[Hunter3077]

The work is taking a toll on the body. The mind is crying out for relief too. The environment is stressful and your job doesn't feel satisfying to you at all. A morbid sense hangs in the air and the situation at home feels heavy too.The thoughts of packing up and leaving for a far off place take root inside you and you are yearning to put that plan into action. Soon.

Come then. Let's go on a trip together. A trip that I assume you haven't made as yet. It probably didn't seem promising or exciting enough as opposed to the Goa sea fronts or the Ladakh vistas. In all probability, you may not even have given it a thought ; a blip on the radar perhaps? It matters not now. We are going to make amends and embark on this one together. Let's explore the rich spectacles of our land that is an envy to many a countries.

Remember to pack certain necessities. You may not need the jeans or the formal attires. Tracks and sports attire will do. No flashy colours please. Stick to the dull colours-preferably in the shades of green and brown. Warm clothing is a must. Its winters and the early morning chill might freeze you to the bone. A couple of scarves and balaclavas wouldn't be amiss too. Pick up your binoculars, if you have any and do not forget to pack that camera of yours that is gathering dust in an unknown corner of your home. Let's put that to use.

We’ll drive of course. The distance isn't a lot and the drive will give us some time to catch things up. I can probably fill you in on what to expect and what not to out of this trip of ours. As we approach our destination, you are already wowed at the thick canopies of trees that straddle our path. I wondered what your reaction would be if you were to spot a deer or two right there on the road but I kept mum waiting for you to absorb the surroundings. I have picked out a quaint, laid back homestay because as I surmised, you'd prefer this peace.

We. Can have a quick bite and retire for the night as we have an early morning start tomorrow. But remember to keep an ear out for the night sounds because the Jungle comes out alive at nights.

We wake up in near darkness and go through the morning routine. I see that you have a reluctant gait. Cheer up friend. There’s a lot that’s in store today!
The Gypsy arrives just as we tuck into our steaming cup of Tea. The taste is all the more welcome because of the chill in the morning that we did expect. Let us hop in the Gypsy and acquaint ourselves with our company for today. The Driver and Guide of our vehicle are our windows into the nature for today. You acknowledge them introducing themselves with cheerful greetings. I’m sure they would be wondering if we would end up being generous guests and tip them off at the end of the safari. Ohh yes. This is the morning safari that we have embarked upon today. This term is widely accepted and used all across the forests of our country. As the Sun begins to make its way up the horizon, we see the welcome sights of the Forest looming ahead of us.

We halt at the entry gate to complete some formalities and while waiting, we come across other Gypsies with a variety of folks. A family of three, with a chirpy 4 year old. A serious bunch of adults holding their seemingly long lenses and expensive looking photography gear. A Forest vehicle probably ferrying a Sarkari guy. We wave to a few of them and get a lively reply in return from the little cutie with her pigtail pony. And then we enter the forest.

Do you feel the welcome change in the air around you? The sights and smells of the forest immediately engulf us into a welcome embrace. The heart feels lighter and the head feels relaxed. The magic has already started working. The guide lets himself into a well rehearsed monologue on the facts and figures of the forest. You can see from his narration that he has been at this from a long time indeed. He then ends the monologue but not before adding that the sighting of the Tiger involves a lot of luck. I interrupt and tell him that we are here to enjoy the forest and its denizens in entirety and not just the tigers alone. While I tell myself that it is not entirely true!

We are at once subjected to the melodies of the various birds singing out in their distinct dialects. The Common Hawk Cuckoo with its incessant calls is the most prominent. No wonder it is called the brain fever bird! The Parakeets are more subtle yet chirpy enough and from far above and off comes a shrill call, a strident prolonged whistle “iluii…kii-kii-kii-kiiluii”, that would be the Crested Serpent Eagle. And we plough on.

I observe you trying to take in the abundance of greenery and the tranquility of the forest. It does seem surreal, especially since we are only witness to the concrete jungles that prevail in where we live and work. This is a different world altogether. Close your eyes and experience a new dawn where there is no morning rush, no honking of vehicles, no hurry to finish anything and all the time in the world to interact with your surroundings. Let there be a dialogue between the environment and the depths of your being. Give in to the enigma of the Trees and the secrets that they hold and surrender yourself to the utter calmness that speaks to you in soothing tones.

