Tiger in the Bush

On my recent visit to Kanha, last week in June, I had a tough time locating tigers. It had rained a day before I arrived and continued to rain intermittently spoiling the tiger safari. Except for herds of Chittal and occasional sightings of Sambar deer it was difficult toe see any other animal.

On the second round of the wild life safari a barking deer went scurrying past too fast for my English guests to take some photographs. The rain kept troubling us and it was at times very heavy.

"Do we have a chance to locate the tiger?" Chris asked rather dejected.

"Very thin chance I replied." The tigers are inactive and their movement is limited as water and prey is available very close to them."

"So they keep to dense thickets?"

"Yes definitely Chris that is why there are no alarm cries or pug marks on the road." I replied unhappy that I was not able to show the tiger to my guests.

We did manage to see the Hard ground Barasingha, Gaur, a lone Jackal and eventually a Barking deer. And yes lots of birds. But my guests did not go away disappointed after all as we saw the Bengal tiger in a tiger show on the last round before leaving. It was the same tiger that had walked alongside us for a long time in January. The same tiger was well camouflaged hidden and sulking in the bush.

The camouflage was so perfect that even a few feet from the bush we could not make out that a tiger was sitting there in a bush and that even a large full grown tiger. The only clue was a partially eaten wild boar which it had hunted the night before.

With little bit of elephant maneuvers we could lay our eyes on the tiger and the guests could get some superlative images of the tiger as seen from the network of branches and twigs.

White Bengal tiger

The world's most charismatic animal and the rarest is no more found in the wild. The white tiger was discovered in the wild jungles somewhere near the forests of Govindgarh which is near the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve.

It is said that a white tiger cub was found alive in a hunting expedition, the mother and other cubs where killed. The erstwhile Maharaja of Rewa who governed the region decided to capture the cub alive. The white tiger cub was eventually captured by Maharaja' team and kept in Govindgarh palace. The white tiger cub was named as Mohan.

The white tiger is a recessive gene and not an albino or a sub species as it was earlier thought. This animal lacks the yellow pigment completely hence the resultant color of the fur is black and white. The white tiger's habit and habitat is same as normal orange tigers.

The history of white tiger shows that there where other white tigers discovered and shot in India in earlier times. But the white tigers in the zoo are the progeny of Mohan. The white tiger breeds with orange or normal colored tigers naturally and hence the population has grown in the zoos.

There have been no more white tigers discovered in the wild till this date. The fact is the Bengal tiger population and its habitat has come down so drastically that chances of finding a white Bengal tiger in the wild has dimmed.

There are some morphological difference ascribed to white tigers as pink lips, icy blue eyes and larger size, which maybe true but it needs research to verify the facts. When I am on a tiger safari I keep a look out for white tigers. This may seem far fetched but who knows.

Indian Tiger Reserves

The best tiger reserves are without doubt in the following order. These ratings are for tiger sighting point of view. (Other reserves have their own plus points)

• Kanha Tiger Reserve

• Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

• Pench Tiger Reserve

• Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve

• Corbett Tiger Reserve

The first two have very high density of tigers while Pench is following suit as new breeds of tiger arrive and survive. The splendor of Kanha comes to life when you visit it. High number of major mammals inhabit Kanha. Bandhavgarh is unique with wildlife and historical relics of the past. It is most scenic and enchanting.

The survival rates of tiger cubs in these National Parks is very high. Recently 14 tiger cubs where sighted at Ranthambhore. Corbett is recently said to have high visibility of tigers but the focus there is on birding and wild elephants.

Tiger - Photography - Nature

These photographs are video trimmings of tigers at tiger safari at Kanha National Park. The photos depict tiger biology and habits to some extent...

Tiger spraying pheromones in its territory this is a way indicate to tigress of its presence and warn other male tigers to stay out. The tiger penis is bent in reverse direction and the hormone or urine laden with pheromone is sprayed on tree barks, clump of grass, leaves etc.


Tigers scenting another male tiger or tigress in estrous..ready for mating.

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Tiger on a kill in this case a spotted deer fawn which it had killed couple of hours ago. Tigers hunt mostly in the night but no rule hunger is hunger and it will hunt its prey any time of the day if required. Tigers ignore human beings when they are involved in an activity including rest. This is really surprising as they can be very shy and elusive at times..they are afraid of human beings.
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Tiger are thirsty animals and drink often in a day especially after a meal as in the case of this young tiger. Tigers love water as they are incapable of standing the heat of Indian summers. They move deep into the forest and lie in a shade or dip in a water to cool themselves ...this is known as thermo regulation.

