[Coooolcat21]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Coooolcat21,

We missed her by a whisker too.

The sambar alarm calls were continuous and just 30 feet away from us. CollarWali, she was there with her 5 cubs about 50 feet from us hidden in undergrowth, where the sambars were looking at and shouting their guts out. At the spot we were waiting in pin drop silence were a the mothers and cubs, 5 minute old pug marks.

Next day she brought her cubs to a kill by the roadside in the same area and was sighted by other visitors, the same morning we were leaving Pench.

How did your visit go? Waiting to see Pench through your eyes.
Regards,

A photograph of her from my last to Pench, exactly a year before this trip.
Attachment 509005

Sir,
The photograph is fabulous!!
Missing her by a whisker is a feeling I well understand. I went through something similar in kanha last week.
Pench was beautiful as always, it was my second visit on my way to Kanha National Park.
It would be a pleasure to share my experience. Will soon start a photo log.
Regards

Originally Posted by abheekg

@coolcat: what dates were you in Pench ? I was there almost on every single day except tuesday (22feb). I am sure we must have crossed paths during the drives. Its bad we didn't meet.

Do tell us about your experience here on this thread and post some of your pics.

Among other things guess what Bablu, my driver photographed at pench this sunday when I was off to Tadoba testing out my new Gypsy?

@Fazal saab: The wait is over. Its time for you to plan another visit here.

Dr. A Ghosh

Sir,
I was there on the 22nd and left on the 23rd. Maybe we can catch up next time. I did 2 safaris and relished the serene beauty of the jungles. As mentioned earlier I missed the stripes but then the birds there made it all so special. My pics are not ready as yet, will soon work on them .
Regards

[abheekg]

@coolcat: Missed you this time.

My dear friends, this is the future of Pench. Let these pics speak for themselves. All photographs courtesy my driver Bablu.


regards,
Dr. A Ghosh
The future are us:


Collar wali tigress cubs


Caught on the road


The first sighting of this litter


May their tribe grow !


AMEN.

Its a great time to visit Pench folks !

[Thad E Ginathom]

Wow... Kittens!


Superb. How wonderful to encounter them!

[abheekg]

The story of this litter is unprecidented my dear friends. There has never been a documentation of a Tigress with so many cubs.

By the way how many kittens do you count in the photographs?

AG.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Well, I can count up to four in any one photo --- but I bet you have a sharp eye for identifying them by subtle differences

[fazalaliadil]

Dr. Ghosh,
Thanks for sharing, this is the family we could not portrait on our visit there.
1+5, thats wow!
A survivor, predator and a very able mother....thats COLLARWALI.
Hope these cats grow up to be the formidable predators like their ancestors but in a more safer haven.
Regards,

[nomadabhi]

Lucky Bablu,

I still remember him running down towards the hut in rains where the small chullah helped us keep warm.

On my first morning safari, we were able to catch paw prints of collarwali

[Coooolcat21]

@Dr.Abheek
Wow, thank you so much for the pics. The cubs eluded us but then you brought them onto our screens, guess your patience always wins when it comes to tiger sightings.And hopefully u ll be seeing them more often and we can get to see them growing up.
regards

[Subrat Seet]

Wow, Abheek. Superb sighting. Put some nice pictures. Teach Bablu for improvement. However, Cubs, Its a dream to man.

[nomadabhi]

Originally Posted by Subrat Seet

Wow, Abheek. Superb sighting. Put some nice pictures. Teach Bablu for improvement. However, Cubs, Its a dream to man.

Subrat, usually bablu carries a nikon handy cam. Though sometimes dr leaves his 30d with them. Have seen lallan using it good.

[Subrat Seet]

Originally Posted by nomadabhi

Subrat, usually bablu carries a nikon handy cam. Though sometimes dr leaves his 30d with them. Have seen lallan using it good.

Dr with 30d, May be you are mistaken. He uses 40D.

[abheekg]

I have empowered both Bablu and Lallan with cameras as they have shown tremendous interest in wildlife photography& they give me great options while shooting in tandem.

They also understand photography angles& have evolved as specialist drivers

They help us record some rare natural history moments.

I indeed use 2 canon 40d bodies. From today my older 40d is getting a 4month posting at Pench Turia gate with Lallan.

Its indeed patience, perseverence and preparedness that gets us these shots.

D

[Coooolcat21]

Abheek Sir,
Few pictures from my visit to Pench.
Regards

[Wanderer78]

Super..... The pictures are just WOW!!!! I am from Nagpur and still have never been to Pench :( I will make it a point to visit Pench now to admire its natural beauty at the fullest

[abheekg]

Thank you Coolcat and Hrishikesh sir.

@hrishikesh sir: do keep me posted about your plans and try to plan your visit on weekdays.

I was in Pench again today morning and I ran into collar wali again walking straight at me.
She kept walking at me for 30 mins while Bablu continuously reversed the Gypsy.

Got some amazing shots and a great video.

Nowadays I hardly get time to download images from my camera in between drives as I am visiting Pench almost on every alternate day.

Stay tuned.