Some Tips for Photographing Wildlife in India

With its more than 500 wildlife sanctuaries and 48 tiger reserves spread all over the country, India offers ample opportunities to photograph its amazing flora and fauna. Incidentally India is home to the famous Royal Bengal Tiger of which about 1750 roam in the Indian wilds  as on today : the largest number of tigers living in the wild  the world over. India is home to other big cats also like the Asiatic Lion and the Leopard. The only exception is the Cheetah which went extinct from India somewhere around late 1800's.


Apart from the big cats India is home to a variety of herbivores : the deer and antelopes , wild elephants, the most endangered one horned Rhino of which only 3000 are left live in the wild, the Sloth Bear and the Dhole or the Indian Wild Dog. The avian species are also numerous roughly more than 500 native and many migratory which visit during October to March every year.




These tips are general in nature and describe my first hand experience of photographing wildlife in the wildlife reserves of  the north ( Dudhwa National Park, Katarnia Ghat  and Kishenpur Wildlife Sanctuaries) and central India. ( Bandhavgarh , Kanha, and Tadoba Tiger Reserves)




Best Time and Places: I find mid February to March end as the best time for visiting wild life parks of India. The weather around this time is very pleasant and with the onset of spring season the jungles are in their most beautiful phase. However for tiger photography I would suggest April and May when the day time heat reaches to its extreme and thus increasing chances of sighting tigers around waterholes to the maximum.


Corbett , Dudhwa and Manas in the north and northeast India, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Tadoba in the central India and Ranthambhore in the west India are some of the  best places for wildlife photography. In southern India one may like to visit Bandipur, Nagarhole and Periyar .




Equipment : This needs no detailing as I think every wild life photographer knows already about it.
In this age of digital photography some very good systems are on the offer by the well known photo equipment makers like Nikon, Canon and Sony. One may choose as per his personal liking and budget. Being a Canon aficionado I use  6D and 5D Mark III bodies with EF 300 mm F/2.8 L II prime and a 70-300 mm  f /4-5.6 L zoom lens. However I must emphasize on having the right kind of equipment, the camera body and glass, for this genre of photography. Birders need at least a lens of 500 mm focal length and a camera body having fast focus acquisition, tracking and burst shutter capabilities.




Know the basics of wildlife behaviour: Like the ISO, Aperture and shutter speed being the triumvirate of any photography, the right photo equipment, knowledge of wildlife behaviour and patience make the three main pillars of successful wild life photography.


I will briefly share my experience :




Birds: As a general rule the smaller the bird the more agile and unstable it is like the GBE's, Pittas, Finches and the Orioles. The reverse is true of big birds like Raptors , Owls and Cranes . However all

migratory birds are wary of humans and maintain a very safe distance preferring the middle of the water body.


Deer and Antelopes: They also like to maintain a safe distance from humans. But these are very curious animals. So when photographing them stop in your place and do not chase. And by all probabilities their curios nature will make them to stop at a safe distance and look back at you. That should be your moment to click.

Tiger and Leopard : Tigers are very stable while resting and that gives ample time to photograph them.


However  a tiger walking on or crossing a jungle road requires some understanding of the feline behaviour. Tigers are supremely confident of themselves  and seldom glance to their right or left while walking but when changing the track or crossing a jungle road they do , for once, look back or glance to the side where any object may be. That should be the moment of click. That is how I got a good shot of the famous and equally shy Mahahman tigress of Bandhavgarh in 2015.


Leopards are most elusive. It is just a matter of chance that you may get them walking on the jungle road at comfortable distances for photography.

Dholes or Indian Wild Dogs: They do not fear humans. So its easy to photograph them.

:

Sloth Bear: During summer season , in early mornings ,  you may find him at close distances. But take care and be very careful of this most unpredictable beast in the wild.

Wild Boar: Very intelligent and most unstable. They tend to run away the moment they see you. However if you spot them standing then do not pick up or point your camera in a sudden motion or hurriedly. The key is to remain motionless and let the animal indulge in its activity , An then to pick up your camera slowly and click.