Tiger Tour at Kanha Tiger Reserve

Kanha beckons and again and again. Serenity is salubrious and the grandeur is amazing. It is an exciting amphitheater where tigers rule over man.....majestic...real life Bengal tigers. The amazing diversity invites a large number of tourists, wildlife photographers and researchers.

Over the years wild animal population has increased in the park. This has happened alongside the growth in vegetation and forest canopy. The rivers have become robust, water holes, rivulets, tanks and man made dams retain water for a longer time.

The number of Bengal tigers in the park is steadily increasing thanks to conservation. Kanha National Park will play a key role in saving the tiger from extinction.  

Kanha tiger reserves is the right place for wild Bengal tiger safari in India. Apart from the tiger, Kanha is famous for the Hard ground barasingha (cervus duavcelli branderi) or the swamp deer which was saved form the brink of extinction thanks to dedication and ground breaking research by Dr.George Schaller and Dr. Claude Martin and at the later stage by Dr. Rajesh Gopal former park director and director project tiger.

One can see the spotted deer, barking deer, sambar deer and with luck sloth bear and the leopards. The birds of Kanha are a delight to the bird watchers and tiger watchers alike.

As naturalist, I assist in tracking the tigers, in birding and wildlife watching in general. For bookings and details contact me...Uday Patel

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.

About tiger sightings

The tiger is the most elusive animal on earth but for reasons unknown it throws caution to winds and comes out in the open completely relaxed, this is more applicable to conditioned tigers that are used to seeing the tourists.

Tourists’ guides and naturalists alike are not permitted to disembark from the vehicles hence active trekking is not possible. One can trace a tiger’s presence by the alarm calls and pug marks on the soft jungle roads. It is a standard practice to follow the direction of the pug marks after they have been conformed to be of recent origin. Once the limit of the movement has been ascertained, patience is all that is required. If the tiger is somewhere nearby it is most likely that it would emerge of the roads or the meadows.

In summers, tiger can be located near the water holes, while sighting a tiger in dense foliage is near impossible. Knowing about the seasonal movements is worthy of the effort.

The wild animals apart from alarm calls keep a keen eye on the predators the direction of their sight and the ensuing unease is a sure shot sign of a predator’s presence. This happens when the animal mostly deer, monkeys and sometimes the gaur has had a glimpse of the crouching tiger or caught the scent of the animal.

Sometimes just a keen sight works to catch sight of the tiger sitting at ease in the open forest or the grassy meadows. But all said and done a tiger sighting is never guaranteed. It said that you see the tiger if it wishes to be seen for you may cross path a hundred times from a crouching tiger and not see it once.

Summers are the best months for sighting tigers since wildlife congregates near reducing water holes and tigers themselves are hard pressed for water. The concentration of animals brings tigers into open since this is an ideal time to hunt the prey species with ease. In winters just after rains the water and prey is available all around the park, which is under dense cover of trees and long grasses. Hence, as the water level recedes and many water holes begin drying up after January, animal sightings increase.

Best time for sighting animals is the early morning period and the late evening when the big cats get active for a hunt. During the noon major mammals laze under shadow or in the safety of the grasslands. The presiding scenario with alarm calls, mystery of movements and prevailing excitement is worth being part of. Tiger or no tiger, wildlife watching is fun and an exciting adventure that can rarely be surpassed by any other activity.

Tiger Tamasha at Kanha

The decision to limit entry of vehicles into the Bengal tiger reserves is the best thing that has ever happened to the ecosystems. Eco-tourism is good for tigers and Indian wildlife. But during the rush hour, things can go hay wire and the shy wildlife suffers.

My visit during the peak holiday season in December at Kanha tiger reserve was a disheartening event. I was pained to witness the rush of vehicles into the sensitive Eco-system. Tiger Reserves like Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench are becoming increasingly popular, thanks to the tiger sighting, which is the highest in India.

I was part of the milieu of more than hundred and fifty jeeps lined up to invade the reserve in a mad rush to see the elusive tiger. Of the nine hundred and fifty square kilometers of the park’s core zone barely twenty five percent of the area constitutes active the tourism zone. When you have one vehicle after another chasing the park animals they suffer the brunt - it is a distressing sight.

