23.02.2019
I woke up this morning at 05:00. They had asked me last night, if I wanted breakfast before the safari, but I had just ordered tea and it was waiting for me in the lobby at 05:30.
It was still pitch black dark this early in the morning and I reached Moharli Gate at 05:45 – the ticket window was still closed. But the jeeps and guides were slowly arriving already. Some visitors were there as well, but I was 2nd in line at the ticket window. Ahead of me was an Indian couple from Kolkatta who had been with me on the Canter Bus yesterday and we talked about how cool it had been seeing the Tiger. Their photos turned out very nice as well. The bus driver had taken the camera from the man and had taken some photos for him, because he could not climb up high enough on the rail to see for himself. Today they had no booking for the Canter Bus and were hoping for a last-minute seat. But it was weekend and very busy.
The ticket window opened at 06:00 on the dot. The lights went on, the lady officer sat behind the desk and business started. Today I handed her my passport and Rs 650. I only said – Canter Bus! Thank you! – And she smiled at me and did the Indian head bobble.
The head bobble or Indian head shake is such a common gesture in India. The motion usually consists of a side-to-side tilting of the head in arcs along the coronal plane. A form of nonverbal communication, it may mean “Yes”, “Good”, “maybe”, “OK” or “I understand”, depending on the context. It can also be acknowledgment or encouragement. But it is not always associated with yes and is used often in place of no when the person does not want to actually say no. So, it basically could mean anything and after some weeks in India I find myself using the same head bobble as well more often than not.
This morning the lady officer used it in a positive sense and smiling she handed me passport and ticket back. – 07:00 by the gate! – The couple from Kolkatta were not as lucky, the Canter Busses were fully booked, but they got seats on the Forest Bus, which is just a regular bus, but follows the same routes.
It was the other Canter Bus this morning with #8159, but I had the same seat # 1. The bus had been bulk booked by a company on an incentive weekend. They all came from Pune. I think the Divisional Forest Officer had given me the spare seat out of pity, because I begged so much in my e-mails. The group was nice and they sure had fun with the odd foreigner on their bus. They had been on that bus yesterday afternoon and had the same animal encounters. Quickly we had something to talk about! – That Tiger was magnificent, was it not? – Did you see how it moved! – It was so cool! – And the Wild Dogs on the road, did you see them? – Where are you from? – Can we take a group photo, please?
The Canter Bus departed at 07:00 and took the same route around Telia Lake as yesterday. The sun was just rising behind the forest. It was still very fresh so early. Lucky I had taken my long-sleeved shirt and my jacket along.
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There were not many animals around this morning. But the ever-present Spotted Deer were around as well as some Sambar Deer and quite a few Peacocks.
Behind the tall grass on the lake shore we saw a peacock displaying his tail feathers in a fan. Males use their ornate trains in a courtship display – they raise the feathers into a fan and quiver them.
From the main road one of the guides also spotted an Indian Blue Bull in the bushes. The Nilgai or Blue Bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is the largest Asian antelope and is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. The sole member of the genus Boselaphus, the species was described and given its binomial name by German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. A sturdy thin-legged antelope, the Nilgai is characterised by a sloping back, a deep neck with a white patch on the throat, a short crest of hair along the neck terminating in a tuft and white facial spots. It is diurnal – active mainly during the day. Nilgai prefer areas with short bushes and scattered trees in scrub forests and grassy plains. Major populations occur in the Terai lowlands in the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern India. It was first thought to be extinct in Bangladesh, but it was found there in January 2019. Hindus revere the Nilgai as sacred and associate it with the cow, the mother animal in Hinduism, through its name and loosely similar physical features. I was always fascinated by the coloured pattern in their ears, the few times I saw Blue Bull on safaris.
Driving deeper into the core zone towards the common hang outs of the Tigers, we passed some strange-looking trees. – Those are Ghost Trees! – The guide told me. – Sterculia Urens – A small to medium-sized tree with a pale-coloured trunk, it is commonly known as Ghost Tree, Kulu, Indian Tragacanth, Gum Karaya or Katira. With horizontally-spreading branches, it is growing to a max height of approx 15 m. The bark is smooth, fibrous and thick, greenish-grey, with the surface layer peeling off in large flakes. It changes colour throughout the year. At the moment the trees had no leaves or flowers and the bark looked ghostly white in contrast to the red earth of Tadoba.
