It was late noon by now and the time for the movement for predator was approaching. Like other days, on that day (sunday) since morning, no sightings were reported. We crossed the checkpost again and were crossing a bridhe near Kallighati, where we spotted this team from a Tiger research agency that was camping for the last 6 months waiting patiently in their Gypsy. We too stopped and asked if they had any sightings. They replied in negative and said that ST-2, the tigress was last seen in this area 24 hrs earlier.
The research team
We also parked and decided to wait as we had lot of time and patience on our hand. My skin was tingling with excitement and I checked & re-checked my camera settings. I then heard the loud bellows of two peahens. The guide, Hari Singh said - "Sir, kuch hai". I cynically commented - "Ek mongoose dikhne se bhi mor chillata hai". The peahens were repeatedly bellowing. Nothing moved and nothing visible.
Bot the Gypsies agreed that it could be a leopard that has sat down in the thick grass well camouflaged which has alarmed & disturbed the peahens.
Suddenly the stillness of the jungle is shattered by the loud bugle call of a Sambar. PONK! PONK!
The sambar deer gives the most visible alarm calls of all the deers. When threatened by a predator, they slowly lift up their tails to indicate to the rest of the herd that there is danger near by, so be on alert but no need to run yet. When they sense the danger to be very close, they lift up their front leg and stamp on the ground, telling rest of the herd "Be ready to run". The final call is the actual vocal alarm call, hearing which all the deer will run away.
Immediately there after there was some rustling sound in the bushes, some running around, more of PONK, PONK and we saw this Sambhar deer run away and stand at a distance, very very alert and staring at some place.
Scared & alert Sambhar
We also turned our heads to look where the deer was staring. PONK, PONK and more PONK, PONK and lo behold, Her Majesty appeared, walking languidly without a care and not looking here or there. What a majestic stride & body; lithe rippling muscles and occassional lifting of the head and looking in our direction with disdain. ST-2 - one of the 3 female Tigresses of Sariska.
The camera went berserk at 5 fps and I don't know how many I clicked. It walked, looked around, waited, stared at us straight in the eye and with one big leap crossed the road and melted away in the jungle. Though I make it sound as if the show was over in a few minutes, this spectacle went on for nearly 1.5 hrs. By this time more gypsies had converged to this place and private cars carrying pilgrims to the temple too stopped creating a crowd and noise. The cat appeared disturbed.
Next something un-imaginable happened; the pilgrims in the cars, opened the door and came out and with their P&S stood on the fringe of the jungle to capture the cat. A major tragedy waiting to happen. Repeated exhortions & warnings from my guide and other guides of the gypsies made then go back to their cars. I was busy shooting the cat, hence could not take a single picture of this bad behaviour. Wish I had taken and shown it to the Forest Officials.
It was time to return and the su was setting. On my way back spotted this Owlet that was basking with its eyes closed.
Thus the quest to see a Tiger in its natural habitat was satiated but the thirst to see more remained. I promised myself to return the coming Sunday (30th Jan) again and headed back home very excited and contented..