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Witnessing a Live Hunt

As a wildlife photographer I visit India's prime tiger lands like Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Dudhwa and Tadoba regularly . Though all of them are fantastic in their very own individual ways, I am a bit partial to Bandhavgarh and Tadoba . And that is perhaps because I have been visiting Bandhavgarh from 1992 and that Tadoba has not disappointed me ever in the last six years. I have been fortunate to see and photograph almost all famous felines of Tadoba during this period and have written about one of its tigresses, the P-2, in my earlier blogs and who I regard as one of the most iconic surviving big cats of India today .  Incidentally this incident, which can be said to be a training hunt, is also about her.


I was in Tadoba last month from 19th to 24th to photograph P-2's three ten months old cubs. They were quite small when I saw them last in December 2015.

On 20th April I was on a morning safari at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and parked at the southern end of the Panderpavni waterhole #1 where tigress P-2 happened to be sitting just opposite at the far end east bank of the drying lake with her three ten months old cubs. It was early morning but the April heat was oppressive. The lake was almost dry but for some water at the middle. After sometime the feline family started walking towards the lake and dashed in to waters to cool off. The cubs started swimming and frolicking. That went on for about 15-20 minutes when the cubs came out of the water chasing each other. The tigress glanced at them and then, slowly, she also came out of the water and sat down at the bank looking across the lake with her head held high. That was undoubtedly a stately stance and a classic  Royal Bengal Tiger pose. The shutterbugs went ga- ga and started sounding the rapid fire burst of their cameras. And then the tigress got up and started walking in the direction of the southern end where I was parked. But her demeanour was  changed. From her body language she looked very alert . She was now crouching and keeping her neck outstretched as if on the trail of some prey.

On the southern end, where I was parked, was a Dhak tree about some sixty feet away at 11Ó'clock position. Sitting under the shade of that tree and obscured by the surrounding tall dry jungle grass was a full grown ruminating Gaur or Indian Bison. But nobody saw the Gaur till the tigress came up walking all the way from the opposite side of the lake and made a lightening like charge in the grass at the unsuspecting gaur. That was quite natural also. You do not look here and there when a tiger comes walking towards you. You get mesmerized.

The charge was fast, precise and ferocious. In one swift stroke the tigress hocked the left hind leg of the gaur. The huge bovine could not react or get up. It was immobilised in its place and sitting helplessly there on the ground started baying painfully.



The tigress then gave out a faint growl. That was her call to the cubs to come over . The cubs arrived there in no time and started biting and pawing the live prey. The mother tigress sat nearby watching the cubs practicing their hunting skills from a close distance. From time to time she walked to the cubs to reassure them and help overcome their nervousness . She seemed to be saying " Children go on. You are doing good, And don't fear . Look I am here with you".

The poor gaur was in great agony as the cubs were biting him to death very slowly. It was very natural also. The ten months old tiger cubs neither have proper killing techniques nor the physical proportions, especially the canines, to take on big animals. 

It was just a chance that I happened to be at the right place at he right time and witness  just once in the life time like event. Now I love Tadoba even more .

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Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve

Tadoba -Andhari Tiger Reserve, often called TATR, is located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, India . It gets its first part of the  name from the Gond tribal God "Taru " while the second part is after  river "Andhari" which flows through the Reserve. It is located at about 47 km from Chandrapur and 120 km for Nagpur which  also happens to be the nearest airport city . There  are two lakes, called Telia and Tadoba,  inside the reserve and which, besides adding to the natural beauty of TATR,  are home to many  marsh crocodiles and numerous seasonal migratory birds . Entry to the Reserve can be had from the four gates namely Moharli, Kolara, Navegaon and Pangdi. The last one is the buffer area entry gate at about seventy km away from Kolara gate.

 In the past the 625 sq km TATR was part of the  territory ruled by Gond kings. . Remnants of the period can still be seen in many 12 foot or so  high masonry pillars which are found on Moharli- Khatoda road. Guides tell that the pillars were used for navigational purposes by the armies of the Gond rulers.

TATR is most famous for its tigers. It is said to be the most high tiger  density reserve of India having about seventy five tigers at present . That includes the buffer zone tigers also.

