[abheekg]

Dear All,
After being involved in tiger numbers documentation in Pench over a better part of the last year and half of this year, I have decided to restart my explorations in Tadoba tiger reserve - the second park after Pench close to my heart and close to Nagpur.

A bit of Background on Tadoba first:

Tadoba-andhari Tiger Reserve is the pristine and unique eco-system situated in the Chandrapur district of the Maharashtra State of India. The Reserve contains some of the best of forest tracks and endowed with rich biodiversity. It is famous for its natural heritage. Tadoba-andhari Tiger Reserve is the second Tiger Reserve in the State.

Traveling Distances:
Tadoba has good connectivity from Nagpur via Kolara Gate situated 100 kms from Nagpur providing it as a easy half day get away for me and the others.



People planning their visits to Tadoba can either drive down / fly in to Nagpur and then can plan their drives in Tadoba from Kolara gate.

Unique position of Tadoba during monsoons:
Tadoba is the only park which remains open during the monsoons giving tourists full access to all the ranges with 4x4 vehicles. Here's an account of my visit to Tadoba last monsoons http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-tadoba-9.html

As we are visiting tadoba on a regular basis I have decided to start a documentation thread of this Park just like my Pench thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...s-bang-18.html

Conservation History
Tadoba-andhari Tiger reserve was created in 1995. The area of the Reserve is 625.40 sq. km. This includes Tadoba National Park, created in 1955 with an area of 116.55 sq. km. and andhari Wildlife Sanctuary created in 1986 with an area of 508.85 sq. km. The Reserve is constituted with 577.96 sq. km. Reserve Forest, 32.51 sq. km. Protected Forest and 14.93 sq. km. other areas.

Eco-development
Under the Maharashtra Forestry Project funded by the World Bank, ecodevelopment activities have been taken up in ten villages situated on the periphery of the Reserve.

Education and Awareness
In the Tadoba-andhari Tiger Reserve on the eve of the Wildlife Week children up to high school standard from nearby villages and town are brought by Reserve bus to Tadoba and given environment and wildlife education and quiz tests are organised.

Street plays with help of local nature clubs like Rhino Nature Club are arranged, round the year, in different villages around the Tadoba-andhari Tiger Reserve.

Nature awareness camps of children from nearby villages and towns are organised with the help of local nature clubs like Vidarbha Nature and Human Science Center at Tadoba periodically.

My NGO, Wildcats Nature Club does a lot of work in and around Tadoba working among the villagers and the forest workers.


Conflicts :

Man-Animal
Killing of domestic livestock by tigers and leopards is a frequent phenomenon in the area where there are villages. This usually has an adverse impact on the economic condition of the local people. This results into antagonism towards the management.

Constraints
Human population:

There is significant human population in core zone along with presence of full scale villages. There are 41644 people in and around the Reserve in 59 villages.

Livestock population:
There is significant cattle population in core zone.

Grazing:
Grazing is not allowed on core zone but happens unabated.

Let this be an all encompassing thread on Tadoba wherin I will try to show the good and the bad sides of the story.

More to follow soon.

regards,
Dr. A Ghosh
Mobile: +919960332228

[maddy42]

Great work Doc. You are actually the messiah for these reserves on tbhp. Great work.

[Coooolcat21]

Doc,
Having given extensive details of Pench and bringing about so much more awareness about the wildlife there, will surely now look forward to this log on Tadoba.
to your dedication towards wildlife.
Regards

[Fauji]

Carry on Ghoshda, We are with you. Looking forward to your explorations in Tadoba!

[laluks]

Slightly OT.
But relevant?
Ranthambore saga: Have money, see tiger - The Times of India

[gd1418]

I have made a mention of this in my Ranthambhore travelogue - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...pointment.html

Originally Posted by laluks

Slightly OT.
But relevant?
Ranthambore saga: Have money, see tiger - The Times of India

[abheekg]

Starting with a tribute to "circuit"-the male tiger cub who regaled us during last monsoon who along with his brother died during last winter under mysterious circumstances.

May your soul rest in peace buddy.

I had titled this pic Abheek Ghosh's Photos | Facebook "you 'n' me unto death do us part.........." when I had uploaded it to my facebook albums last year. Little did I know that they would still be united in death ! How sad and heart rendering this story.

you 'n' me unto death do us part
These two cubs died under mysterious circumstances last year.


