[Subrat Seet]

Completeky shocked by the interim decission. If follow strictly, then this will be the end of tiger era in India. Keeping finger crossed for tourist friendly decission.

[gd1418]

Tragedy strikes at Ranthambhore. T-24 attacks and kills a forest guard yesterday at 11:30 am. This is his third human kill in the last few years though he has not turned a man-eater.

Read all about it in detail here:

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

[sach.sri]

Originally Posted by gd1418

Tragedy strikes at Ranthambhore. T-24 attacks and kills a forest guard yesterday at 11:30 am. This is his third human kill in the last few years though he has not turned a man-eater.

Read all about it in detail here:

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

Well - there was talk in R'bore that he was licking the blood from the body and did not leave the body even after much efforts. Only after some time that he go a little away from the body and it was taken to the hospital.

Also after that - T24 was seen on the main road near Jhoomar Baori in the evening and chased after a couple of Gypsies. So he is becoming a danger. I guess - he should be lifted and sent to a zoo as precaution.

[gd1418]

Tragic News

Out of the several zones in the Ranthambhore National Park, there is Zone #: 9 also known as the Qualji or Kuwalji zone. This zone is very famous for its two inhabitants - T 42 (male) & T 37 (female). T 42 is a very temperamental and ferocious Tiger and is known to attack the gypsies at will. Very few bravehearts opt to visit this zone.

His beau and the Tigress T 37 is probably the biggest and very beautiful female of Ranthambhore. At first glance it is mistaken for a male.

T 37



On 18th March, 2013 she was sleeping at Pandu Kho area of Qualji in the morning. After some while a gypsy passed by, she approached towards it, coughed twice & then collapsed.

Eternal Sleep - T 37



RIP T 37. You shall be missed.



Acknowledgements: Vishwas Purohit, Anurag Sharma, Dhirendra Godha

[gd1418]

Ranthambhore Tiger reserve is in news these days and not for any man-animal conflict but because of the antics of the resident Tigers themselves.

Firstly it is about Sundari or T 17. The reigning Queen of the Lakes last year gave birth to cubs and in due course changed residence and moved further to Kachida area as she felt threatened by a male who moved in that territory. All was going well till about a week back Since then she has not been sighted and the year old cubs have been separated. Dangerous.

Yesterday the cubs have been sighted and they were seen with T 25 who earlier reared the orphaned Bina-1 & 2 (now relocated to Sariska).

Cubs are being fed by the forest authorities and they ate the bait kept for them.

Camera traps have been installed in the last known area of Sundari but nothing yet has been captured. I am worried about her and am praying, hoping all is going to be well.

Missing Sundari ( T 17 )



While Sundari shifted base from the lakes, a new occupant moved in. T 19 the meek & timid sister of Sundari suddenly gathered courage, lost her timidness and occupied the slot at the lakes vacated by Sundari. Currently T 19 is lording over that area.

Ranthambhore has history of run-away Tigers. First it was T 7 or Mohan who travelled almost 200 kms undetected to Mathura and then hid in the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Finally he was tranquilised and re-located to Sariska as ST 6. Now he is the dominant male there.

Now the two year old cubs of T 26 have moved away from Ranthambhore and settled some where else.

The male cub travelled 220 kms and settled in the Datia forest in MP while the other two have been found to settle in the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary that is now preparing to receive Lions from Gir.



TOI news link - http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML

Why is this happening? Is there not enough space for all? Apparently there is not enough space for the Tigers as their number has increased close to 50 including the cubs. So, if they can't claim a territory in a fight, then either they die fighting or leave the place and find some other place.

This also means that there existed a corridor amongst forests for animal movement. Have the Tigers suddenly discovered the ancient "Silk Route"?

If so, then we must make all the endevour to discover and develop the corridor for intra-forest movement.

[gd1418]

The latest news is that "Sundari" or T 17 has not yet been traced. Unfortunately, no evidence also has been found like pug-marks or scat etc. Even the camera traps have been blank.

This is really really worrisome..



The other bad news is that the Grand Dame Machli has been seen with a bad injury.

This picture has been taken by Bina Kak, Minister for Environment & Forests, Govt. of Rajasthan



The injury looks very bad. Was she involved in a fight with another Cat?

Praying for both - Machli & her daughter Sundari.

[harjeev]

Originally Posted by gd1418

The latest news is that "Sundari" or T 17 has not yet been traced. Unfortunately, no evidence also has been found like pug-marks or scat etc. Even the camera traps have been blank.

This is really really worrisome..

Attachment 1077571

The other bad news is that the Grand Dame Machli has been seen with a bad injury.

This picture has been taken by Bina Kak, Minister for Environment & Forests, Govt. of Rajasthan

Attachment 1077572

The injury looks very bad. Was she involved in a fight with another Cat?

Praying for both - Machli & her daughter Sundari.

This is simply an awesome thread Gurudutt sir and the pictures are simply marvelous. I remember seeing some one them on your phone but to watch them on a 24" screen is another experience all together.

Additionally the information you've compiled on the Safaris booking system and other aspects on Ranthambore National Park would really come in handy when visiting the NP.

Regarding the disappearance of T-17 Machli is really a disturbing development and hope that they find her soon. Its been many days now.

Looking forward to the next updates on this thread. Now June ain't far away so I doubt that you'll be able to postphone a trip the Ranthambore much further.
Who knows that I just might join you in May end or June and piggy back a little bit on your luck of catching the ellusive tiger in the jungles of Ranthambore.
Cheers Sir

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by gd1418

The latest news is that "Sundari" or T 17 has not yet been traced. Unfortunately, no evidence also has been found like pug-marks or scat etc. Even the camera traps have been blank.

This is really really worrisome..