The ground consisted seemingly of the same red dust laterite I had already encountered in Matheran. The forest was thin enough for sunlight to reach the floor, but thick enough to camouflage the wildlife and the Langurs to move about on the trees with ease.
Our driver was looking everywhere for a Tiger, but without any luck. Since mobile phones were banned in the park, the guides and drivers could not communicate with each other either. So they searched by sight and experience. The most common tiger hang outs are obviously the different waterholes. Then they looked out for jeeps and the other busses – a cluster of vehicles usually meant a sighting of a big cat. But they also looked for Tiger pugmarks.
Pugmark is the term used to refer to the footprint of most animals – especially megafauna. “Pug” means foot in Hindi. Every individual animal species has a distinct pugmark and as such this is used for identification. Wildlife conservationists are known to catalogue pugmarks in the areas they operate. Pugmarks are also used for tracking rogue animals which may be a danger to mankind or even to themselves because of injuries etc. It is possible to make an accurate identification of species, sex, age and physical condition of an animal by those trained in the field.
In India, Pugmark Tracking involves collection of pugmark tracings and plaster casts from the field and analysis of these separately for individual male, female and cub of tiger and leopard and their diagnostic track dimensions and spatial distribution.
When we reached the waterhole where we observed the big Tiger yesterday, it was absolutely deserted today. No animals there and no vehicles also. But the guides found fresh Tiger pugmarks on the road there. They said, since it is safari time, those marks were no more than 15 min old otherwise they would have already disappeared under vehicle tracks.
Well, Tiger foot prints are almost as good as the real thing. I had seen Tiger foot prints already a few times. My first encounter was in 2011 when visiting the Sundabarns in Bangladesh. From the tour boat we were staying at, we went for a beach walk in the morning and there were fresh pugmarks of a Tigress and cubs there. We never saw a tiger in the 3 days we were on that tour, though.
In 2017 I went to Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Reserve in Tamil Nadu to see Tigers. I was not lucky there either – again we only saw pugmarks. However one morning we did see very fresh Tiger scat. The poop was no more than 15 min old, our guide told us back then. Well, that was as close as I ever got to a Tiger before coming to Tadoba. It was nevertheless exciting.
Having checked any possible water hole and Tiger hiding place twice this morning the bus driver eventually had to give up and started the drive back to the gate. The morning safaris have to exit the park by 10:30.
We passed the 120 ha large Tadoba Lake which lies in the Southwest of the National Park and acts as a buffer between the park’s forest and the extensive farmland which extends up to Irai water reservoir. This lake is a perennial water source which offers a good habitat for Muggar Crocodiles to thrive. We did not see one today, but we watched a Pallas’s Fish Eagle taking a bath on the lake shore.
Pallas’s Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus) is a large, brownish Fish Eagle which breeds in northern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is partially migratory. It has a light brown hood over a white face. The wings are dark brown and the back rufous, darker underneath. The tail is black with a wide, distinctive white stripe.
The Canter Bus arrived back at the gate at 10:30. It was a nice safari this morning, but nothing special. I guess, I cannot see a Tiger every day ….
Back in the hotel I had breakfast – fried eggs with toast and jam and then took a 2 hrs siesta. There is not much else to do in Moharli other than safaris. And the midday heat is scorching. While in the morning on safari it was very fresh, now the sun had climbed high in the blue sky and the temperature was approaching 35°C – the right time to take a nap in my air-conditioned room!
Mr. Shubham Dhimole from Tadoba Tiger Valley Resort – who the Divisional Forest Officer had brought me into contact with for the jeep safari permits – had written me, he would be coming before the afternoon safari and bring me the online jeep safari bookings. I might even have stayed in the Tadoba Tiger Valley Resort myself, but they are not on any of the relevant booking platform, so I did not have it on my radar before.
