| 23 March |
| PM. Stuck in Delhi recovering from something I ate, so the group are in Bandhavgarh in the capable hands of Jai. Looking to get the train this afternoon and be back with the group tomorrow. Everyone saw Chorbera on the afternoon drive, and one of the jeeps saw Boka too. A good start for the group. |
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| 24 March |
| AM. Arrived in Katni on time (!) and got to the camp without any problems. Had some breakfast and crashed out in the room, waiting for the clients to come back from the morning drive. One jeep managed to see the Mirchani brothers; all quiet fro the others. Nothing from the elephants this morning either. |
| PM. Fit enough to go on the afternoon drive (tigers really are the best medicine when seen in the flesh) so nothing was going to keep me back at camp. All very quiet. Cloudy and humid with the threat of rain; had a few drops from time to time. Went by climber point and saw a changeable hawk eagle feeding on an old chital kill. Watched for a while and then went to Rajbehra for tea. Then the guide made a really great spot, a tiger on the road ½ km from where we were parked past the dam, and we hurried back towards climber point. Jhurjura had come for the kill that the eagle was on, and we saw her drag it into the undergrowth and start to feed. After a while she carried it into the long grass and settled down out of sight. All of the group were present. A few spots of rain fell as we watched. One of the jeeps also saw Bandar in the main meadow on the way out, and had a longer than expected sighting as the jeep had trouble starting. |
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| 25 March |
| AM. Quiet morning. Spent some time on the main meadow to see if Bandar or Chakradhara were near. One of the elephants was there to check as well, but no joy. Saw a beautiful sunrise; the park should really be open sooner in the morning. Saw a black shouldered kit on the hover while we were waiting. After a while we drove to Hardia checkpoint and had tea while we were waiting for some news. Then drove to Rajbehra Dam for breakfast. Heard a lot of alarm calls, and the deer in the meadow were very nervous, but saw nothing of the tigers. Drove out of the park, and on the way we came across Jhurjura in the cave where we had seen her the previous week. This is obviously now a favourite place. Everybody had a good sighting. |
| PM. We went looking for Bandar, knowing that he was somewhere between Sita Mandap and Goradamon. Most of the jeeps in the park were there, spread out along the tracks like sentries in a picket line. At one point we heard some growling, but no view of the tiger. Got more cloudy and humid as the afternoon wore on, and we felt some spots of rain. Showers followed in the evening. |
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| 26 March |
| AM. Set out on A route with Ajit. Heard some alarm calls at a couple of places on the perimeter road, but think that these were prompted by hallucinations induced from the animals eating the mowa fruit and getting high. Arrived at Hardia and found that the elephants had found Chorbera and Bhamera. We left to go there, but on the way came across another jeep telling us that Jhurjura’s family were at Rajbehra dam. We quickly changed direction and were one of the first jeeps there. We found two of the cubs with a sambar stag kill, and we spent a couple of hours watching them eat, drink and play, though often in the long grass. Too late for the vet…..! At the end they moved a short distance away from the kill, and the vultures began to come down. One of the cubs chased them off with an annoyed growl. Finally we headed out of the park, but as we passed Siddh Baba the elephants were still with Bhamera. As we waited, the tiger came towards us before sitting down in the water. We scrambled aboard the elephant, but before we could get there he moved. We followed as he went up the hillside towards Chakradhara’s favourite cave, but instead of stopping he continued up the hill and disappeared. A nice view, but hard for photographs. |
| PM. Wound our way slowly around to the Mirchani area, and stopped to have a tea break at the “T” junction that splits the meadow, hillside and river. Heard a call from one of the jeeps around the corner and went to find one of the Mirchani males lying in the grass. We waited for a couple of hours without the tiger moving. Finally one of the guides went to the other side of the track to use the bush toilet, and the tiger sat up, instantly alert. He sat upright for a couple of minutes before going deeper into the grass and lying down. Game over. |
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| 27 March |
| AM. Went to Hardia via Rajbehra Dam, to check if the Jhurjura family were near. News came through that the Mirchani brothers had been spotted, so we headed off to that area. The road was packed with jeeps. We could just make out the two tigers in the distance, one in the forest and one at the edge of the grassland. The tigers walked into the meadow and settled down. They were trying to find a place to cross, but the noise and the movements of the jeeps kept them in the long grass. We had breakfast, and caught an occasional glimpse of the tigers as the jeeps jostled for position. I always find it highly amusing (and sometimes frustrating) that jeeps continually move backwards and forwards, rather than sometimes just accepting the fact that they can’t actually see anything and just wait quietly. We made an educated guess at which way the tigers were likely to go, and settled down to wait. Slowly the jeeps got bored and drifted away, leaving only six vehicles and comparative peace and quiet. I saw one of the cubs heading to the road and we quickly got into position, giving him a good space in which to cross. He stepped put and looked at us, before walking a short distance down the track and going into the forest on the other side. We went down the track to see where he had gone, and the guide suddenly called out that the second tiger had started to follow his brother. This time we were really close as he stepped out, and we got some good views as he walked down the track before cutting into the forest to join his brother. |
