26. Jungle Safari in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

I am putting up this post before the thrill of visiting the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve ebbs. Situated in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, it is the oldest and largest National Park of Maharashtra, stretching over a good 625 km. Like most things in India it is dedicated to a God called Tadoba worshipped by the adivasis (tribals) of the area and the river Andhari which meanders through the park. Tadoba reserve forest, primarily a Dry Deciduous forest, covers the Chimur Hills and is fed by the Tadoba and Kolsa Lakes apart from the Andhari river. The forest is home to a number of mammals including the Indian leopard, sloth bear, gaur, nilgai, dhole, striped hyena, small Indian Civet, jungle cats, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, chital and chausingha apart from the stars of the show – the Bengal Tigers which are currently 65 in number.

There are some 250 species of birds, including 3 endangered species and 74 species of butterflies and many other insect species.

We went by train to Nagpur and then drove the 150 odd kms to Tadoba. All bookings (including the safari)were done beforehand to avoid disappointment as there is a great tourist rush especially on weekends. We stayed at a resort called The Royal Tiger Resort, which proved to be a good choice. I was quite pleased by their thoughtfulness of providing warm towels as soon as we returned from the safaris and laying out the evening tea on the well maintained lawns. However they did not provide accommodation to our driver who had to sleep in his vehicle. A number of butterflies hovered on the flowers blooming around the lawn.

The workers tending the lawn made a colourful picture

Common Jezebel

Common Rose

A common skink trying to enter our room

A snake in the lawn trying to escape through the drain

We reached at lunch time on the 24^th so had time to explore around and also go for a ride in the night in the in what is called the buffer zone. We were rewarded with the sighting of a Black Shouldered Kite hovering in the air. Managed to take a video of it too. In the night ride two sparkling lights led us to a Indian civet cat but none of us got a clear shot of it. Also saw a ruddy mongoose slinking away.

Black Shouldered Kite "Kapshi"

The next day we woke up early and got ready for the morning safari in the forest which is the Core zone and access is closely monitored by the Forest Department. There is a queue at the gate before the gates open at 6.30 am as people want to make the most of the 4 hours of safari. Our guide Vasant Sonule was a knowledgeable and jovial fellow and showed us birds we would have normally missed, as we are not allowed to get off the jeep during the safari.

Geared up for the safari - olive green is the color of choice

Heritage Lamp post to light the King's path

Spotted deer in the grass - first sighting

An Indian jungle night jar fast asleep

A mottled wood owl sleeping - blending in!

Adjutant cranes

So colourful but called grey jungle fowl

Crested Serpent Eagle

 

Jungle trails

A fireline ie a gap in the row of trees is maintained to have a controlled fire to burn the undergrowth.

 

Langurs and cheetal at the watering hole

A wild boar and a black headed Ibis at the watering hole

Camera fixed on a tree to monitor and ID the tigers passing by

We saw the Malkoha (a rare bird) fly across. A white bellied drongo sat tantalizingly above but nobody was in the mood to stop for me to take a picture. Similar was the case with a Red Jungle Fowl. Alas! I had to be satisfied with having seen them. There were of course plenty of common birds like peacocks, green bee eaters, spotted doves, wagtails, treepies, lesser whistling ducks, snipe, pied kingfishers hovering over the lake, common and white-breasted kingfishers, pond heron, black ibis, cormorants, grey heron, purple heron and bayback shrikes whose pictures I am not putting up here.

We came back quite thrilled but had not sighted the elusive tiger. One group reported seeing a female with 4 cubs which made us determined to see one in the evening safari (foolishly so, as we were to find out). When in a forest one should pay attention to all that one comes across instead of just chasing an animal which has a mind of its own. So the evening trip was a little disappointing till I saw a Barred Jungle Owlet and somehow managed to see the perfectly camouflaged bird through my camera in the fading light. 

Barking deer - has a distinctive call when it sees a predator

Barking deer -female

Sambhar

Chital - spotted deer

Clearings with no trees and open grasslands are deliberately left to facilitate deer hunting by the tigers

Ruddy mongoose

Barred jungle owlet - looked like the dried leaves of the tree it sat on.

 

A gum tree and a tendu tree growing together

Gum or Ghost tree - it changes color 3 times a year from white to red to green.

animals sharpen their horns on this very hard wood tree

 

Ain or Crocodile bark tree

 We returned feeling a little dejected having only seen the pug marks as proof of the tiger's presence. 

This cartoon displayed is most appropriate - the astrologer saying "nobody can assure you a tiger...". The next day while a couple of people of our group tried their luck on another safari we went bird watching outside the core zone. But that warrants another post.

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