8 quick years and 12
national parks later, I get my “one of the most desired and cherished” dream
translated into reality. Finding him, the Daniel Craig of Indian forests, was
never an easy task as he would melt away into the depths of the dreamy forests.
His eyes are so tranquilizing that you will go speechless the first time, and
his presence so powerful; that everyone around will go mute forever. No wonder,
he’s the world’s most charismatic killing machine…
Now begins the photo
essay, the description for each photo is the one below it…
The
first glimpse of Tadoba Tiger reserve wasn’t inviting. It was a sweltering, hopeless,
dehydrating noon and I very well knew the road to the world’s most charismatic
cat wasn’t going to be easy, despite my years of wait and sustained love for
it. The road ahead seemed endless and merciless, as I sat on the open top jeep with
the heat of the day trying to penetrate my balaclava…
Then,
this tree came up our way pumping in enthusiasm in the form of logic and that
was hope. Even under the most demanding of circumstances, when everything
around had lost life, this single tree gleamed with “hope” and “dreams” and
this is from where I restored my body language to that of a “Tiger” hunter…
First
sighting of the trip was an Indian Roller, which is also the state bird of
Karnataka. It’s an irony that after years of travel across Karnataka, I got my
first proper shot of this bird in Maharashtra. A peculiar character of this
bird, that I had noticed, is; it doesn’t get frightened by your presence
and poses for your shots. I saw this tendency in another Roller bird during my
visit to Kaziranga few months back…
Sentry
of Indian forests perched over the canopy, on a keen lookout for potential
dangers from the distant bushes. Langurs play a crucial role in exposing the
cover of predators and thus significantly helping the herbivores to make that
critical, timely flight to keep their lives intact. Nevertheless, the raw
power, evolutionary skills and a hungry tummy make the predators win against
all odds…
A
mugger crocodile was caught basking on a small island. This action helps the
croc to regulate its body temperature, reduce fungal infection and also
increase its metabolic rate. Being cold blooded, reptiles don’t need much food
to survive. The herbivores seem to understand their mood, and they weren’t
frightened to venture into the water for a drink, even as these massive
reptiles lay fully exposed nearby…
It’s
a hard day at office, every day, every hour, for these inhabitants of the forest.
Nothing comes easy and every single grass and every single drop is hard earned.
Watching them for long, could drive you to the heights of guilt as you begin to
feel many arguments running across your conscience. In the forest every single
creature is stronger than you, or what you believed…
The
serene Tadoba Lake and this is the beauty of Tadoba Tiger reserve. This lake is
gorgeous and active, particularly at dawn and dusk, as many animals from
different walks of their society congregate here for a drink, or, maybe for a
relaxing walk along the banks. But it needs to be noted, it is also the playground
where many of the hunts are composed by the seasoned predators of this region…
A
harsh preview of the approaching summer in central India. Summers in Vidharbha,
a geographical region in eastern Maharashtra, are unforgiving and something
even as early as a February noon squeezed the last drop of moisture from my
body. At the end of this safari, my respect for the animals of this region
amplified and I stood under a shower of cold water, back in the resort, for
more than an hour. However, the nights and early mornings were abnormally cold…
An
exhausted Chital along the banks of Tadoba Lake, poor guy. His horns were
attractive that I spent few minutes with him before moving on. Tadoba Lake is a
savior for tired and travelling animals and protects them with shade and water…
Patience
is critical, more so when your home is the “wild”. Everyone here needs to adopt
“patience” as their most potent weapon and patience will get everything that
they want. Food, mate, territory and life, all revolve around one word here and
it’s also the word that humans hate the most. But it was startling to observe,
nature never loses it…
Loneliness
is sad, or does it appear so? This loner made me to stop the Jeep and glance at
him for a long time, for he seemed to be desperate for a company. The few
moments I spent in front of him seemed to make my conscience happy, if not him…
Look
at his eyes. He may seem to be engrossed in serious grazing, but his eyes tell
it all with its savage alertness and impeccable sharpness. Sambhars are a
favorite for Tigers, and being the favorite here attracts unwanted attention
that could take the life out in a single swipe…
When
you ensure your presence consumes only what that is precisely needed, even when
nature is in excess, that is when you have begun to respect her. When you
begin to ensure to conserve her, even when she's not needed for
"you", that is when you have begun to love her. If greed is humane,
destruction follows. Live unnoticed and, go away undisturbed. A pair of
Sambhars having their evening sips, with the least interruption to nature…
In
a landscape like this; it's easy to hide, it's easy to escape. But at the same
time, it's easy to stalk; it's easy to kill. A spotted male deer cautiously
scanning the edge of grassland before making the next move. It potentially
could be his last, if his instincts went wrong at that moment...