There is no effort on educating and enlightening the visitors about various life forms that habit the park. Apart from knowing the intricate structure of road networks in National Park the forest guides accompanying, the tourists on tiger safari know very little. There have been no efforts to educate the guides on wildlife. They could help disseminate interesting aspect of the park’s animals and birds. This could aid in diverting the visitor’s attention from the tiger, since the attention of the visitors is focused on only one animal.

The whole system of tiger safari is geared to deliver the tiger sight this is quite palpable on one short visit. It is the most humiliating aspect for the naturalist who is supposed to deliver a quick tiger sight because of his expertise. No one on earth can guarantee a tiger sight since the animal is so elusive and unpredictable. One can only assume his ways after years of experience and close in.

The naturalist job is to disseminate basic information about the animals and birds on animal morphology, breeding behavior, habits etc. An amateur naturalist can deliver well. The park guides take a potluck at the prime tiger habitats and the jeeps are driven at reckless speed very often. This in turn results in extreme pressure on ideal tiger habitats like the grassy meadows and water holes. The tigress with cubs bears the brunt the most, since the female tigers are limited to a smaller area by the constraints of upbringing the tiger cubs.

In undisturbed tiger habitats the frequency of wild animal sightings increases and hence delivers a more holistic picture of the amazing wilderness that these preserves harbor. Controlling the vehicle excursion in the parks is going long way in preserving wildlife and ecosystem there in. The tourist will have a satisfying and fulfilling trip and some may turn into conservationist, which is the prime purpose of the whole exercise.

Tiger tourism in India helps in fetching employment to the locals generates crucial finance for the upkeep of the parks. Tourism increases awareness on the importance of nature conservation among the Eco-tourists.

Tiger Articles and stories

Find interesting account of tiger adventure

Tiger Sighting

The above articles offer interesting account of wild adventure in Indian forests. The author enjoys jungle life and is fond of endangered Bengal tiger and the leopard in India.

Indian Wildlife

Indian Animals

CatsFamily= Felidae. Claws adapted to strike and hold prey. Teeth designed to bite cut and tear flesh. Supreme in combination of grace strength and agility.

Senses all highly developed. Bristling Whiskers are sensory tactile organs.

Largest eyes. A well developed system of muscles within the eye contracts and dilates the pupil as per needs. (In smaller cats the pupil contracts to narrow perpendicular slit, while bigger cats have small circular opening. In dark pupil dilates to maximum to allow as much light as possible to enter and fall on a highly sensitive retina.

Feet. A Bengal tiger tracks show only impressions of toes and deeply cushioned pad. There is no trace of sole or heel. Cats walk on toes- digitigrade movement. The raising the heel and the sole alters the balance of the body throwing it forward and increases the impetus of the movement. A cat’s spoor show only 4 toes but the fore foot has five toes where in the 5th toe is set high on the limb. Hind foot has 4 toes.

Teeth. (30) When jaws close the canine interlock. Canines are fang like and separated from other set of teeth to ensure complete penetration. Canines are supported on powerful short jaws by great biting muscles for whose attachment special provision is made in wide sturdy cheek arches and bony crest of the skull.

Canines and incisors are weapons for seizing, holding and biting.The cutting of meat is work of Molar or Cheek Teeth one-on each side both upper & lower Jaw-Carnassial or flesh tooth. (Crowns are compressed into sharp cutting blades indicating excusive diet of flesh.
Carnassial or flesh-tooth(modification of molar teeth) is large and well developed, set in that part of jaws where the biting muscles exerts the greatest pressure. Flesh teeth are ideal for shearing flesh off bones and crushing hard food.Incisor teeth (six in nos.) are small pincer shaped used to gnaw soft gristly ends of bones to scrap tendinous attachment of muscles.

Jaws: Lower jaw moves on transverse hinge which gives strength to joint but limits side to side movement (Not required). In up & down motion sharp bladed cheek teeth work against each other like scissors to cut meat.

Tongue is rasp like. Taste buds are small set on margins.Mos numerous are conical papillae encased in horny pointed sheaths which cover the tongue. These sharp rigid points give the action of rasp suited for licking bones.
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Civets

Family Viverridae.Most related to cats.General characteristics. Nocturnal. Keen eyes, smell and hearing. The facial vibrissae or whiskers are mobile and can be switched backwards and forwards. Depend less on hunting live partly on vegetable matter. They are seed dispersal agents too. Ex. Peepul.