The other bad news is that the Grand Dame Machli has been seen with a bad injury.

This picture has been taken by Bina Kak, Minister for Environment & Forests, Govt. of Rajasthan


The injury looks very bad. Was she involved in a fight with another Cat?

Praying for both - Machli & her daughter Sundari.

It is sad to see the plight of a tiger/tigress when it is old. I guess Machli might me around 16 years old now.

GD Sir, Any further news about Sundari and Machli?

[gd1418]

Thank you Harjeev for liking and the also for the kind words.

Originally Posted by harjeev

This is simply an awesome thread Gurudutt sir and the pictures are simply marvelous. I remember seeing some one them on your phone but to watch them on a 24" screen is another experience all together.

When I joined TBHP, a few friends & I planned a trip to Dudhwa National Park in Dec 2007. I searched for some information on Dudhwa here and found some threads but they were not very informative. Based on those threads it was not possible to plan a trip as very sketchy information was available.

It was then that I decided that if I ever write a travelogue, then I would try to include all details that I gathered while planning my trip for the benefit of others.

Originally Posted by harjeev

Additionally the information you've compiled on the Safaris booking system and other aspects on Ranthambore National Park would really come in handy when visiting the NP.

Though mother Tigresses have been known to be away from their cubs for as long as 8 to 10 days, here the situation has become quite unusual. Every passing day without any info on T 17 makes the situation very bleak. I can only pray for her safe return.

Originally Posted by harjeev

Regarding the disappearance of T-17 Machli is really a disturbing development and hope that they find her soon. Its been many days now.

I'm planning one in mid-May and then again in June before the sanctuary closes for the monsoon. I really & desperately want to see Machli in my lifetime. I missed the legendary B 2 in Bandhavgarh by about 30 minutes or so and later he passed away. Not been able to see Machli would be an eternal regret.

My family & I certainly wouldn't mind riding piggyback on a certain LC all the way to R'bhore....

Originally Posted by harjeev

Looking forward to the next updates on this thread. Now June ain't far away so I doubt that you'll be able to postphone a trip the Ranthambore much further.

Who knows that I just might join you in May end or June and piggy back a little bit on your luck of catching the ellusive tiger in the jungles of Ranthambore.
Cheers Sir

That is the way of mother nature. The average life-span of a Tiger in the wild is about 13-14 years at the maximum. It is in captivity that the Tigers live upto 20 odd years.

Machli is 18 and has lost all her canines; has survived till now. I guess she is ok as no adverse news has come about her.

Originally Posted by Torque123

It is sad to see the plight of a tiger/tigress when it is old. I guess Machli might me around 16 years old now.

GD Sir, Any further news about Sundari and Machli?

[gd1418]

Almost finalised my trip to R'bhore from 26th to 29th May 2013.Tentative plan as below:


26th: Dep GGN at 4 am and ETA Jungle View Resort around 11 am.

26th: Afternoon safari

27th: Mornng & Afternoon Safari

28th: Morning & Afternoon Safari

29th: Qualji Safari & then depart for GGN.

[gd1418]

Sundari - T 17 - Sattara of Ranthambhore

I guess now this can be said in the open. The most famous Tigress of Ranthambhore and the last of the litters of the legendary Machchli is missing for more than 7+ weeks, leaving her three 11 month old cubs alone. This is a very unusual behaviour from a mother Tiger and does not bode well.

Specially constituted forest teams have been searching for her and are still doing so, but no traces have been found.

In January 2013, she had a big fight with Star male (T 28) where she held her own and was badly injured. So much so that the forest authorities had to tranquilise her to mend her front left paw as she was a nursing mother.

For the safety of her cubs due to threat from T 28, she left the Lake area and settled elsewhere.

On my visit to Ranthambhore in 2012, she gave me great sightings and almost passed next to my jeep within touching distance so many times (photographs & narration in previous posts).

My dear friend Aditya a great Tiger conservationist & lover has this to say.

Aditya Singh: "I believe that she died of injuries sustained in a fight with another tigers. She was scrapping a lot for the past 6 months or more. She was struggling with her territory and her more dominant sister Unnis (or T 19) was putting the pressure on. She had "tiger issues" with T 28, T 9, T 25 and T 6. Thats a lot of tigers to mess around with".

I would still not like to believe that anything bad has happened to this gorgeous Tigress.

Ranthambhore shall not be the same now. RIP SUNDARI

Sundari with a kill in May,'12

She had just delivered her cubs then....



Walking away in the sunset, never to be seen again

[gd1418]

Temperatures are soaring in the North to unbearable levels. But the lure of the wild will enable bearing it. For the first time used the video feature of the D800 at home. Have been practising. Will try to take videos as well. Excited.

Five days to go...!

[Baddychat]

Originally Posted by gd1418

Temperatures are soaring in the North to unbearable levels. But the lure of the wild will enable bearing it. For the first time used the video feature of the D800 at home. Have been practising. Will try to take videos as well. Excited.

Five days to go...!

Gd sir, I assume you would be driving down. Please post the route taken and road conditions. Planning to drive down in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks once again and Bon Voyage.

[gd1418]

26th May, 2013

Hello from Ranthambhore to all.

Left Gurgaon at 4:13 am and was in the resort at 10:15. In six hours covered 365 kms. Road between Dausa & Lalsot in a bad shape and full of craters. Rest fine.

Temperatures in the range of 41 to 44 during the day in the jungle.

Detailed report shall be filed later. In the meanwhile a teaser picture (record shot) of Star Male T 28 in the Rajbagh area of zone 3.

Spot the Tiger



300mm/f4 with TC 1.4 on D300 at ISO 800

I wish I had a 600mm.

p.s. Donations welcome and shamelessly accepted with a smile.

[BUXX]

^^ tiger is under the tree !