I  spend about a week each year at Tadoba and it is my personal experience that it doesn't disappoint you when it comes to tiger sightings. Enter from the Kolara gate and in all probabilities you will fined the most famous tigresses of Tadoba , the P-1 and P-2 near Jamni or on the road leading to Tadoba lake. The P-1 has now two sub-adult cubs .

If lucky you may also see one of the most famous male tigers of Tadoba, the mighty Gabbar at the Panderpavni pond. The good news is that Gabbar has now fully recovered from the injuries sustained while fighting a rival recently. The other famous male tigers are O'khan, Shiva Ji and the Wagdoh aka the "Scar Face". While Wagdoh can be seen in the buffer zone, the O'khan and Shiva Ji have not been sighted for quite sometime.Rumors say that they have been poached or gone to China

                                                          The P-1

                                                       The P-2

                                                      Gabbar
Apart from Tigers, TATR has many other wild animals like , Leopards, Sloth Bear, the Asian Wild Dog or Dhole, Gaur and Grey Langur and many species of Deer. Among the avian you find Green Bee Eaters, Crested Serpent Eagle, Fish Owls , Honey Buzzards and Bush Quails. The famous Golden Orb Spiders are also found here.

                                            A Tadoba Leopard

                                         Sloth Bear at Tadoba Buffer Zone

                                         A Dhole pair resting after a successful hunt

                                          The Gaur or Indian Bison

                                         A mother Sambhar Deer with her Fawn

                                          A Langur troop at the Panchdhara stream.

                                               The Golden Orb Spider
Tadoba like all other tiger reserves of the country has its own problems. Poaching is one. It loses 2-3 tigers every year to poachers. But compared to many others it is better managed and the forest staff here are doing their best to curb poaching. Tadoba has been successful relocating the villages form its core and buffer areas. The last village to be relocated was Jamni which now has become the abode of P-1 and her two sub adult cubs. Enter from the Kolara gate and just after six km as you reach the  first right road turn , tiger sighting area starts. Last year I found the P-1 lying there bang on the mid of the road.

Another interesting fact worth mentioning . The village Jamni was a Gond majority village and the Gond tribal of that area venerated tiger along with their "Kul Devta" or the family God called "Badadev" which they housed high on the Mahuwa (Madhuca longifola) tree branches.

                                                   Badadev on the Mahuwa tree
   


                                         

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Bandhavgarh National Park

                                          

                                         The reclining Lord Vishnu , Bandhavgarh

Big, beautiful, mystical and spiritual . These words come to mind when I think of Bandhavgarh . It is really so. One needs to explore and experience it.
I visit Bandhavgarh regularly  every year for four-five days. This is continuing since 1992. However the face of today's Bandahavgarh  is totally changed. It is now full of tourist resorts around Tala gate. Far way back in 1992 the only tourist resort that used to be was the hunting lodge of Maharaja of Rewa near the Tala gate  run and managed by a gentleman from Nepal. The other and perhaps the first  one was coming up just outside the southern boundary of Tala zone . It was the venture of  Mr. Sankhla , the famous expert on tigers. Now there are many, at least thirty of them . But the tourist traffic has also increased in a similar fashion.
Bandhavgarh is located in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh , India . The nearest airport is Jabalpur ( 255 kms) . There are train connections to Delhi from Katni and Umaria railway stations.
The place owes its name to the ancient, said to be two thousand years old , fort sitting on the hill top in the Tala zone. There are many caves  in the vicinity.  An ancient temple is  also there . But the old Pujari who used to take care of the temple is no more now. He died three years ago. It is also said that Kabir, the famous mystic  poet saint of  India, had lived here for sometime . His followers known as "Kabirpanthis" have their" Ashram " near the Tala gate. They congregate there every year in the month of January and visit the cave inside the park where Kabir is said to have lived   in the past.
Bandhavgarh achieved the status of national park in the year 1968. Traditionally it has been a  tiger land. The first albino or white tiger was caught here only in the year 1951. This  erstwhile hunting ground of Rewa royals is now a world famous protected home of Indian tigers spread over an area of about 695 square kilometers. Besides tigers it houses a rich flora and fauna ; about 38 species of mammals , 250 species of birds including the highly endangered species of Vultures and many plants and flowers which so far have not been found or seen anywhere else like the Yellow Butea Monosperma (Palash) , the Yellow Silk  Cotton Flower and the most beautiful and rare Papad Flower tree.