Mr. Shubham Dhimole arrived around 13:00 and I went down to meet him in the lobby. He had managed to book me 2 afternoon jeep safaris on the Tatkal quota – one for this afternoon and one for the next afternoon. Since the Divisional Forest Officer had asked him, he did not charge me an extra fee on the bookings-Thank you so much! I just had to pay him the online fee – which was only the permit. That was Rs 4100 per safari. When checking in at the park gate I would have to pay more for jeep and guide.
My first jeep safari was this afternoon and it was starting from Kuswanda Gate, not Moharli. I could not be picky, I was happy I had gotten a jeeps safari at all. Luckily the Kuswanda Gate was only 15 km to the North of Moharli. Mr. Shubham Dhimole had been so kind to order a jeep for me to bring me there and back as well, but I had to leave immediately to reach the gate in time for the 14:00 safari. So I ran up to grab my camera bag, water and jacket and off I went.
The ride to Kuswanda Gate took approx 30 min through small agricultural villages. The road was narrow and most of the time was a red gravel track or had a concrete surface. Midday there was not much traffic.
The gate was clearly not much used. Only 4 vehicles were allowed in here per safari. I paid in the little gate house Rs 2700 for the jeep, Rs 300 for a guide and Rs 250 camera fee.
I did have discussions with my e-mail-friend, the Divisional Forest Office, on why it is not possible to share jeeps. I was alone and had to shell out Rs 7100 just for permit, jeep and guide. I would have gladly shared, because this permit and jeep are good for 6 people – well, Indians squeeze in 6, but it only fits 4 foreigners. Unfortunately, there is no chance of last-minute sharing, even though especially at the weekend there are always people without bookings that would love to go. With foreigners not being able to book online independently via the park’s website, that would be a huge advantage. Well … today I had the jeep all to myself.
The safari jeeps are all Maruti Gypsy, 4×4 vehicle based on the Suzuki Jimny series. It is primarily an off-road vehicle or a vehicle for rough unprepared roads. It was introduced to the Indian market in 1985, assembled at the Maruti Suzuki’s Gurgaon plant, but production of the Maruti Gypsy ended in 2018. In India, the Gypsy is widely used by the police and military forces, but especially as safari vehicle in the many national parks.
I had tried to find out, if it was worth to pay so much money, or if I would be fine only doing Canter Bus safaris. The DFO had said, if I did 6 Canter Bus safaris I would have the same chances to see wild life like on the jeeps. They kept saying that the Gypsies can access very narrow roads as well providing advantage when Tigers or other animals are in dense forest patches where a Canter Bus cannot reach and that the lower seating height of a Gypsy offers a better angle than the Canter Bus for wildlife photography – I will see today, if all that is true, always keeping in a mind that Tiger sightings are a matter of chance and experienced guides & drivers will be an advantage. Tigers and other wild animals do not care whether it is a Gypsy or a Canter Bus. When they decide to come out, they will. But a Gypsy is having the advantage of being light weight with a 4 x 4 engine, it can move more quickly as per the animal movement.
Once I had the paperwork and payment sorted, I had to change the Gypsy. Gypsies and guides get selected apparently by a special system and have no influence in the matter. It was not my driver’s turn, so he would wait for me at the gate until I come back.
It turned out that also from Kuswanda Gate the safari followed exactly the same routes as the Canter Bus from Moharli Gate. From the gate it was not far along a gravel track until we reached the main road just a few hundred meters before the secondary gate, where everybody had to sign in to get into the core zone.
My guide did not seem too enthusiastic either, but we drove to all the Tiger hot spots. Of course, they tried all the water holes, especially the one where Matkasur was seen yesterday, but nothing there. We found a cluster of Gypsies on a gravel track near a waterhole waiting for something to happen. They said there were pugmarks and a Tigress with 2 cups had crossed the road here maybe an hour ago. Now we had to wait if she might return ….