| PM. In the afternoon, we figured that the Mirchani cubs would attract all of the jeeps, so we headed off to look for Jhurjura, who had been seen heading for one of her favourite caves during the morning. We waited for couple of hours, almost hearing alarm calls in the distance, but never quite sure. In the end we headed back to Mirchani to check, and met some jeeps leaving the area that had already seen the two males. We carried on, hoping that we were not too late, and arrived at the end of a queue of jeeps. Suddenly we saw that one of the males was coming through the forest, angling to the road, so we positioned our jeep near a clump of bamboo. The choice of position was superb as the tiger appeared only a few metres away. At this point we noticed that we had picked up a puncture on the front right hand side tyre, but chose to follow the tiger down the track. The tiger came onto the road and we drove slowly along until the track widened on a bend and we drew alongside the tiger. He turned and looked at us before leaving the road. He walked through the evenly spaced bamboo ringals for a short while and settled down. This was a good opportunity to change the tyre, so a couple of us got out of the jeep (standing on the side away from the resting tiger) and jacked the front wheel off the ground. We had almost finished when the tiger got up and went back to the road, using the gap that the waiting jeeps had left. We were in the second row, and as the tiger turned to look at us he could clearly see us standing on the road. He became instantly curious and started to move towards us. I shot a few pictures from about 40 - 50 feet before climbing back into the jeep, the first time I have ever shot a tiger when both of us were standing on the same road. Once we were safely back on board, the tiger lost interest, and after a short walk down the track he stepped into the forest and vanished. |
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| 28 March |
| AM. The morning found us in the Chorbera Dam area, quite close to the main Tala/Umaria road that runs alongside the park boundary. Occasionally we could hear the sound of vehicles passing. The elephants had found Chorbera and Bhamera nearby. Bhamera was at the top of a steep narrow ravine (in Africa it would be called a wadi) and the female was resting down below. This gave us a chance to appreciate how magnificent Bhamera was, both in size and beauty. At four years old he has bulked out and is in prime condition. It looks as though he has begun to push Bandar out of this area and, if size is anything by which to judge his chances, you would have to favour his chances of holding on to and increasing his territory. Currently he is unmarked from territorial scraps and is a very attractive cat. After a while he got up and circled around to the top of the ravine, and we followed to get a closer look. Just as we arrived the female got up and moved towards him, and we had some good interaction as the two cats met and nuzzled. Perfect!! |
| PM. In the afternoon we began in the area near Banbai watchtower. As usual we parked on the slope above the bridge and settled down to wait. After what seemed an eternity, Bhamu suddenly whispered that a tiger was approaching. Without alerting anyone else we slipped the handbrake and rolled down the slope onto the bridge, stopping in prime position. I don’t know how Bhamu spotted it, but sure enough a tiger appeared and settled down behind some trees. We could see parts of her, but she was mostly hidden, so we were not sure whether this was mother or cub. The left ear had a distinctive cut on the end. After a while she just stood and melted away back the way she had come. We then drove up to Goradamon, thinking that either this tiger or Bandar may be there. All the normal vantage spots were already taken (most of the jeeps in the park seemed to be there) so we parked on the edge of the overhang overlooking the bridge. After only a few minutes our guide shouted “Tiger!” and there was Bandar standing at the edge of the bridge, half hidden behind a tree. He walked on into the gorge and headed for his favourite resting place under the overhang that we had parked on. He disappeared from view and we thought that would be the end of the sighting. However, the bamboo and bushes that reached above the overhang continued to rustle as he walked along, out of sight below us. Suddenly we realised that he wasn’t going to rest but was coming out of the gorge almost next to us, not on his usual route. Frantically the jeeps near his exit point tried to back away to leave a gap, but the crush of jeeps meant that they couldn’t leave a large enough gap. Bandar appeared out the gorge and stopped, before showing his teeth and retreating a pace. Having given us a warning that he was coming across, he came out for a second time and crossed the road at a pace that, for him, was quite rapid. He traversed the bank on the far side of the cutting, giving a good angle for some sideways walking shots. He finally disappeared into the bamboo, and we followed the crowd of jeeps as they tried to keep ace. We were happy to follow at a distance, having had the best sight of probably anyone! Gave the park ranger a lift back to the gate. Smiles and handshakes all round. |
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| 29 March |
| AM. Spent the morning exploring the fort. We had the usual good views of the vultures as we had breakfast overlooking the site of the old Bhatan village 1,000ft below. No matter how many times I see the view it never ceases to inspire. |