Feet. Short compact feet. Claws well protect and retractile. True civets(Viverrinae)-Can climb well but rarely do look for food on ground. They walk on their toes. Paws are small and compact. Pads are well cushioned and soles are covered with hairs.

Tree Civets (Paradoxurinae). Retractibility varies. Feet are built for climbing. They are plantigrade-entire sole is pressed to ground. The foot is short and broad and all toes are set a level. Sloes are hairless. Longer more sinuous bodies & longer tail.

Teeth (40). Meat eaters have more molars with sharp blade like crowns. Molars are built for cutting meat and grinding vegetables. True civets have broad crowned many cusped molars.

Tree civets are molar teeth are more broader crowns.

Tongue: Civets have smooth tongue. Rasp is not required as they crush bones and swallow them.

Defence. Stink glands –some civets discharge a yellow fluid from their anus at the attacker. Masked with dark and light hair. A warning coloration.

The Small Indian Civet: Viverricula indica. Over 3 ft in entire length. One foot tail. Wt ¾ kg. fond of ber tree.Twany grey or greyish brown, lined and streaked on back. Spotted more or less on in rows along flanks. Some cross bars on neck. Tail ringed.Ground civet heavy forests, long grass or scrub. Shelters in holes. Rocks or grass. Attack by stealth.

The Common Palm Civet or Toddy Cat. Paradoxurus hermaphroditus.Head and body 2 ft. tail 2 feet. Wt3/4 .5 kg. Limbs dark black or brown. Black or brownish civet. Long coarse hair. White Patch below eye. Sometimes one above it & one on each side of nose.
Habitat. Well Wooded lives much on trees. Mango trees or pal trees favorite.
Large Indian Civet. Viverra zibetha. Length less than 5 ft. Erectile crest long deep black in color on back. Dark hoary grey washed with yellow or brown. Dark bands may ornament chest and shoulders & form loops & rosettes on hind quarters.Tail ringed.
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MongooseFamily Herpestidae.
General Characteristics. Small ears rarely project above head. Less semicircular than Civets. Made up of series of complicated folds which can shut down over one and another completely closing the ear too assist in burrowing. Attacks openly. Rushes and pounces too. Digs out its victim. Sits on haunches or hind claws to increase the vision range. Bangs eggs on floor or sucks out the contents of bird eggs. Stink glands but only Striped Neck and Crab eating mongoose use them.. Have anal glands anus enclosed in a glandular sac. More predatory in habit live by hunting. Less sensitive to snake poison.
Claws: are long very long digging claws. Feet splayed, digits freer. Teeth. Sharp Bladed meat cutting teeth. Thorny patch on tongue is thorny papillae used as rasping tool.
Common Mongoose. Herpestes edwardi nyula. Grizzled pepper and salt appearance. Hair alternately ringed with black and white. Length 3 ft.wt 1.4 kg. Males heavier and bigger. Tail tipped with white or yellowish black.
Small Indian Mongoose. Herpestes auropunctatus. 18 to20 inches. Small, short tailed, olive brown, gold flecked, soft silky fur.
Lives in holes burrowed by itself. Diurnal in habit.
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HyenasFamily Hyena. Legs like dogs’ skull and teeth like cats. Broad head with long pointed erect ears. Facial vibrissae or whiskers poorly developed.
Fore limbs are long and sturdy. Hindquarters drooping supported on short knock kneed hind legs. Walks on its toes. Four on each foot. Claws short and blunt. Non-retractile.
Jaws: large and powerful for crushing bones. Shape of skull to provide good attachment for powerful muscles which work with jaws and teeth.
Teeth are large but canines less developed. Molars are large and strong. Second and 3rd premolars have massive conical crowns. These teeth have large basal ridge which acts as guard to protect gums when bone is being crushed.
Anal glands in a large sac hung above anus.
Habits. Scavenger Hunts rarely. Nocturnal. Sight plays little part, hearing none at all. When cornered by dogs the animal lies motionless the dogs loose interest in a supposedly dead creature.
Striped Hyena. Hyaena hyaena. Length total 5feet. Ht 3ft. Wt 38.5 Kg female 34 kg. Mating in cold weather young are born in hot weather.
DogFamily: Canidae
Well shaped head, large pointed muzzle, large erect ears, deep chested muscular body (lung power), bushy tail, slender, sinewy limbs. Professional Hunters.Exceedingly keen sense of smell. Sight & hearing acute.
Feet. Not designed for striking or seizing prey. Small and compact. Claws short and blunt. Toes held together by elastic rimmed webs, well cushioned pads.
Jaws& Teeth. (42) Long jaws provide space for wide array of teeth. Jaws controlled by powerful cheek muscles for holding. Canines separate from other incisor teeth for interlocking. Incisors are forwardly placed for biting gnawing and stripping skin. Cheek teeth have compressed triangular crowns while largest flesh teeth have two great cusps for cutting meat sideways. Tuberculated crowns are well adapted for cracking bones and crunching.
Wolf. Canis lupus.Ht 2.2 ft to 2.6 ft. length 3ft to 3.6 ft tail 1 ft+ Wt 18 -27 kg.Large skull. Breeding season end of rains.Seven Molar teethJackal Canis aureus. Ht1.5 ft.length 2ft to 2.6 ft. Wt 8-11 kg. Scavenger and hunter. Hunts small animals. Sometimes hunts in pack a small deer. Breeding season any.Seven Molar teeth
Indian Fox. Vulpus bengalensis. Lt.1.6ft. tail 1ft+, Wt 1.8 to 3kg.
Wild Dog (Dhole). Cuon alpinus. Ht 1.5 to 2 ft. Head & Body 3ft. tail 1.5 ft. Wt 20 kg. Legs shorter. Tail bushy, ears rounded at tip. Six molar teeth in lower jaw. 12-14 teats.
BearsFamily Ursidae.
General Characteristics. Smell dominant sense. Hearing & sight poor. (Auditory bullae-bony prominences in skull placed behind ear opening are flat & depressed. Swollen and well developed in animal with keen sense of hearing.)Sense variably developed in bears. Sloth is comparatively short scented. Brown Bear sense of smell stronger Himalayan black bear can see and hear better. Facial vibrissae rudimentary. Omnivorous.(Hibernation) Body mechanism brought to standstill. Hear action reduced, temperature falls below normal.Feet. Adapted to climbing. Limbs powerful, feet padded, and great claws. Broad naked soled feet. (Climbing species have matted hair on soles) Inward twist to fore paw in tree climbing bears this compels a bear to strike with a round arm swing.
Teeth. Low flat crown of cheek teeth designed for crushing. Not cutting planes to cheek teeth, flesh teeth in distinguished fro other molars.