There was not much wildlife out and about this afternoon in any case. We saw Spotted Deer and Sambar Deer, but there were absolutely no alarm calls from deer either. But we still waited with maybe 6 other Gypsies … When we moved again, we did take a different track than the bus, but after a short while we ended up on the same track as the Canter Bus again. They did get excited once, because there was a concentration of Gypsies and Canter Busses near the larger Waterhole, but it was false alarm – no Tiger there either.
Just a few ever-present Great Egrets. The Great Egret (Ardea alba) – also known as the common egret, large egret or great white heron – is a large, widely distributed egret found in Asia, Africa, the Americas and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water. Apart from size, the Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet. It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted and walks with its neck extended and wings held close.
Eventually it was time to return to the gate and on the way back we at least saw some Hanuman Langurs playing. They always hang out in groups and seem to eat or play all the time. Here they were intendedly watching their mates playing it up in a tree.
When passing Tadoba Lake there was also a Mugger Crocodile lying at the shore in the sun – finally something exciting! The Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) – also called marsh crocodile or broad-snouted crocodile – is a crocodilian native to freshwater habitats on the Indian subcontinent. It is extinct in Bhutan and Myanmar and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1982. It is a medium-sized crocodile that inhabits lakes, rivers, marshes and artificial ponds. Both young and adult mugger crocodiles dig burrows where they retreat when temperature drops below 5 °C or exceeds 38 °C.
Central India is home to all sorts of small and big fascinating creatures – but it is easy to forget, that there is more to its wildlife than elusive big and small cats. We spotted some Sambar Deer bathing in the lake near the shore. It looked like they were munching on the water plants in the shallows.
That was all the excitement for this afternoon on the expensive Gypsy Safari …. The thought came to my mind that I should have stuck to the Canter Bus safaris …. The only thing different from the Canter Bus was that I was in the Gypsy completely covered in red dust! Sitting lower in the open Gypsy – dust went everywhere! In every crack and cranny …
Back at Kuswanda Gate I changed the Gypsy again and the driver brought me back to Moharli. Passing the villages just before sunset was interesting as well. The Villagers were finishing their days’ work on the fields. Ox carts filled with straw or people were rattling along the narrow road.
Being so close to the Tiger Reserve there were warning signs everywhere – in English and in local language. The animals do not know the boundaries of the park. There are no fences around the reserve. They do wander about.
We passed goat herds being led home to safe enclosures for the night. Of course they used the easiest way home – the road.
On the way I watched the sun setting over the villages and fields – Damn, that would be the perfect time and occasion for a sundowner cocktail … Would it not be fabulous, if that Tiger Inn had a roof top terrace with a bar?
The Gypsy driver dropped me off at the main village junction just 50 m from my hotel. I had to pay him Rs 2000 for this return transfer to Kuswanda Gate. I could not have walked it and also there were no other options to get there. At the corner shop I bought more water, Apple Fizz – for my belated sundowner with medicinal vodka – and longenzes against the dust in my throat when on safari. They sell all kinds of candy for Rs 1 a piece and sometimes, when they have no small money for change, they will give candy as that.
I arrived back in hotel later than the day before due to the drive from Kuswanda Gate. Dinner was already waiting. I had ordered less today – only Palak Paneer and Rice. They were happy, when I finished it all.
Later I sat in the lobby for a while to post some photos and do some interneting. But it was a nearly night for me again. I did have a TV in my room, but absolutely no English channel on it. Hundreds of local channels, though. I asked the guy at reception if he could activate at least one of the English movie channels – they just had to call the provider and book the channel – and he tried, but did not succeed. Well, I was beat anyway – safari and animal spotting is tiring – it was an early night once again.
24.02.2019
The next morning I was up again before dawn. My tea awaited me in the lobby already at 05:30 again. I quickly checked for messages online and then walked to Morharli Gate.
The ticket window opened on the dot 06:00 as usual and the friendly lady officer smiled at me Good Morning. Without any fuss I got my ticket for Canter Bus #8159 again and running # 1 as well. The bus was leaving at 07:00 as usual and there were some of the same people on it like the first after noon when we spotted Matkasur. While waiting for the bus I had to pose for numerous photos with my fellow visitors. Having spent a couple of months in India now – and mainly in off-the-beaten-tourist-track areas – I was used to being the model already ….
