I was planning a Tadoba visit in early 2022 but spurts of Covid followed by park closures and travel restrictions spoiled the schedule. As a result my February program was cancelled.
Finally it materialized in April.. Reached Nagpur at 12 midnight , thanks to Indigo which kept advancing flight departure on and on, and by the time I reached Svasara it was 2.00 a.m. There hardly was any time left for a good sleep and by 5.00 a.m. it was again time to get ready for the safari.
My safari was in Kolara buffer from Madnapur gate . For me, visiting Tadoba after a gap of 2 years , it was a new gate. I drove around Madanapur lake in search of Lara and her cubs but in vain. Finally around 9.00 a.m. a returning jeep informed that Matkasur has been sighted at Lainbodi water hole. All jeeps then headed to the destination described.
And there was Matkasur, the famous and fearsome erstwhile King of Panderpavni area in 2016-2017. Now driven out from his native territory, he seem to be living in exile. But it was good to see the battle hardened Matkasur resting under the shade of a wild Jamun tree.
The next day safari was in Kolara core and as luck would have it , a tigress was sighted at a waterhole just 10 minutes after start. Light conditions were poor but nevertheless a record shot was taken, She came out in open for a few seconds after finishing her sip.
That was a good start. My guide, a local girl, was very enthused. We then headed towards Panderpavni #2 and hardly had driven for about 10 minutes when she asked the driver to stop. On the bifurcating road, that we had passed a little, there was the famous Tadoba tigress Maya with her beau Balram in a mating courtship sitting some 20-30 feet apart from each other. Later Maya came to her beau and went in to sleep
The couple sat there for about 45 minutes or so . There was a long line of tourist vehicles on the jungle road. Then Maya got up from her slumber and started walking towards Pandrpavni #2 with Balram in tow. Experienced photographers anticipating the opportunity rushed to the waterhole in order to secure vantage points for photographing the duo when they descend to waters. After some time that moment arrived and then shutters clicked continuously for sometime.
In the afternoon I was advised to check Teliya lake area . In the morning a tigress and her cubs were sighted there. The dominant male tiger of that area known as "Bajrang"was also seen . So I proceeded to Teliya lake.
Teliya lake is quite far off from Kolara gate and due to prescribed vehicle speed limit of 20 kmph the distance felt never ending . The slow drive soon became boring. But fortunately I met tigress Lara sitting under a tree on the roadside. There were two other tourist vehicles also. The tigress seemed to be warding off April heat in her short slumbers . She yawned and revealed her age. A broken canine , missing incisor and yellowing teeth line surely indicated of her getting old. I had seen her first in December 2012 when she was a sub-adult.
My next and last safari was at Alizanza buffer of the tiger reserve. I drove past the Kinichua waterhole ;which once used to be central point of the photographers because its being the favorite place of the male tiger called 'Rana'. Besides it was a green shaded area and close proximity to water provided many birding opportunities in the summers. However some 3 years ago forest department's development work in the area changed the entire facade of Kinichua. It lost is old charm.
My guide opined that we stop on the jungle road by the side of a flowing narrow nala where he said male tiger "Chota Matka" was seen in the morning. I stopped there and waited for about 3 hours and then out of sheer boredom asked the jeep driver to move ahead. There was some bird activity in the nala vegetation and I clicked a Paradise Fly Catcher. I had driven for about 2 km form the previous halting point .
Then all of a sudden some activity was sensed in the wild and my guide told the jeep driver to reverse and rush to the old spot. All tourist jeeps standing dormant so far came to life and started making a beeline
towards our going.
I had cautioned my jeep driver not to go too close as I was was using a 400 mm lens but the driver, in the haste of reaching to the animal first , lost the caution and stopped too close to "Chota Matka"who after crossing the nala, was trying to come on the jungle road.
I lost a wonderful photo opportunity and be content with a record shot. ' Chota Matka' is a huge 10 feet male tiger. Watching him walk just 3 feet away from the jeep was a thrill of super kind.
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Superb! Thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
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