My Tiger Tale

The exhaustion of a twenty-six hour journey vanished instantly as soon as we caught sight of the big hoarding that read: " Welcome to the Country of Tigers". We were entering the territory of Bandhavgarh National Park (Dis: Umaria, Madhya Pradesh). Both sides of the road were lined with thickets which looked conspicuously different from the ones we find in West Bengal. Our driver said, "Sahab ab to janwar dikhna chalu ho jayega". Barely had he finished his words that I saw a family of langurs sitting on the left side of the road. Even before I could enjoy my first sighting of animals, I heard his voice again, "Woh dekhie samne". Right in front of our car a large male spotted deer with enormous horns was lazily crossing the road. The message was loud and clear: It is our territory, you better wait.

Dusk was falling and the forest slowly started looking mysterious. It was another twenty minute drive to the Forest Guest House and we met a few peacocks and a herd of deer on our way. Being the forest minister's guest we received an almost red carpet welcome at the guest house. Dinner was sumptuous and we hit the bed early. The next morning our driver arrived punctually at five. My heart had already started beating faster. We were about to enter a forest which had the highest population of tigers at that time. Quite shamelessly I asked the driver "Bhaiya aap logo ko darr nahi lagta?" He nodded his head and replied " Aap janwaro ko disturb nahi karenge toh woh aap ko kuchh nahi karega". I was a little relieved but not totally pacified. I must add here that our Gypsy had no hood, no seats. Since it was recently hired by a professional wildlife photographer, he had everything removed to place his tripod and cameras. That is to say, we had no protective covering over our heads.

At about 5.15 am we queued up in front of the Tala Gate of the National Park. To the left of the main gate was a small building from where forest permits were issued. As we were guests of the Forest Department, they put a VIP stamp on our permit. Soon we were greeted by a warm and affable gentleman. He was the Tourism Ranger Mr Bimal Dubey. He had orders to act as our guide. My eyes were suddenly attracted to a strange sight. I saw a man standing in front of the gate, evidently a forest guard, whose face was totally wrapped in a cloth, leaving only the eyes open. Upon enquiry I came to know that he was called Bishambhar. Two years ago he was mauled by a sloth bear while on his daily morning patrolling. It has left his face horrible and scary.

Needless to say, the account did intimidate me to a large extent.

Travelling on the dusty uneven roads that passed through the forest predominated by sal and bamboo was quite an experience. Here and there we were greeted by herds of spotted deer, sambars and langurs. Red back baboons were swinging from tree to tree. All this while the fear of the tiger was lurking in my mind. What would I do if a tiger suddenly showed up? I felt the adrenaline surged in my blood as I heard the Ranger say " Cheetal call kar raha hai". Following the sound we reached a spot where a few other Gypsies had already lined up. To our left, in the distance we saw a tigress coming downhill, three cubs in tow. This was my first experience of watching a tiger in the wild and it was simply awesome. Their tawny coats dazzled under the bright sunlight that filtered through the foliage. And what poise, what grace the mother had. She looked no less than a queen. As the family slowly disappeared behind the bushes, we moved on.

The ranger accompanying us received a message on his wireless that B2 has been spotted. B2 was the dominant male tiger at that time. Without wasting any time we headed towards that spot. An elephant was waiting for us there. On our way we also caught a glimpse of the Mirchahni tigress and her two cubs. Riding the gentle giant was really fun. Our mahoot was the famous Kutappa, who freelances for Discovery and National Geographic. We had already read about him on Google. As we closed in to the rocky platform where B2 was sitting, I was left in awe of the huge size and the majestic posture of the animal. Sitting on the elephant we were almost at the same height as B2, with hardly a distance of six metres between us. Kutappa mimicked a tiger's roar to almost perfection which immediately attracted B2's attention. He moved his face and turned his ears, providing a perfect photo opportunity for all. He was least perturbed by the human presence. Rather he stretched his body and changed his postures repeatedly, almost like a photo shoot, before getting bored and jumping away deeper into the forest.

In the evening we saw a barking deer, two nilgais and plenty of wild boars. Peacocks too roamed abundantly. Every moment in the park was an enriching experience. We were told that it is easier to spot tigers in the evening since after the day's heat they come out to drink water. At Jhurjhura we found the tigress and her three cubs frolicking in the water. At Chakradhara too we found the tigress and her brood quenching their thirst in the pool. The next morning I was feeling a little low as we could not spot any tiger. I did not know what spectacle was awaiting me. My heart started racing as I saw B2 emerging out of nowhere, chasing a wild boar down the hill. It was a sight that I have only watched on National Geographic or Animal Planet. As B2 sprinted after his prey, the sheer power that his powerful muscles reflected made me wonder like Blake "What immortal hand or eye/ Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" Watching B2 finally pouncing upon the boar was a jaw dropping experience. The head was severed in no time as B2 settled himself to enjoy his well deserved meal. 

When we entered B2's territory the next morning he was lying beside the carcass, occasionally lifting his head and swishing his tail to drive away flies. His tummy was too full to move around. Once more we watched him to our heart's content. That evening we visited the park for the last time. We were supposed to leave Bandhavgarh the next morning. My heart was heavy, for I had fallen in love with the forest. It was not only the tigers or other animals, the colourful birds, the huge trees, the smell of the earth and the foliage - everything was enchanting. We visited the 'bari gufa', the only cave in the forest that the tourists are allowed to enter. There are more than 50 man made caves in the Tala region of the forest but entry is allowed only in the bari gufa, which is secured with an iron gate. The rest are mostly inhabited by animals now. 

Time was fast running out and we headed towards the gate. The forest department is very strict about timings. Almost near the gate, the Ranger suddenly signalled the driver to stop and pointed his finger to the left. Through the bushes we could see a large and heavily pregnant tigress, introduced to us as the Sidhbaba female, coming to the roadside canal to drink water. The distance between us was hardly a little more than four metres. My husband took a little longer to spot her and as soon as he spotted her he sprung up on his feet training his camera at the wild beauty. She probably felt threatened at the sudden movement and looking straight into our eyes let out a loud roar. Our blood ran cold. The driver did not waste a second and started the engine. My husband would have been thrown out in the sudden momentum had he not grasped the roll cage at the last moment. Even when we had reached the safety of the main gate, our hearts were still pounding and I had goosebumps all over. It was a very close shave. Despite this near fatal experience, our hearts sorely missed the forest as we left Bandhavgarh the next morning. We planned to come back and watch Sidhbaba's cubs when the forest reopened after the monsoon.