After driving for 8 hours, we reached the Moharli gate of Tadoba at about 2.30PM. The range has well demarcated area’s called the buffer area and the core area. The core area is where the Tigers and other wildlife are mainly concentrated. But the locals tell us that there are as many Tigers and animals in the buffer area as many in the core area.
We quickly completed the formalities at the MTDC guest house, had a quick lunch and headed for the 3PM safari. The rates for hiring a Gypsy for the safari are pretty reasonable and the entry fee, camera fee and guide fee are very economical.
Open Gypsy - 1300
Entry per head - 20 Adults, 10 Children
Camera fee/per camera - 5
Guide fee - 100
LMV - 50
HMV - 75
Spotting a tiger in the wild - Luck and Priceless!
MTDC restaurent, Moharli
Joining formalities
The room, MTDC Moharli
As you can see the pictures from my previous post, all the way from Hyderabad, it was raining intermittently and I was almost certain that we would not be able to spot a single Tiger. It was the same scene in Moharli, though it was a bit hot and humid, it was raining and drizzling. Now, you can call me pessimistic here but I am told that the best season to spot a Tiger is in the summer – with not much water available, all animals congregate near the watering holes. Since it was raining, I was sure there would be abundant water in the forest and the Tigers would not come out in the open.
With these doubts in my mind, we headed into the forest. The Gypsy driver started zooming on the forest roads and both he and the guide seemed to be looking for something on the sides of the main road where ever there is a by lane or fire lines. A quick enquiry and the driver tells us they are trying to look for other vehicles.
The road into the core area
Land of the tigers
Our ride on day1
“Wait, are we here to spot other vehicles or to spot some wildlife?”. “Ruko sahib, aapko Tiger dikhaunga.” After heading for about 7-8KM into the main forest, our driver takes a quick left into one of the by lanes.
The bylanes
The gypsy, I noticed had balding tyres and here was our guy negotiating slush and water puddles and some good speed. After about 15 minutes into the thick undergrowth and trying to duck bamboo shoots from hitting our faces, we spot a wild boar crossing the road. “Shucks, not enough time to whip out the camera”, my wife sighs. We move further ahead into the jungle and come face to face with another Sumo.
The sumo
The gentleman inside, sitting beside the driver has a Sony handycam, fixed to the vehicle from the floor area. The driver, guide and the sumo driver exchange pleasantries and information of no luck with the striped one. The sumo moves ahead in the opposite direction and we too move in the search of the cat. After negotiating a curve and a puddle on the by lane, the gypsy totally loses traction and almost heads for a tree. Lukcy us, it just stops short of the tree, but the tyre is stuck in deep rut. The driver changes to 4W and slowly pulls us out and we head back into the wilderness. Another 15 min drive and the gypsy comes to a grinding halt. There is another jeep parked about 50 ft from us and we can see the guide signaling to us to kill the engine. We quickly kill the engine wait with bated breath.
The jeep ahead of us ready for action
Then it happens! It slowly emerges from the deep undergrowth and heads towards the jeep in front of us. We can here the shutters of the SLR the gentleman in that jeep.
Burning bright
Close up
Walking tall
Close up
It strolls for a few seconds, giving us and the other jeep mates some good shots and moves into the opposite bushes. By now there is a complete blockade of jeeps behind us. I could count 10 of them behind us and 10-15 in front of the jeep opposite us.
Traffic jam
There is another cub that is trying to cross and join its brother/sister on the opposite side, but is disturbed by the commotion of jeeps trying to get a close look at it. It abandons it plans and keeps strolling in the bushes, amid the noise of jeeps and people gasping at the sight. It put up a good show of about 15mins giving us some good shots before disappearing deeper into the bushes at the sound of a car reversing. This guy had the reverse buzzer on and apparently scared the cub away.
The second tiger cub in the bushes
