A date with the big cats

Tadoba tiger reserve

The afternoon sun was mild and pleasant. A dozen or so open-roofed ‘gypsies’ (jeeps) had lined up before the gate across the game road. There was a melee of people: forest officials, guides, drivers, and a sizeable gathering of tourists and photographers.

The place was Tadoba; the largest and the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra. Having shot into fame after frequent sightings of the mighty tiger, the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is an immensely popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and researchers.

We had planned the trip to Tadoba well ahead of time in order to secure the much-in-demand accommodation and the jeep safaris. The flight from Bangalore to Nagpur in the morning, the three-hour drive to Chandrapur, and finally, to the resort in Tadoba had taken up a big chunk of the day.

Tadoba, in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, lies in the central region of India known for its dense jungles. The undulating slopes at the foot of Chimur Hill ranges that are covered with tropical, deciduous forests, interspersed with green grassy meadows, form a pristine habitat for a variety of wildlife. The vast perennial reservoir of Irai on the periphery of the sanctuary, as well as a few lakes including the scenic and expansive Tadoba Lake, ensure that the denizens of the jungle have enough to drink. Neelkhant, our guide, joined us with the entry permit. No sooner were the gates thrown open, vehicles zoomed into the forest as though in a rally. Of late, several tigers have been  sighted in Tadoba. A tigress and four of her cubs prowling around the forests surrounding the Telia Lake ( and hence called Telia cubs) have been sighted repeatedly. Thus, it was of little wonder that we chose to explore the area around the waterhole called Jamun Jora, which derives its name from a huge jamun tree. Parking the jeep at a suitable distance from the waterhole, we waited anxiously with cameras in hand. In the hour-long wait, the only animal that drifted gingerly to the water was a barking deer!

With no success on the second day either, the third day’s safari was deviated to Telia Lake as per Neelkhant’s suggestion. The guides not only knew the forest like the back of their hand, but had an uncanny ability at guessing the movements of animals, especially the tigers. With fond hopes of sighting a tiger, we scurried through the jungle, keeping our eyes wide open. As we approached the lake, Neelkhant pointed towards the other bank. A huge tiger was relaxing on the banks across the lake. Thrilled to see the huge male tiger, we moved closer. Named Wagdoh male, it was said to be the father of the cubs. It was half an hour before the other gypsies arrived at the scene; time that we had spent with our trigger-happy fingers on our cameras. The tiger, yawning and looking around relaxedly, got up and moved. Our guide asked the vehicle to be taken to a particular point at which the tiger would cross the road. We raced up the dusty road, arriving just as the graceful beast crossed our path, managing to catch a glimpse of its awe-inspiring majesty.

The following day, good fortune continued to grace us and we managed to sight the four cubs feasting on a wild boar.  When our trip to Tadoba culminated two days later, our minds were lost in our unforgettable experiences.