The
climax of this trip, the climax of my search over the past 8 years across the
sub-continent. Like during any of the previous safaris I was hopeless this time
too; as we drove through the dust left behind by the many of the safari jeeps
that were wandering in search of the biggie. At one particular junction, when
we were wondering which road will lead us to the big cat, there was a massive
congregation of safari jeeps on the road that went north. This congregation is
a legendary behavior unique to India forests, wherein everyone races towards a
“potential” spot where the big cat is expected to make its appearance. But in
this case it was luck at 150% of its performance, as a big male was taking its
afternoon nap right on the middle of the road and undeterred by the
extraordinary commotion happening around its presence…
After
a long wait, disturbed, the gorgeous and budding male woke up from his nap and
threw a “chilling” stare at our Jeep. This was the moment I realized that, if
there was a “beast” that had the capability to be gorgeous, it was this, the
Tiger. Nothing comes close to this guy’s personality, if he wants to be cute,
he can and if he wants to terrorize, he can too. Those few minutes when he
threw a stare and decided to give way for us, were the moments I was dreaming of
and I never imagined such an intense encounter would be the climax of that
dream…
And
now it was clear, he wanted to be left alone and he displayed that deliberately
through his sizzling canines. Man, he was a beautiful male in his prime and the
years ahead will seem him in full glory when he would be the dominant “prince”
expelling his opponents only with a stare, and rarely, through a swipe. It was
now time for us to leave, and to leave him the space he was desperate for…
The
forests of Vidharbha region were gorgeous even when they were bone dry, and
just how beautiful they would transform during the monsoons would never be
seen, at least by the common man like me, for these tracts would be sealed by
the department of forests when the monsoon winds hit this region by end of
June, every year…
The
end of winter and onset of summer is a beautiful transition, as this Langur explores
the colorful canopy for potential food opportunities. We were lured by his
alarm calls, maybe he saw something in the distant bushes, but our wait didn’t
reward us except for this shot of the guy, who was also the reason for us to be
there…
A
family of ducks spending a content and wholesome evening on the banks of Tadoba
Lake. In the wild, contentment and priorities are very simple but still; they
are also extremely challenging to be achieved as these birds and animals repeatedly
taught me. Their needs are less complex, but how they get them in a sustained manner is the lesson we need to learn…
Wow,
what a start to the morning safari as this Eagle perched atop a tree gave a
splendid opportunity to the camera. She remained still for a long time, thus
making the opportunity conducive to create a beautiful portrait of her without
much stress. 400mm got me extremely closer to her…
As
hot the days were, so cold were the dawns; so much so, that fingers commenced to
burn when the open top Jeep gained speed through the Tadoba Andheri Tiger
Reserve (TATR). When we stumbled upon this bull Gaur, it was a moment of
“precision act” as the chill and the bull’s aggression to the slightest noise challenged
me from getting that memorable shot. He was already gone, when I looked into
the viewfinder the second time and that is all nature gives you…
A
beautiful male Chital checking out for danger, before bending down for its next
bite. Herbivores are extremely cautious, agile and unrelenting in these
unforgiving landscapes and they do not know when the next attempt on their life
would be. Nevertheless, they do not complain much…
With
a 400mm lens this croc could be easily spotted, but for the naked eyes he’s a
deadly predator lying as a perfect trap for those who are playful and unwary of
the dangers that the serene Tadoba Lake harbors…
A
male Sambhar at a famous waterhole inside the reserve. Tigers are known to
frequent this waterhole, our guide knew it, and maybe; the Sambhar didn’t. For
it seemed to enjoy the water at its disposal to beat the heat of the day…
This
Kingfisher was furiously focusing on its next dive into a nearby water body, so
much so, that it wasn’t bothered about my presence and the extended attempt to
focus it through the dense vegetation. On such occasions, I prefer to use
manual focus and completely depend on luck to ensure the subject remains calm
and still until I have locked my ring…
A
family of Langurs resting under the shade of a tree. At this moment our guide
was investigating a massive footprint, that of a big male Tiger maybe, and I
was enjoying the thrill of the “deadly silence” that prevailed all around us.