As every morning there was a long line up of jeeps at the gate. Once the visitors, guides and drivers had done the necessary paperwork – which is substantial, I tell you – the jeeps lined up waiting for the gate to open. And the gate did not open a second before 06:30! No chance!
The Canter Bus took the same route as every time along the Telia Lake and to the secondary gate for sign in. Then onto the circuit checking the common waterholes. On the way we saw the usual Spotted Deer, some Sambar Deer, Hanuman Langurs and plenty peacocks as well.
At Matkasur’s waterhole there was nothing – no Tiger, but also no other animals around. It was totally deserted. We spotted Tiger pugmarks again, though. They looked very fresh. They said a Tiger crossed the road there between the water holes only minutes before – nobody had seen him, though.
On the biggest water hole of the circuit we waited for a long time … a very long time … There was much to see there, though. Spotted Deer came to the shore to drink. They were totally relaxed, but it looked as if one of them was constantly keeping a look out – mainly in the direction of the cluster of jeeps and busses.
On the shore directly in front of the bus an Indian Grey Mongoose ran across from one side to the other. The Indian Grey Mongoose – or common grey mongoose – (Herpestes edwardsi) is mainly found in West Asia and on the Indian subcontinent in open forests, scrublands and cultivated fields, often close to human habitation. It lives in burrows, hedgerows and thickets, among groves of trees and takes shelter under rocks or bushes and even in drains. It is very bold and inquisitive but wary, seldom venturing far from cover. Usually found singly or in pairs, it preys on rodents, snakes, birds’ eggs and hatchlings, lizards and a variety of invertebrates. The Indian Grey Mongoose has tawny grey or iron-grey fur, which is more grizzled, stiffer and coarser than that of other mongooses.
While staring out on the water of the pond I spotted a Crocodile sticking its snout out of the water. The others first did not believe me – I had seen it through my long camera lens – but then the guides spotted it through the binoculars as well. I did not think that a Mugger Crocodile would live in such a small water body, but it was definitely a Crocodile – and the Mugger Crocodile is a good traveler even on land and if the pool of fresh water they live is dried up, they will travel a long distance to find more water.
The Mugger Crocodile has a very broad snout, which is what primarily gives them the look of an American Alligator. Their head is fairly flattened on the top and the eyes, ears and nostrils are on the same level. This permits the Mugger Crocodile to both see and hear, as well as to smell while they are nearly all the way under the water.
Later a Peacock came also down to the waterline to drink. He was close to where we had spotted the Crocodile, but did not have a care in the world.
There were many Peacocks around here today again. One was doing his courtship dance right by the shoreline. We did not see the females, though. But they were most probably on the little island in the middle of the pond and out of our sight. That Peacock danced right in that direction.
Another highlight we spotted was the little Pied Kingfisher hovering over the pond hunting. The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is found widely distributed across Africa and Asia and was originally described by Linnaeus in 1758. Its black and white plumage, crest and the habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish make it distinctive. The Pied Kingfisher is estimated to be one of the 3 most numerous kingfishers in the world – the other 2 are the Common Kingfisher and the Collared Kingfisher. It kept hovering above the pond, looking for fish near the surface of the water, diving down when it saw an opportunity for a catch and resurfacing a couple of seconds later.
After a long time observing and waiting for a big cat the bus had to leave. Time was running out again. On the way we saw a herd of Spotted Deer right next to the road. They were munching away and no alarm calls sounded in the vicinity – That meant no Tiger was anywhere nearby …
On the way back to the gate we passed Tadoba Lake as usual. There was always something going on there and it was no different this morning. An Oriental Honey Buzzard was searching for food on the shoreline. The Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) is a bird of prey, but despite its name, this species is not related to Buteo Buzzards and is taxonomically closer to the Kites. It appears long-necked with a small head and soars on flat wings. It has a long tail and a short head crest. It is brown above, but not as dark as European honey buzzard, and pale below. Unusually for a large bird of prey, the sexes can be distinguished. The male has a blue-grey head, while the female’s head is brown. It is a summer migrant to Siberia, wintering in tropical Southeast Asia. Elsewhere, it is more or less resident. The Honey Buzzard is a specialist feeder, living mainly on the larvae of social bees and wasps and eating bits of comb and honey – it takes other small insect prey such as cicadas.
