucky on that particular day. While coming back we saw around 40 cars gathered around at one place and some body told that they all are expecting that one tiger will surely pass from there. It was very hard to believe that how the tiger will appear in front of 40 cars and around 350 people………… but when KING decides to pass through one road he will do that and then no one can stop ……….. And that's exactly what happened literally one big male tiger came out from the bushes and gave one repulsive stare to all of us and crossed the road in front of us and again disappeared in the thick forest. He just made us feel that how small are humans in the GOD made world and especially in the Jungle. He was undisputed king of the Jungle, “HE CAME, HE SAW, HE WALKED and WON THE SHOW”. He was B-2 that is actually his name means Bachha no. 2 (Cub No.2). He was the biggest and oldest male in Bandhavgard. He was 12 years old and about 14 feet long from head to tell. I can hardly explain him in the word, his muscular body, his dynamic walk with a Kings attitude it was the best thing I ever saw in my entire life his sighting was accomplishment of my trip.
Lots of lessons learned from this trip, the biggest one is “An Initiative”. We talk so much about this word in our daily office routine but when I saw this live example of few villagers who hardly passed their Secondary exams, but they learned English, computers and internet and they can very well communicate with any foreigner in English. They have found one small group to help the local villager to get jobs. They are training youngsters about the jungle to help them to earn from it.
And last but not the least, of course want to spread a message “Save the Jungle and Save the Tiger”
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