Sloth Bear. Melursus ursinus.
General characteristics. Sloth bear sleep in open (tall grass or under shade of tree) in winters. In hot 7 rains in caves and dens. Tolerates heat better than tiger but constantly thirsty.
Ht. 2.2 ft to 2.9 ft. Lt. 4.5 to 5.5 ft. Wt Males. 127 to 145 kg. Fem. 64 kgs upwards.
Elongated muzzle & grizzled appearance. V breast patch. Longer claws on fore feet.
Feed in hot weather on banyan, figs, Mahua, mango, jamun, bael, ebony. Large rock bee (apis dorsata) smaller forest bee (apis indica). Insects, termites.
Breeding hot weather. Gestation seven months. Maturity2-3 yrs.
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Flying Squirrel.
Class Mammalia. Order Rodentia.
Limbs connected with membrane or a parachute.
Large Flying squirrels.Large Brown Flying squirrel: Petaurista petaurista philippensis. General Characteristics. Nocturnal. Roost in a hole in a tree. May sleep on its back with parachute open to keep cool. Food is fruits barks resin gum. Insects. Larvae. Loud alarm call and chattering cry.
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Artiodactylia-even toed ungulates. Oxen, sheep, pigs, deer, antelopes, camels.
Family Bovidae. Oxen, sheep, goats, antelopes & gazelles.GaurFamily Bovidae. Bos gaurus.
Feet’ shod with horny hooves to face rough terrain (All hoofed animals walk on tips of their toes and no. of toes are reduced not more than 4). 3rd & 4th toe greatly developed equal hooves which encase these present flat surface to each other & look like a single hoof cleft in two hence ‘cloven hoofed’. Others reduced. Ist toe is wanting. 2&5th either reduced or absent.Hooves of gaur small close knit for hard stony ground. Buffalo hooves wide splayed for marshy life.
Teeth are for long mastication. Grinding teeth have broad crowns with fold and ridges of hard enamel braced on either side by soft layer of dentine which bears the brunt of grinding. No incisor teeth in upper jaw replaced by soft pad. Canines absent or rudimentary in upper jaw. Lower jaw has canine and incisors brought in close contact together-grass cropping apparatus.
Stomach is 4 chambered. 1st largest paunch serves to contain large quantity of hastily chewed food. Here it under goes softening process & returned to mouth in small boluses which is thoroughly chewed known as ruminating or chewing the cud.
Food when pulped enters 2nd chamber reticulum or honey comb as its walls are celled like honey comb. Here the food is pressed and shaped & sent into gullet from where it is sent to 3 rd & 4th chamber, actual digestion takes place in last chamber. Antelopes and Deers have similar complex stomach.
Horns of all Bovids persists for life, have a core of bone arising from skull & an outer sheath of true horn The outer sheath is hollow & can be removed from its bony core. Hence the name hollow-horned ruminants. This distinguishes them from Cervidae-ruminants with solid horns. Oxen horns of both male & female are nearly equal in size but in goats and sheep female horns are smaller.
In Gaur sense of smell keenly developed. No glands. Breeding. Rut March, April, May young seen from nov-march.
Sub-Family Antilopinae –antilopes & gazelles. General characteristics. Horns may be present in females are cylindrical & lyre shaped. Gland under eyes as in Black buck. Large inguinal glands (between groin) and between hooves.