At 10:30 sharp the Canter Bus was back at Moharli Gate. There was a small souvenir shop across the road from the gate and I went to check it out. They had some nice fridge magnets, a lot of great t-shirts – pity I never wear printed shirts … There were sun hats and caps as well as coffee mugs. Bingo! I had an idea! My peeps in Assam wanted a present, when I saw a Tiger in Tadoba. – Bring me a Tiger cub! – He said … OK! I bring you a Tiger cup with a Tiger cub on it!
Back at the hotel I did the online check in for my Air India flight to Delhi. It was only in 2 days, but what is done is done. At least I knew the flight it not cancelled – yet. I also asked at reception, if they could arrange a taxi to Chandrapur, but they could not. I am not even sure there are taxis here other than the Gypsies. However, the guy said there is a bus going twice a day – obviously timed with safaris – at 11:30 and 18:30 and the bus stop is just outside the hotel. Well, that was good enough for me. The 11:30 bus would suit me perfectly. There would be more busses from Chandrapur to Nagpur where I had reserved a hotel for one night before flying to Delhi the next morning.
That all sorted I took my mandatory noon siesta until 13:00. Those naps are wonderful. I learnt to take power naps in the middle of the day a long time ago when I started working on ships. With a 7 day work week for several months and the daily hours being long as well, sometimes it is just necessary to take a power nap when there is time. So sleeping short and deep during lunch break is something I have perfected over the years and I can sleep anywhere and on command – Now you have 45 min break, set the alarm, close your eyes, sleep!
Refreshed I wandered to the park gate and checked in for my afternoon Gypsy safari at 13:30. While the Canter Bus always left later, the Gypsy safaris leave with gate opening at 14:00. The friendly lady officer on the ticket window gave me a huge smile and thumbs up when she saw I handed her the online booking sheet with my passport this time. – Oh! Online booking! Gypsy safari! Good for you! – As soon as I had gotten registered by her, somebody came to do the rest of the formalities. I had to pay again Rs 2700 for the jeep, Rs 350 for the guide and Rs 250 camera fee and was pointed to a Gypsy parked nearby. I waited there and soon enough a guide and driver showed up and we lined up at the gate. I was the first jeep in line!
Some Indian tourists came to ask me, if they could share my gypsy for the safari. Obviously they had not gotten a permit online either and maybe did not want to go on the Canter Bus. I told them, I would gladly share with them, but I did not think it was allowed. And I was right – they were told by my guide, the driver and gate officer – no chance! Pity, because I would have had no problem to share the jeep and then split the cost with them. It showed me that not only I had the problem with booking and sharing …
This time the jeep took the same route again like the bus before – around Telia Lake. There were absolutely no animals around … It turned out that during the midday safari break a Tiger had wandered about around here. We spotted Tiger Pugmarks right along the track. We missed the Tiger, though and once again had to make do with a photo of the foot print …
Since there was not much to see, we went straight for the secondary gate. For the first time I consciously noticed the ancient pillars alongside the main artery road through the park. I had not seen them well from the Canter Bus, because the view ahead was not as good as to the sides – and on the sides, they had just flown by. But on the Gypsy I could now admire them fully. Apparently they were the first telephone poles in the world. There were many of them along the road – every maybe 100 m or so there was one for at least 2 or 3 km. Between the 14th and 18th century the area around the Tadoba Forest was ruled by a Gond Kingdom with its capital in Chandrapur. The jungle was much denser in those days and like all dense jungles, it also had an ancient temple hidden somewhere in its interiors dedicated to Mahakali, the god of consciousness, the basis of reality and existence. Every now and then the Gond King would visit the temple and offer his prayers to the gods. But a King’s visit was – similar to today – back then not a small affair – a lot of arrangements had to be made. Therefore there was a need to send messages to the temple to let the priests know that the king was on his way and everybody better be ready to receive him. Somebody had the brilliant idea to erect those pillars. Each pillar had a ring on the top, a long rope was made and it was pulled through the ring of each pillar. Now – the Gond Kind had his own personal telegraph line between his capital and the temple in the deep interiors of the jungle! When the king left his residence for the temple, his army would pull the rope to ring a bell at the other end and so send the message to the temple that the king was on his way. This could be related to “pulling some strings” – which is very common in India – maybe that expression had its origin here … or maybe not. Most of the pillars are still in very good condition and it is not uncommon to see Hanuman Langurs sitting on or near them. Each pillar is approx 2.50 to 3 m tall and is made of stones which taper towards the top, where clearly a cut to hold the rope is seen. Well, with the passage of time the Gond Kingdom was lost to invaders and the jungle was slowly taken over once again by the Tigers. But the pillars remain – reminders of the innovative ways of the people of India from time immemorial.