Circuit, you were a hero and a photographer's delight.






Why did you have to go buddy?



In the 5 months that I had been with them, I had developed a kind of bonding which is hitherto unexplainable.

My heart reaches out to the untimely demise of these 2 males


They were growing into fine specimens of male tiger and would have been a great asset to the gene pool of Tadoba. But sadly fate had very different ideas about their future.

These 2 were killed in man-animal conflict in Tadoba.


This is the bad side of Tadoba. Something that we have heard all this while and something which I have been unfortunate enough to document last year.

I request all sensitive forum members to support our cause of Tiger conservation in central Indian forests by distributing this piece of information to your friends and family and to the world in general by writing about this on your facebook walls. Feel free to use these pics that I have posted here.You may or may not give me a small credit for the same but I want you all to reach out to millions in turn. I also request you to get and wear our "save tigers" Tee to your workplace and show solidarity to our conservattion cause.



Let me know via a pm who wants this tee.

regards,
Dr. A Ghosh

request to moderators: Please move this post (and the next 5-6 subsequent posts that I will be making over the next few days) to second in number so that all this information is available at a single page for my readers..

[sachinj12]

Glued to this thread. Rated a well deserved 5-star. I have been following all your threads, but never bothered to post. Commend your efforts

[TheBeastFieast]

Abheek Da you are doing excellent work, Rated 5*, glued to it.

When are you starting your Bandhavgarh thread? And what about the North Indian Ranthambore, Sariska and even Corbett. We all (Me, GD Sir, Gurpreet) would be more than happy to have you here

[fazalaliadil]

Dr. Ghosh,
Its high time, Tadoba has been going through the step child syndrome since you have been in Pench for so long.
Looking forward to learning.
Regards,

[shabahmad]

Abheekda: any update on the two just born cubs. I learned it from sakal. Any updates/pics of the new born.

[abheekg]

Originally Posted by shabahmad

Abheekda: any update on the two just born cubs. I learned it from sakal. Any updates/pics of the new born.

There are 2 new borns in Kolsa range apart from 4 new borns in Tadoba range.
I am a little held up with work so unable to give time to do justice to this thread. But I will soon be sharing my experiences of Tadoba very soon. Request all of you to be a little more patient. Thanks for all the ratings though

Here's a sneek peek into one of the new Tadoba cubs:


And a superb natural history moment that I got to document in the very first visit:


Presented here is a frame of the croc dragging away the carcass. Note the exposed cervical vertebra of the deer and the almost massacred neck, face and head of the deer.

Watch out for a video of this sequence.

I was lucky to spot an entire gamut of interesting birds and animals in just 1 drive (5 may 2011). A Marsh crocodile kiling a spotted deer and dragging it away into deeper waters took the cake today.

Stay tuned.


Dr. A Ghosh

[BolBolero]

Hi All,
Having just been to Tadoba, I can tell you with some satisfaction, that the two cubs are indeed in the Kolsa Range. They are frequently spotted at a place called RamshinghAamba, alongwith their mother and another Male tiger.
Unfortunately I was unable to get a sighting of anyone, even though I spent nearly 4.5 hours at the spot.

A picture of the spot!

[gd1418]

Old jungle saying - there can be only one tiger at a place. Gautam, you parked yourself at Ramshingh Aamba for nearly 5 hours, so how could you expect to see another?...

Originally Posted by BolBolero

Hi All,

Having just been to Tadoba, I can tell you with some satisfaction, that the two cubs are indeed in the Kolsa Range. They are frequently spotted at a place called RamshinghAamba, alongwith their mother and another Male tiger.

Unfortunately I was unable to get a sighting of anyone, even though I spent nearly 4.5 hours at the spot.

[BolBolero]

Originally Posted by gd1418

Old jungle saying - there can be only one tiger at a place. Gautam, you parked yourself at Ramshingh Aamba for nearly 5 hours, so how could you expect to see another?...

Sirjee, the tiger and the cubs were very much there, just that they did not want to grace us with their presence! (The above fact was confirmed by the forest guards who were perched on the Machan for the full day!)