Hey, sorry to jolt you back to the present. There goes an Alarm call! The most exciting sound in these forests. If I heard it correctly, the alarm call emanated from a spotted Deer. We halt and turn off the engine to get a better understanding of the direction and to estimate the veracity of the call. There it goes again! The unmistakable distress call of a Cheetal. And off we go. Speed limit be damned. We leave behind puffs of dust as we dash off towards the direction of the calls hoping to run into the elusive Cat.

Ahead of us, we see a few more Gypsies converged in the middle of the track. Few more rushing towards the spot as we do. We halt in that huddle and look expectantly towards our right and we see nothing. The herd of Deer have gone back to their more important task of grazing on the lush green grass and you are left wondering as to the origin of all this commotion. As if answering our questions, the cuties with the pigtail pony asks us - ‘Aapne dekha? Dekha aapne?’ And her Dad explains that she is referring to the Peacocks. You smile and nod back at her and the innocence with which she is enjoying the wonders of the nature. The joys of childhood!

And then the Guide explains to you that the Spotted deer do give out panic calls which may or may not indicate the presence of a predator. I then explain to you that the Alarm calls are the early warning given out by Antelopes, Primates and some birds too when they spot a predator on the prowl. These are high intensity, short and frequent calls that warn their ilk to be on guard, find safe places and avoid becoming a prey. The Langurs call from the tree tops where they have the luxury of looking far and beyond. The most reliable call is considered that of the Sambhar deer. These distress calls will help us in ,locating our quarry too.

We move on from the location in search of the greener pastures. The Sun is up in all its glory and allow us to remove a layer or two of our warm clothing. Our Guide and driver have warmed up too and we have begun to form a bond with them. We talk about ourselves and we inquire about their lifestyle and the means of their livelihoods, their families and their children. You realise that theirs is a tough life. The food on their table comes from tourists like us and it's a challenge for them to make ends meet. It is a stark realisation to count our blessings and not be too critical of our life.

Along the way, we get to see the various denizens of the forest. The herds of Spotted deer, the smaller groups of Sambhar, the lone barking and Hog dear and the regal looking Swamp Deer(Barasingha) in the wetlands adorning the jungle. How you wished that this were the land of Narnia and one could simply ask the Deer as to the location of the Tiger and reach there in a jiffy!

In between, the Wild Boars make their presence feel too by scurrying for cover as they see our vehicle approaching. The birds have increased their activity and we can see and hear them more clearly. The vibrant colours of the Verditer Fly-catchers, the Yellow Flameback Woodpecker, the Indian Roller, the White Throated Kingfisher mesmerise you and make you look at nature with an increased awe and respect.

The Guide suddenly hushes us up and points straight ahead. We see a black mass moving inelegantly in the centre of the track, its head down and apparently searching for something. As we go closer, we see that its a Bear - a Sloth Bear to be precise. The instant that the Bruin is aware of our presence, it looks up, gives a startled look and leaps off the track into the thicket and beyond. The Sloth Bears are nocturnal and shy and it reflects in their behaviour. We are lucky to have spotted one.

We move further on. In between , we keep stopping and interacting with other vehicles for news of sightings. Seeing a Tiger is typically termed as a ‘sighting’. We observe a set of Pug marks and our Guide tells us that these belong to a Tigress who is known to frequent this area. I allow him to finish and then add on that a Male Tiger normally needs approximately 50-60 square kilometre area while a Tigress needs far lesser which would also mean that there can be 2-3 Tigresses in the territory of a Male Tiger. The Tigers and Tigresses mark their ownership of their area by various means such as Urine marking. Claw marking on Trees and by making their presence felt by vocalizing in their areas. If there’s any worthy challenger, they can and will try their luck to take on the resident!
As we are immersed in this interesting discussion, we are interrupted by a series of distinct coughing sounds from very near. We look up and spot the commotion in the tree tops. Thats the Langurs giving out the alarm calls. All our senses are instantly awakened and the sense of excitement returns immediately. The Langurs are calling incessantly. The tension in the atmosphere is palpable. There is no other Gypsy in our vicinity. A Sambhar Deer bells right next to us which increases the sense of anticipation. I signal you inaudibly to get your camera ready. There is an absolute silence in the Forest except for the Alarm calls.

And then the Guide whispers - ‘Tiger’. We look on to our right and see a huge head emerge out of the thick green foliage. You look on in amazement wondering if it's real or figment of your imagination. How can any creature possess a head of that size and magnitude? Slowly, the entire body emerges out. It is a massive Male Tiger. Resplendent in all its glory and moving with a sense of absolute propriety of the area, he cares not as to who is watching him and who’s calling out to announce his presence. He moves with an air of certainty and belongingness. You observe the taut muscles quivering in his stride. The menacing Paws and fearful canines add on to the effect.