                                          The Yellow Butea Monosperma

                                           The Papad Flower Tree

                                          The Yellow Silk Cotton Flower Tree.
 

Birders who want to photograph magnificent raptors like Crested Serpent Eagles and White Eyed Buzzards or colorful Indian Rollers , Pittas and Peacocks may find Bandhavgarh a very suitable place for  photography.

                                        

I usually visit this place in the last week of March / the first week of April because that is the time when Bandhavgarh happens to be at the zenith of its natural beauty and grandeur. The roadsides leading to Tala gate and also inside  the Tala gate you will find Butea Monosperma (Palash) trees, on the left hand side, laden with brilliant vermillion flowers while on the right hand side Shorea Robusta trees (Sal ) decked with soft green new leaves and pale white color tiny scented flowers. Stop there for a minute , inhale the fragrance of Sal flowers, glance and try to internalize the natural beauty surrounding you and I am sure you will feel mesmerized.

                                                    Butea Monosperma

Bandhavgarh is world famous for tigers. Once it held the honor of being the most populous and high tiger density reserve. It has the credit of being home to some very famous tigers like Sita and Kankati tigresses and males like Charger  and  B-1 . Another very famous  living Bandhavgarh  tiger is Bamera , a male aged around seven years. Nowadays he  appears to have been driven out of his Tala zone territory and often seen in the roadside grass glades  from Magdi to Tala.

                           A Bandhavgarh Tigress : One of Rajbehra Litters.

                            The Patiya Tigress. She has three 9 months old Cubs presently.

                                          Patiya Tigress's male cub.
Despite of many good things Bandhavgarh, like any other place , has its own problems. The first is of Leadership and quality of management. The park has seen 3 Park Directors in the last four years. This quick turnover now reflects the way wildlife and tourism are being managed here nowadays. However I do not hold the incumbents 100% responsible for this because traditionally they lack knowledge and skills needed for good wildlife and tourism management. The incumbents , by their training and orientation , are largely foresters;   good at forestry but poor at wildlife and tourism management . The Government must  realize that  the Forestry and wildlife and tourism management are not one and the same thing . They are  two different subjects needing  separate set of skills for each. It will be good if the Government starts imparting them knowledge and skills for tourism and wildlife management.
The second issue pertains to the poaching  of tigers which unfortunately continues unabated. Every year 2-3 tigers are poached from this park. Some of the  famous Bandhavgarh tigers like Sita, BT-2 and B-3 have fallen prey to  poachers. The  BT-2 , a radio-collared tigress , was poached last year from the Khitauli zone. This year a nine months old male cub of Banbehi tigress was snared and killed in the last week of March at a farm house located close to the park's buffer area. Some of the tigers are missing like the Mahaman female who had 3 sub-adult cubs. Till last year she was seen in the Magdi zone . But she has not been sighted so far anywhere this season. Park authorities give a standard reply that she has moved to some buffer zone. But to which buffer zone ? They do not know about it. Locals say that she had gone to China !
 Having failed to check poaching , the park authorities  now have adopted a silent but noticeable kind of anti- tourist attitude. This reflects squarely from their actions like sending beat guards for patrolling on tourist - open routes very early in the morning which incidentally happens to be the time for tiger's morning stroll  and when  tiger can be seen  walking on the  jungle path. But this stupid practice makes the tiger  leave the path and enter into woods. As a matter of fact there is no need for such patrols at least on the jungle routes which are open to tourist traffic. Park authorities should do patrolling in the areas which are  closed to tourist entry. They must understand that tourists come to Bandhavgarh with  fond hopes to see the tiger and in return  contribute a sizable amount of money to government exchequer. Wildlife  Parks in India  will really need more money now than before when the  budget allocation for forestry  in the recent union budget stands slashed by 17%.
Another foolish trend is to close the spots where tiger sightings are frequent. My dear Park Authorities this is no tiger conservation .Treat tourists as your another set of ears and eyes. Please understand that  tiger will remain safe so long it is seen by the tourists and not the other way round.
Bandhavgarh Park authorities will do good if instead of restraining the tourists, they concentrate on building up a sound intelligence system in and around park periphery areas.  They must also undertake frequent inspection rounds in the buffer zone areas  sanitizing them from snares , jaw traps and other killing devices used by poachers. If done so the recent poaching incident  where a 9 months old male cubs was snared and killed in the month of March at a farm house close to the buffer zone could have been prevented and similarly  poachers would have not succeeded  electrocuting the tigress BT-2 in Khitauli zone last year.


