Walk on the wild side at the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve MaharashtraBest time to visit MarchMay and OctoberDecemberYou need 23 daysSonam marks her territory by spraying urine near the Telia lake area of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve TATR The TATR is one of the 39 tiger reserves in the country since Project Tiger was launched by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1973 Project Tiger has been a reasonably good success story in the sense that though 39 tiger reserves have been set up in 17 states the tiger population actually was lower in 2010 than it was in 1973 A national awareness campaign involving both government and private bodies has brought tiger conservation back into the limelight The greencoloured opentop Maruti Gypsy meanders aimlessly from one road to another inside the Andhari region of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve TATR As part of the Wildlife Week the authorities have graciously allowed more safari vehicles and given access to explore the roads before the park officially opens all roads on October 16 for the season TATR is Maharashtrarsquos largest national park at 625 sq km in area and has one of the highest tiger densities in the country Officially there are around 45 tigers in the park according to the 2010 tiger census but guides and tour operators say there may be more closer to 60 is their estimate as more males have entered the reserve in the last four years The most recent male says Atul Dhamankar a tiger conservator guide and author of four books on tigers entered in May 2014 is said to be the mate of one of the young females Sonam see picturesLeopard camouflage is so good that they are almost invisible to the human eye in the jungle It takes two things to spot one in the wild great luck and sharp eyesight Unfortunately in India there is another reason for the leopard being categorised as lsquovulnerablersquo by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN just one step below the lsquoEndangeredrsquo category According to some newspaper reports that had data sourced from government agencies close to 2850 leopards were killed in the country by poachers between 1994 and 2010 The Wildlife Protection Society of India puts the figure at 3189 for the same period PicsSachin KalbagSo here we are back to meandering around the park just four cars as it is a weekday when suddenly a phone call is made to one of the drivers The driver makes a code gesture to the rest of the safari drivers and guides ldquoChala chala chalardquo ldquoLetrsquos go letrsquos gordquo the guides shout in Marathi Dhamankar tells us to hold tight This is an open vehicle and he does not want any accidents The safari speed limit set by the authorities is 30 kmphSonam is one of the many females at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve In a rare gesture last year her mother Madhuri gave up her territory to her favourite daughter and retreated to the buffer zone of the national park TATR is one of the spectacular successes of Project Tiger and today the region has anywhere between 50 and 60 tigers Even though India has arrested the decline of the Bengal Tiger population it is categorised as lsquoEndangeredrsquo by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN At present there are anywhere between 1706 and 1909 tigers in India according to the Washingtonbased Global Tiger InitiativeBut our driver speeds at close to 60 kmph A forest official has spotted Sonam near the Telia lake and there is no time to be wasted Even a few seconds lost could mean the tiger is back into the dense bamboo growth and thus camouflaged Tiger and leopard sighting in the wild is a matter of pure chance So when fortune knocks you never keep the door closedThis leopard was spotted in a lazy mood perhaps soon after a kill Although the leopards inside the TATR are fairly safe from poachers in many other parts of the country including Mumbai the humanleopard conflict is taking a toll on both the habitat as well as the population of this elusive big cat As human encroachment of green cover rises there is every chance that this conflict will only increaseWe reach Telia in about four bumpy minutes covered in red dust and holding onto our cameras like we would hold ontoour babiesThis new male tiger entered the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve sometime in May according to conservationist author and guide Atul Dhamankar He is reported to be Sonamrsquos mate as both share almost the same territory Dhamankar says he has not been named yet He will be tracked by the forest officials and conservators his habits recorded and only then will he be named Male tigers are discarded by their mothers at the age of two mainly to prevent inbreeding as well as to protect her cubs from the next breeding attempt Female tigers too have to find their own territories after the age of twoAnd there she is the magnificent Sonam She had had her fill of water and is taking a stroll around the banks of the lake She marks her territory and nonchalantly walks away from the 20odd human beings who had gathered to see her This is her land She knows it We know itA female Giant Wood Spider can spin a most spectacular web In a protected jungle such as the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve large webs are quite common A female Giant Wood Spider or Golden SilkOrb Weaver Spider can grow up to 20 cm in overall length including the feet while the male is a puny 12 cm in overall length They are a fairly common variety of spider and can be found in Japan China Southeast Asia Sri Lanka India and Papua New GuineaEarlier in the day we manage to spot a leopard on a tree most probably lazing around after a massive kill Leopards have total disregard for humans even when there are dozens viewing them I am suffering from painful stomach cramps after eating spicy local food but the mere sight of a leopard makes me forget the pain The magic of the jungle I am glad to report is intactOTHER SIGHTINGSThe diversity of habitat and abundance of water bodies make Tadoba one of the finest birding destinations in Maharashtra Here alarge egret takes offThe flamebacks or goldenbacks are large woodpeckers andderive their names from their golden or crimson backsA little egret enjoys the solitudeA plumheaded ParakeetGreen Imperial PigeonA spotted doveA blackfacedlangurposes for the cameraGaur orThe Indian Bison enjoys aleisurely mealA beautiful sunset to end a tiring day