Jungle safaris are not rare these days but it eventually worked out for us this year. Once you go to a jungle and experience the calmness and the nature, you become a fan for sure and if you spot 6 tigers on your first trip, then you are a returning customer for a lifetime!!
The Planning Phase
It started almost a year ago when a Naatu (grandson), his Aaji (grandmother) and his Aau (aunt) made a plan to visit the Tadoba Tiger Reserve. No one else was involved in the conceptualization. The manifestation was so strong that even with all the odds, it happened!
We came across a lot of ‘very encouraging’ people saying “isn’t it bad timing to go to the jungle when it’s pouring out there?”. We were also ‘really lucky’ to get a fresh piece of unsolicited advice just as we were getting off the airplane at Nagpur about the rains and chance of sightings in Tadoba. Where would we all be without encouragement from such wonderful people!
The odds started with the rainy season, then the very turbulent airplane ride, something that needs some attention. ‘Jaana Tha Japan Pohonch Gaye Cheen Samajh Gaye Na!?‘ We started from Pune to go to Nagpur but landed at the Hyderabad airport. After a fuel break, we landed in Nagpur with a fully grateful heart for the pilot to take the right decision not to land the first time in Nagpur when it had the poorest visibility despite being very close to the ground.
Our First Forest Ride
Nagpur – Tadoba journey was good and we got a teaser of the jungle with sightings of a fox and a wild boar. All pumped up, we started our first safari, madnapur gate early in the morning around 6. Jungle was presented to us in very calm lush green surroundings, a little bit of a drizzle and on muddy roads with bumpy rides. First hour went by and we couldn’t even spot a deer! No disrespect to the deer, I love deer but they are very common to spot as they say.
By this time the drizzle was becoming annoying and started to come inside our jeep to say hello. It was not a very comfortable arrangement. With some wet clothes, we came near to a point where there was a kill and guides were expecting a tiger to come for its breakfast.
Disappointment continued for the next 15 minutes so they decided to go around to spot the tiger. Meanwhile we could hear peacocks calling each other, that was a bit of a relief, at least a peacock! But then the guide got a message of spotting a sloth bear, something rare! Gas pedal was pushed to the fullest and we reached the spot braving the slippery, muddy roads. Alas! The bear felt very shy and returned back to the thick forest.
Spotting the Elusive Tiger
Bear gone! Peacock missed! And Tiger, nowhere to be seen!!
The rain was now bothering us all but suddenly we noticed the driver was driving with an aim in his mind at full speed and came to an abrupt stop near some bushes and dried bamboo trees.
5 more gypsies arrived at the same spot and we knew someone with stripes is in there somewhere. The next moment, they cried out not loud but in a whisper, ‘Madam jaali ke peeche dekho tiger ka bachha hain (Madam, look! There’s a tiger cub behind the bushes!)’. Na jaali dikh rahi thi na tiger ka bachha! (Neither could I see the bushes nor the tiger!) But thankfully the bachha (cub) was relaxing there so didn’t move out very quickly and gave us some time to spot.
We saw a bit of orange that was very well camouflaged in the overgrown jungle in the rainy season. With pin drop silence, we sat there for the next 5 minutes and we were in for a treat!!
The cub came out bouncing on his/her feet, paused for a second, looked at our camera and crossed the road in front of us. We were so delighted to see that cute but not so little thing. Then another one emerged and one MORE. Paisa Wasool!! This is more than we signed for. At this point, the driver was thinking whether to turn back or not. Some of the gypsies thought the show was over and returned to the gate. Our driver was not sure so we waited there for another 10 minutes and there we go!!! Their mum, Junabai (her naming ceremony happened again then and there itself by our darling son and the new name is ‘Janabai’), came out. A tensed energy was there in the air. Cubs were cute and little but this majestic mum tiger was not cute or little. She came out, stopped near our gypsies, posed for the biggest lense camera I have ever seen. Made sure if the photographer was fast enough to take her good shots and then very patiently she moved to her cubs in the thick part of the jungle.
A Family Breakfast
We tried to go closer to where the family was having food. The tigress was relaxing and the breakfast spread was on. As it was the end of the safari, guides decided to go back.
We didn’t know someone was waiting for us, we covered a 10 yards distance and the same spot where its other siblings came from, another one came out and was waiting for us sitting with poise. Surprises, surprises and more surprises!! The guide mumbled, ‘Xylo or Xylo ka bachha (Xylo junior)’. Admiring the wild card entry, we headed back. The topic for discussion was whether it was Xylo or Xylo junior. Some spotted deer herds also tried to join in our discussion briefly on our way back. They can sense tigers from a distance but even they couldn’t come to any conclusion.
To be continued…
© Shilpa Kulkarny