My another complaint against Bandhavgarh National Park authorities including its  leadership , the park Field Director , is against the prevailing corruption and neglect of duties on the part of park personnel. . Since I am a regular visitor to the park and notice the changes  minutely and compare them on pre -post basis, this time in 2017 , I found that the upkeep and maintenance of the rest room located at the Centre Point is horrible. That is the only place where tourists of Magdi Zone go for their tea and loo breaks. But the rest room there is terribly dirty and its beyond words to describe its filth. That is  a great inconvenience to the visitors especially the ladies who unlike men can not walk off to some secluded place and relieve in open. That is despite of the Park charging a decent amount of money from all visitors as entry fee. I came to know that while Park shows a huge sum spend on rest room's upkeep and maintenance , no such work is carried out in actual. Thus the entire expense sum is appropriated amongst the park authorities. What a corruption ! 
A proactive attitude will do good rather than working in a reactionary mode and wasting time at guarding tigers from tourist eyes. Keeping the Park friendly to tourists and maintaining its facilities will go a long way in upholding the glory of India and Bandhavgarh.

                                                               Sunset at Magadi.

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Dudhwa National Park

                                                            The Sal Trees

During the last six years I have been to many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the northern and central India. Some, like Bandhavgarh and Tadoba , are my favorites where I go every year for wildlife photography .Dudhwa is  another one which got  added to my  favorite list  not because it is endowed, like all others,  with a variety of  wildlife but  because of its amazing natural beauty. Dudhwa is  one of the most beautiful wilderness I have come across so far. . This magnificent and divinely  beautiful forest  mesmerizes me. Its  spell is so strong that I can't resist  visiting Dudhwa again and again.

Dudhwa is located in the district of Lakhimpur-Kheri of Uttar-Pradesh in India and close to Indo-Nepalese border which is about thirty kilometers away at Gauriphanta. Lucknow is the nearest airport and the road distance from there should be around 240 kilometers. The total area of DNP, together with Kishenpur and Katarnia-Ghat Wildlife Sanctuaries , which form part of it , is about 680 square kilometers . River Suheli flows through  Dudhwa and is home of some real huge crocodiles.

                                                          River Suheli

                                                  Crocodiles of River Suheli   
The majestic tall and green Sal trees ( Shorea Robusta ) adorn the entire Dudhwa forest range. Together  with its acres and acres of expansive meadows , glades and tals ( ponds ) Dudhwa presents such a marvelous synthesis of  an ecological  system which is seen to be believed. Come to Banke Tal of  DNP if you want to see the Blue - Necked Crane catching a  heavy Mangur ( a fish species ) or a colony of Otters foraging waters in the company of Crocodiles.

                                                        A Big Catch

Dudhwa is home to a variety of wildlife. It houses about one hundred Royal Bengal Tigers, Leopards , many species of  Deer including the highly endangered Swamp Deer , Antelopes ,Sloth Bear, Wild Boar and Jackal . It is at Dudhawa where, beside Manas and Kaziranga ,  you find the most endangered  One-horned Indian Rhinoceros . Some were brought here in 1984 from Assam and now their numbers have gone up to
thirty - four ; a proof that relocation and conservation is very much possible and must be resorted  in order to save  endangered species of wild life . The success of Rhinoceros rehabilitation program also speaks the good work being done by the park officials.