Behind the secondary gate the Gypsy turned into another track – one that I had not gone along before. There had not been a Tiger sighting at all in the park since my first safari 2 days ago. Now the drivers were just searching and hoping to be at the right time at the right place. I guess, the Tigers were busy looking for some shade in this heat and preferably some food in the shade, most probably. Or they knew it was the weekend and the safaris were busy. Why would they come out to show themselves to stupid tourists. They are probably very clever and know exactly what times the jeep-bus-tourist avalanche descends on the park every day and just lounge in the open a few times a week as if to earn their peace and quiet for the rest of the time.
The – for me new – gravel track was interesting, though. We spotted a Black-Winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) sitting on a tree. It is a small bird of prey best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands. This kite is distinctive – with long wings, white, grey and black plumage and owl-like forward-facing eyes. Although mainly seen on plains, they are sometimes seen on grassy slopes of hills in the higher elevation regions of Asia.
We also saw some beautiful male Spotted Deer along the way. The males are somewhat bigger than the females and have great antlers. The Spotted Deer is the most common deer species in Indian forests. It has a lifespan of about 20 to 30 years. The males curved, 3-pronged antlers extend nearly 1 m and shed each year. The size and hardness of it demonstrate their dominance – those with velvet antlers that are still growing or have no horns at all are unlikely to fight for a female’s attention in mating season.
Of course the ever present Hanuman Langurs were also occupying the road again. They just sat there and did not move when our Gypsy passed.
Again the driver was on the lookout for other vehicles. No mobile phones or walkie-talkies were allowed in the park – so the guides had to rely on their instinct, knowledge and seeing other vehicles. Everytime we met another jeep or bus, the drivers and guides would talk about where to go and what they saw and what they heard. A lot of hand signals were involved as well … This time we did not even go to see if there was anything at the regular water holes. Just before the turn of to the first one, my driver and guide spotted a cluster of vehicles way ahead. There was another small water hole there. The view of the water hole was partially blocked by the solar water pump station. Regularly alarm calls from deer sounded in the vicinity. So we waited along with a bunch of other jeeps and busses. But nothing … The guides said, the calls were coming closer … the Tiger is probably just behind the bushes waiting or sleeping …
We waited a long time again – Tiger spotting needs patience! Wait! Be quiet! Wait! Be patient! – But today we were not lucky again. We left and checked all the Tiger hang outs again, but the big cats were hiding … Spotted Deer were lounging in the shade of some trees for a siesta. They did not seem in any way alarmed … Guess, what that meant … No Big Cat around!
Sambar Deer were in the lake again fishing for water plants. Or maybe they were just cooling off from the heat of the day. They did look as if they had fun. A big male Sambar Deer was munching on a tree close to the road. He had big antlers. The males have very long antlers that can develop quite a few points on them.
And of course the ever-present Hanuman Langurs were occupying the road here as well. I think they just love sitting on the hot asphalt. They did not even move when the Gypsy passed them.