| PM. We headed to the site of the Vishnu statue at Sheshaiyya, with half an idea that Chakradhara and her cubs might be in the area. While we had tea and waited for the afternoon to pass, we had a message from an arriving jeep that Chakradhara had been seen on the hillside near the left hand fork of the junction at the main meadow. When we arrived we could see her moving slowly down the slope, stopping at regular intervals to watch and listen, obviously hunting. As she reached the bottom of the hill she crossed the stream and disappeared into the long grass on the meadow that leads down to Siddh Baba. A nice, relaxed sighting of a tiger doing what comes naturally without any disturbance from the watching jeeps. We headed up to Banbai and parked in our normal position on the slope above the culvert. Once again, Bhamu spotted a tiger that came onto the rocks behind the trees. One of the Banbai family, but not sure which. |
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| 30 March |
| AM. The elephants found Bhamera and Chorbera near Chorbera Dam. We boarded and went in for our sightings, and found the tigers lying apart from each other. Got some nice individual shots and decided to wait in the shade to see how things developed. After a while we heard that the two tigers had moved closer together, so we went back onto the elephants for a second viewing. Took some shots of them together, and just as we were starting to leave Bhamera went to Chorbera and mated with her; just like that. The male tiger grips the female behind the neck with his teeth, knowing that the female will try to turn on him as he withdraws, and managed to get one shot of the couple with teeth flashing. This was accompanied by a full blooded roar that made us jump, even though we were expecting it. It was likely that mating would continue, so we decided to have breakfast and wait some more. Eventually we went back for a third viewing from the elephant. We were on one side of the stream and the male on the other, with Chorbera resting some way up a small slope behind the male. We had good photo opportunities for both, including Bhamera growling at the elephants, telling them to keep their distance. After a while, Chorbera came down the slope and rolled on her back, a prelude to mating. Sure enough Bhamera got up and went to her. They coupled and we had the usual teeth and roaring as they separated, the male jumping backwards off all four legs as though they were on springs - very “Tigger”! |
| PM. In the afternoon we headed into Zone 2, viewing the very different terrain and vegetation, but unfortunately no tigers. We stopped at the elephant camp on that side of the park to check on the youngsters. They were in a boisterous mood as usual. |
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| 31 March |
| AM. We headed off towards Chorbera Dam, and were rewarded very quickly by the sight of Bhamera resting on the well worn path leading away from the track into the bushes. Still not really light enough for photography, but got some good portraits. We could half see Chorbera. After a short time they disappeared inside the forest and we could hear them mating, more or less at the same place that they were the previous morning. |
| PM. The highlight of the afternoon was a visit to the elephant camp just off Route A, where a baby had been born very early that morning. Less than 12 hours old, the elephant was still unsteady on its feet and struggling to find its mother’s teats. The mahouts were on hand to help, splashing water onto the baby’s back to keep it cool and guiding it to the right place to suckle. Finally the young elephant figured things out and we left mother and baby for the evening. On the way out of the park we heard Chorbera calling as she walked around her territory, eventually catching glimpses of her as she moved through the forest. We followed her slowly, and at the end she crossed the road in front of us, disappearing into the forest as dusk fell. |
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| 1 April |
| AM. With no route restrictions, we decided to head down to Rajbehra Dam to check before heading back to Siddh Baba. We drove by the watchtower at the side of Chakradhara Meadow, and as we turned past the junction we caught sight of a leopard moving away up the slope. No photographs because of the trees, but a good sighting as it made its way up towards the ridgeline. We moved past the shrine and went onto the gorge, to find the elephants waiting for permission to begin viewing the tiger, and after the ViPs had their sighting we were the first up. Chorbera was lying in the undergrowth next to the stream, but as soon as the elephant arrived she went to the top of a slope next to some rocks and settled down. Had a good view from slightly below as she rested, and she then moved to a second, higher rock. Banraj the elephant got us level and we took many photographs of her in classic pose. Afterwards we had breakfast in the gorge and were still there when Chorbera decided that she had had enough attention for one morning, moving along the valley and heading up to her favourite caves for some peace and quiet. Saw a young changeable hawk eagle as we left the park. |
| PM. The afternoon began quietly, enjoying views of the deer and wild boar before we made our way over to the area around Rajbehra Dam. A group of jeeps were parked alongside the track that skirts the small hill behind the dam, and in the stream we could just see Boka’s head standing out of the water. Here the water moves so slowly that leaves collect on the surface, blending the stream into the leaf covered forest floor. After cooling off, Boka emerged from the stream and went up the other side of the valley to vanish in the forest. We drove around the downstream side of the dam and headed for Climber Point, where we saw Jhurjura crossing the track in front of us and heading for the dam. We circled around to the shore of the lake formed by the dam and watched as the tigress emerged from the forest and walked down to the water. We then spent almost 20 minutes, watching her by the water, drinking occasionally as the light slowly faded. Just before the end she was joined by one of her cubs, but by then it was time to leave and head for the park gates. |
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| 2 April |
| AM. Spent the afternoon preparing to depart on our evening train back to Delhi. |
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