Early April 2015 I met a friend who had recently come back from Bandhabgarh,and had very poor Tiger sightings. She told me about Tadoba,where sightings were great.Within a couple of days,I had made the necessary bookings and was on a flight to Nagpur in ten days time.
Tadoba is 120 kms/3hours drive from Nagpur.It was raining when we landed in Nagpur. The weather was chilly.We were staying at rhe Tigerking resort,near the Kolara gate.The rooms were large and comfortable,with a big bathroom.In those days,Tadoba was not much in the news and there was no need for advance safari bookings.The next morning we started our safari at 5.30 am with packed breakfast.
There is a chill during early morning safari,and if it rains the previous day,it can get really cold. So, it is better to have at least one full sleeved clothing and a muffler just in case.
The sight of a tiger can do strange things to you.You forget all your physical discomfort, the heat and exhaustion,the niggling aches ,become oblivious of your surroundings. An adult tiger in the wild is an unbelievable sight.The sheer arrogance and confidence of its walk,the sheer disdain of the spectators is to be seen to be believed.
During our first visit,we had four sightings of three different Tigers.Our appetite was not whetted however and we decided to come back.We made enquiries and next time we stayed with Manish Verma.Manish is a local guy who used to work.with the forest department. He runs a small homestay near the Mohurli Gate which is frequented by photographers and wildlife enthusiasts.It is a basic homestay with clean rooms .The prices are attractive and he does not charge extra for the safaris. We had a wonderful couple of days there with s lot of sightings.
Tiger conservation has been a great success story at Tadoba.Since a Tiger requires a minimum. Of 30 square kms of area to exist, More and more tigers are going out from the core area leading to development of new buffer areas.Now the core area covers 690 sq kms ,and has 6 gates whereas there are six buffer areas consisting if 1190 square kms.Tigers often venture out to nearby villages and kill cattle.This leads to resentment among the villagers,and the Firest Dept hass to compensate the villagers adequately.
Chances of sightings increase in May June,as small.water bodies dry up and Tigers have to visit large water bodies in open areas where enthusiasts and photographers lie in wait.
Tiger sightings take a lot of patience and luck.One must be prepared to wait for long periods.of time to catch a tiger as it moves along its predetermined pathway. And luck is so very important. My son.got an uninterrupted sightings for an hour 15 minutes after he first entered the forest, whereas you can spend hours and hours without having a proper sightings.It is so.unpredictable.¹
We have come across tigers sharing a kill,a rare sight ,the spectacle went on for more than an hour till.they were tired,mother and two children.This year ,there are a number of new litters ,and the cubs are going out with their mother.But the grass is quite tall this year,and sightings are not that clear.But tigers love to walk on roads,and sightings are good,but luck is the major determinant.
Hope to visit tadoba next year.If you have not visited Tadoba,do now,before the crowds increase.I am sure you will have a great time.
Memories and musings 