                                                   Swamp deer at Kishenpur

Dudhwa has a sizable population of wild elephants. Many come from the Bardia National Park of Nepal which is connected with Dudhwa. Herds of wild elephants  can be seen in the  meadows . I had a chance of witnessing a rogue male being chased away by the forest personnel . I happened to be driving towards Salukapur when came the loud calls and shouts of something being chased away. All of a sudden there appeared  an elephant, in front of the jeep , at  a distance of about 100 feet . My driver was terrified . He slammed on the brakes and , hurriedly , put the vehicle in reverse. Since it was an excellent photo opportunity, I told him not to get flustered and to stop and stay on the pathway  after reversing. We had kept the engine running to make a quick escape  in case the rogue turns to us and decides to charge. Fortunately  the elephant ran straight and entered into forest in  front of him.

Dudhwa is great for birding. As a matter of fact it won't be an exaggeration if I call Dudhwa a birders paradise.
Apart from about 450 species of resident birds,  thousands of migratory birds flock Dudhwa between October - February every year. It is home to the near extinct Bengal Florican also. The White-rumped Shama , better known as  the singing Shama, many species of Green Bee Eaters , Crested Serpent Eagles, Rose ringed and Plum- headed Parakeets and  the little jungle owlet can be seen here.Multi - colored Giant Wood Spiders are another attraction.

                                                        Green Bee Eater

                                                       Crested Serpent Eagle

                                                    Jungle Owlet

                                                      Coot at Jhadi Tal

However , despite of all these pluses, Dudhwa remains relatively an unknown and a less visited place by the tourists and wildlife aficionados. Perhaps the successive Uttar Pradesh Governments and the Forest Department didn't care to popularize it. Similarly more tourist facilities need to be created. Though the Forest Department has constructed about fourteen Tharu Huts recently but their upkeep needs  lots of improvement. These huts display the  typical government attitude and style of functioning  which believes more at creating   but less at cleanliness, upkeep and maintenance.  Similarly the booking system is horribly outdated and unprofessional in this age of internet and e- commerce.
Dudhwa has many unanswered conservation issues also. For example it still doesn't have the Special Tiger Protection Force . Incidentally the Indo-Nepal border or the Terai area is notorious for poaching and cross border smuggling of wildlife body parts. Similarly the Kishenpur sanctuary is  badly encroached. It houses a big village also inside. The Government, which cares more for votes than saving forests from human encroachment , has granted the status of Ambedkar  Village to the offending villages thus pardoning and condoning the encroachment. Under the circumstances I doubt if Kishenpur survives for another two decades.

                                              Sunset at Kishenpur Sanctuary

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Tiger,Tiger

I am faced with many questions and inquiries after the recent release of my book "The Tigress of Achanakmar and Other Jungle Tales". Someone has asked me about the future of tiger in India. Will it survive ultimately or become a Dodo in  future? There is another gentleman who wants to know my views about the commitment of the new Indian Government to Tiger conservation and whether the new P.M. Mr. Modi is a wild life aficionado or not?
Well, I find these questions tough for me. I can not say anything about new Government's commitment to tiger conservation.No official statement about it has come so far. I only hope that the new Government will maintain a pragmatic balance while speeding up environment clearances to industries and ensure that tiger habitats do not shrink or converted to mines and poachers are dealt with severely. Also I will not hazard any guess on Mr. Modi's love for wild life. Admitted that the tiger is facing tough times in India but being an optimist, I feel that it will survive in the long run.
Some suggestions have come in too. There are suggestions that I should write a book on tiger and it should have good photographs.Well its early to say anything about it today. But I am not rejecting the idea also. Given time I may do it.In the meanwhile, for tiger lovers and enthusiast,I am going to create a group on my FB page< Jai Mohan> named "Tiger Trails". The Tiger Trails group will exchange photographs, member's experiences of their tiger safaris, trip reports or just anything relevant to tiger. All interested are invited to join, contribute and enjoy. It will be a good initiative towards tiger conservation also.

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