The Tiger crosses the track barely 10 metres ahead of our vehicle and blesses us with a casual glance. He does not understand why we are spellbound by the regality he effuses and treats us with unremarkable disdain. Suddenly, he comes to a halt. Something has caught his attention. He walks purposefully to the nearest tree and sniffs the trunk. He then opens his mouth wide and constricts his nostrils in a distinct expression. I explain to you that he is investigating the scent and this is the ‘Flehmen Response’. He allows the scent to travel to the roof of his mouth where the Jacobsons organ is located and helps him in identifying the source of this unknown scent.

The Tiger then proceeds to stand up on his hinds and seems to hug the tree. The sight is to be seen to be believed. The massive form of the majestic animal in all its glory. He is scratching the tree with his claws to warn off the intruder. After satisfying himself, he moves away, into the thicket once again to the wild cacophony of distress calls of the primates and the antelopes. You remain transfixed throughout. The camera in your hand has not been put to use at all. The less than 120 seconds of sighting has pummelled you into a sense of awe and euphoria that you barely registered anytime earlier. We take in a moment to allow this scene to sink into us.

As if on cue, a flurry of Gypsies are now converging on the spot. But tough luck to them. They are inquiring - ‘Kahaan gaya? Kahaan gaya?’ And you just point out the direction in which he went away. The Guide and driver are happy and content. Their mission is accomplished. A guest going away without sighting is a disappointment to them too. Grinning widely and with contentment written all over our faces, we move away from there. You are trying to fix that memory of the royal creature permanently in your mind. These are the moments that take one’s breath away. You wonder why it did not occur to you till now to see for yourself the beauty of the forest and of its creatures. You comfort yourself that it is better late than never.

We still have some time left in our morning safari. We decide to halt at the designated point and have a welcome cup of Tea and discuss our sighting. The Guide tells us that it was ‘Chota Bheem’ the resident Tiger of the zone who we sighted. There was nothing Chota about him though! He is seen infrequently and we were really lucky to have caught a glimpse of him patrolling his area today morning. Our spirits are unnaturally high and it is time to exit the forest as our time is nearing to close.

As our Gypsy meanders its way out of the forest, I see you revelling in the aftermath of this experience and the sense of calm that is etched over your countenance. It doesn't come as a surprise to me when you tell me that we should do this more often. The Jungle is alluring. It will draw you into it’s intriguing depths and make you addicted to the beauty and mystery it has to offer. The first experience will always remain special.

As we exit the gate and halt for a while, you notice the Government vehicle with the Sarkari guy seated inside; forlorn and long faced. You understand that he hasn't been as lucky as us. He tells us that he missed the sighting by a whisker. You empathise with him and add on before leaving - ‘You haven't seen the Tiger, but the Tiger has seen you!’

Happy Sightings.

The Characters In The Story

[Kkumar]

Vow that's a great article accompanied by excellent photos. May I know which is this tiger reserve and the camera used. Thank you.

[Hunter3077]

Thank you. I have tried to make it part fiction and part actuals in the narration. The photographs are from a mix of National Parks. Notably- Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve, Bhitarkanika Bird Sanctuary, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Mangalajodi Wetlands.
My gear is Nikon Z8 with the 180-600 mm. Some photos are with the Nikon D500 too.

[DDISclatters]

You sir, are a great narrator and story teller. Felt like sitting right besides you in the passenger seat on this beautiful journey. The pictures are really magical and does justice to these majestic creatures. Thank you for writing this post, turned out to be the perfect Sunday read!

[Hunter3077]

Thank you very much. That was the intent. Grateful for the appreciation.

[Dry Ice]

Wow, amazing photos, especially that of the Tiger walking towards you. How did you manage to get down to (almost) the eye level?

Bookmarked to go through the writeup at leisure sometime this week.

Thanks for sharing!

[Hunter3077]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Wow, amazing photos, especially that of the Tiger walking towards you. How did you manage to get down to (almost) the eye level?

Thank you. For eye level, I get on to the floor of the gypsy (in the cramped up space!) and then execute the shot. One has all this pre conceived frames in mind before the actual sighting and execution. It’s about trying to get one of those compositions.

[Stryker]

Superb write up! Had me racking my brains trying to figure out which particular parks you were referring to. The head on tiger shots with the meandering path in the background (the middle one of the three is my fav) is just lovely! Wonder why you didn't go full vertical on it, though.