Even the Langurs were incredibly quiet, provoking our instincts, but their
relaxed presence on the ground made it clear that there weren’t a predator
nearby. But both us and the Langurs could have been wrong, as the deadly cat is
a master stalker and could have been right behind us, watching our moves with
precision…
Muaaha
to the cutest inhabitant of the TATR. As we were on a safari pathway, a mother
Chital sped across the track, ahead of us, and the timing was such that her
infant was restrained on the other side of the pathway. He was startled, and I
just had 5-7 seconds to capture him on the camera before he fled in the
opposite direction, away from his mother…
A
Serpent Eagle firmly holding on to its dinner, a dead snake, right above us on
the tree. The size of the snake became visible when the Eagle took off to a
nearby tree to evade the accumulating tourists beneath her and that was the moment when there were huge gasps, thanks to the brilliant flight of the eagle
with the serpent hanging down her claws. Events in nature are dramatic, though
they occur naturally…
A
male Sambhar checking out our presence before descending to the waterhole for
his afternoon sip and dip. He had a female for company and she was waiting for
his clearance maybe, and the discipline they exhibited in approaching the water
was something that was meant to be learnt by heart…
And
now she comes, as her hubby is already into the water, but still; she
cautiously checks us out and our body moves. To our surprise, she was followed
by a group of youngsters who played meticulously in the water as we sat inaudibly
on the open top jeep and enjoyed their presence rather than disturbing them
with the camera shutter. I didn’t shoot them…
No,
don’t fall for it and I know what most of you are thinking about this picture.
This isn’t a beautiful dawn with early morning mists overflowing over the
grasslands, but; a sweltering noon that will make even the toughest of beasts
to hide in the shade. What appears to be the mist is actually the dust
propelled by safari jeeps, and I shot this as we were waiting under a shade
trying our luck with a potential big cat crossing on the banks of the legendary
Telia Lake…
This
is the first time in life I saw this guy; he’s called “Nilgai”. He’s the
largest Asian antelope and unique to the Indian subcontinent, often referred to
as “blue bull”. We were waiting for the Tiger at a reclusive water hole, when
this guy unexpectedly turned up and I was sure, he would have thought the same
about us. He quickly disappeared into the bushes…
A
male Chital scans the background before bending down for a drink. A sort of symbiotic
relationship exists between Chital and birds, as most often I saw them
together. The bird gives the alarm call and a free grooming, while the Chital
offers a free ride and tasty bugs maybe. This was on the banks of the legendary
Telia Lake…
A
beautiful end to a safari, a beautiful end to our trip to Tadoba. Tadoba didn’t
fail to impress us, and what we saw during this trip was just a fraction of the
drama she holds within her depths. Patience and discipline will let anyone to
witness those dramas, and go back with memoirs that will keep calling them back.
Once you fall in love with Tadoba, it’s bound to exist for a life time…
Story ends here!
For me, the journey to Tadoba wasn't about the destination alone, but also, about the way I got there. I love Indian Railways, their old world ambience in particular, and the train journey from Chennai to Chandrapur was a nostalgic reminiscence of the first ever trip i undertook on this grand trunk route 14 years back while on my college tour. There was no much change in the way the trains were, and that is what helped to induce a strong surge to connect to my past. Tadoba, in a way, helped me to relive one of the finest moments of my life, which were the final few days of my college...
K.D