It was early when we reached the secondary gate and I was already getting nervous – we did not see a Tiger and now they wanted to get out of the park early? And I paid so much money! It was way before leaving-time! What the heck!?! – But no! We will try Telia Lake again. Maybe something is there. We will see … And then it happened …
Just after passing the secondary gate all of a sudden the driver excitedly called out – Leopard! Leopard! – WHAT??? Where? Where? – Up there, crossing the road! – I see nothing! Where! – There! Up ahead! Now marking his territory! By the big tree!
I saw nothing, but had my camera long lens still ready and was scanning the road ahead. The driver had stopped briefly, but was moving along again towards the animal. And then I saw it! By the side of the road! I just pointed the camera and just kept clicking – the jeep was bumping along and I just hoped that at least one photo would turn out … AND IT DID!!!! Exactly the one when the Leopard looked straight towards us! … Awesome!
The Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because populations have declined following habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts and persecution due to conflict situations. In 2014, a national census of Leopards around Tiger habitats was carried out in India except in the Northeast. 7910 individuals were estimated in surveyed areas and a national total of 12000 – 14000 speculated. Its coat is spotted and rosetted on pale yellow to yellowish brown or golden background – spots fade toward the white underbelly and the insides and lower parts of the legs. Rosettes are most prominent on the back, flanks and hindquarters. The pattern of the rosettes is unique to each individual. The white-tipped tail is 60–100 cm long, white underneath and displays rosettes.
By now 3 of the other Gypsies had reached our position. A couple of them were accompanied by the lady guides I had this morning on the Canter Bus. They all got excited about that Leopard – but it had gone by now. They wanted to see a photo. – Oh, I have to check! – The entire encounter had taken less than a minute – I had taken 10 photos only. But I was so so lucky – a couple of them turned out marvelous! For the circumstances they were perfect. And the best photo was as sharp as it gets under the circumstances – the moment the Leopard noticed the Gypsy barreling along the road towards it. Leopards are known for being shy creatures, zipping back into the bushes at the first sign of humans.
Obviously the cat decided we were no threat, however, and just kept walking along minding its own business. By the time we had reached the spot where the Leopard had been – it had unfortunately gone into the thicket already. But the guide – who was as excited as the driver and me – had spotted the Leopard in the bushes and I could see it walking parallel to the road. The spotted coat was moving along through the bush only 20 m away from us before disappearing further into the forest.
I was totally happy and showed the photos to the guys on the other Gypsy who were stunned as well – a little sad they had missed it, though. But newly motivated we all got going towards Telia Lake for hopefully more exciting sightings. The circuit around Telia Lake was nice in the late afternoon. Unfortunately we did not see any more big cats here. There were the usual Spotted Deer around and we found Tiger pugmarks on the track again – most probably the same marks we saw on the way in … But no Tiger. However, the sunset was particularly beautiful today. We stopped to watch it for a few minutes. It was the perfect ending to a great day!
By now everybody had apparently heard about us seeing the Leopard and every passing jeep stopped and I had to show the photo. A lot of Ooohhhh, Aaahhhhh, Uuuhhhhhh … But the others had stories to tell as well. One of the Gypsy gangs who had been some 10 min behind us had spotted a pack of Wild Dogs crossing the main road with a bunch of small puppies. Oh well, very cool, too!
Soon it was time to get back to the gate, time was running out. The guide got off at the gate, but the driver dropped me at the hotel, so I did not even have to walk the few hundred meters there. For today I had not ordered dinner at the hotel restaurant. I changed and tried to wash the red dust out of shirts and trousers with not much success. I went to Tiger Valley Resort and had dinner there. No beer there either, though. I had Egg Masala with rice and Salad. And a couple Fresh lemon Sodas as well.
On the way back to my hotel I met the couple from Kolkatta who had been on the Canter Bus with me the other day. I chatted with them for a while. They were leaving the next morning to Nagpur. I was tired from the safari day and went back to my hotel soon, though. The jeeps safari had been especially dusty again – that red dust was everywhere. I took a long shower and soaped myself twice – nevertheless the white hotel towels were colorfully stained afterwards. Not sure, if I ever get rid of all the dust ever again …
