Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Old man and the tigers

Gordon wrote from UK. I want to see a tiger before I....

I wrote back sure Gordon I will try my best.

We arrived at Kanha Tiger Reserve in the month of February 2008. It was bitter cold and the jungle was at it's densest, but who cared we were all set for a wild tiger safari. Kanha is a prime tiger habitat and harbors major mammals of India including the tiger and the leopard.

Six Tigers!

That morning after an hour of incursion in the park we came across a tigress near Kanha meadow walking past us in full view.

"There is a tiger for you." I whispered to Gordon a bit excited that I had fulfilled his wish. After lot of filming we moved forward towards the gate as it was time to leave the park.

Perhaps one mile from the gate we came across a young male tiger in prime...about four years old. So one more tiger to film while making territorial markings, and then elegantly walking past the row of jeeps without even a glance. No wonder the animal is so majestic.

In the evening round we came across a full grown male tiger bigger and heavier than the one we had seen in the morning .

"Three tigers."I said to Gordon.

Tiger in the mist!

Next day as we entered the park we came across a male tiger ambling peacefully across the jungle trek. It was a misty morning but we could see the tiger clearly. Disturbed by the piling numbers of the safari jeeps it moved into the forest albeit at a leisurely pace so all could wish him "Good morning" and a "Good day to you sir".

"Thats fourth Gordon." In return I received a contented smile.

At Kanha meadow the unbelievable happened. I heard a tigress roaring somewhere near the edge of the meadow from where the dense jungle begins. Shhhhhh!

There she was reclining on a rock camouflaged as well as all tigers can be. With trained eyes one could see the tigress without the binoculars....amazing!

"That's the fifth one." I received a welcome pat on the back. It had begun to look me that the world is full of tigers.....

Tiger on Elephant Back

The sixth one a young male we saw from the elephant's back in a tiger show so no credit for me on this one.The exciting and thrilling elephant safari was enjoyed throughout by the old man. 

Any way Gordon went back happy with lots of thrilling memories and filming. And I was few more bucks happier! He! He!

It is all Gordon Luck. May you live for 100+ Gordon and keep fetching tigers for us.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Bengal Tigers in India

News Article on Bengal Tigers

Status of Tigers in India in the National Geographic Magazine. The latest tiger census figure have been released by the Project Tiger Directorate in New Delhi.

The falling numbers of tiger population is alarming and if poaching, habitat and disease are not curbed immediately than the tiger has a bleak future. The latest statistics show the tiger numbers at 1411 which is half what it was few years back. At the turn of the 20th century there were 40,000 tigers in India. Poaching for bones and habitat destruction is the major reason for the fall in the population of Bengal tiger in India. The major demand for tiger parts and fur are from Nepal, Tibet and China. The mafia engaged in tiger poaching has to be dealt severely.