Chinkara or Indian Gazelle. Gazella gazelle. 2 feet at shoulder. Wt 20-23 kgs. Horns 10-12 inches & of does 4-5 inches-15-25 rings. White streak down each side of face and dusky patch above nose. Can be waterless for long.Breeding peak is April, minor autumn. Gestation 5.5 months.Males territorial hold about 200 meter demarcated by fecal stations used repeatedly.
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Black Buck. Antelope cervicapra. Ht. 32 in at shoulder. Wt40kgs. Horns 20 inches. Horns. No spiral in 1st yr. In 2nd yr. large open spiral & 3rd year more spiral when black color is obtained. Breeding. All yr. main rut Feb, March.
Sub Familae- Boselaphinae- Horns are not ringed & keeled in front. Females do not have horns.

Four Horned Antelope or Chowsingha. Tetracerus quadricornis. Ht. 25 in. Posterior horns 3-4 inches. Anterior horns 1-+ inch. Glands between hooves of hind legs in both.Dark stripe in front of each leg more defined in fore leg. More dependant on water.Breeding. Hot weather and rains. Young are born ion Oct to feb. Gestation is 8 to 8.5 months.
Nilgai or Blue Bull. Boselaphus tragocamelus. Ht Male.52-56 in. Horns 8 in. Keeled triangular at base & circular at tips. Breeding all season. Gestation about 8 months.
Cervidae- Deer ruminants with solid horns. Large fissure or opening in skull below each eye –lachrymal fissure. Unlike Ox, tushes or canines are present in upper jaws. Unlike Bovidae gall bladder absent except in musk deer. Scent glands below eyes & between the hooves.
Swamp Deer. Cervus duvaucelli branderi. Ht 54. inch Wt. 170-180 Kgs. Horns 30 inch round curve. Less nocturnal.Breeding Rut Nov-Dec.
Sambhar- Cervus Unicolor. Ht 5 ft +. Wt 220-320 Kgs. Horns 26 inch in length and 38 inch in girth. Horns are shed in end March to May. Velvet during rains and clear by November. Rut Nov-Dec. Young are born in May & June.
Chital or Spotted Deer. Axis axis. Ht 36 in. Wt 85-90 kgs. Horns are shed in August & September. Velvet till end of Dec. Breeding. Rut in May. Breed in the interval of six months.
Muntjac or Barking Deer. Muntiacus muntjak. Ht.20-30 in. Wt.48 Kgs. Antlers short brow tine unbranched. Set on bony hair covered pedicels. Upper canines well developed used in defence. Have a frontal gland in forehead. Diurnal Main rut in winters. Has affinity for water & need to drink often.
Family Suidae.
Wild Boar. Sus scrofa. Ht. 36 inch. Wt 230kgs. Lower tusks 12. inch. Acute sense of smell.Young are born in two seasons. Before rains and after rains. Gestation four months. Prolific breeders.
Ape. Primates.
Many structural characters as man. Thumb is opposed to other fingers. Hand can pick and hold objects. Here limbs are for locomotion. Bones of hands are free and articulated to wrist such that palm can be moved up and down with ease.
Feet. Toes are long and flexible and thumb is large and opposed to fingers with such foot objects can be seized and held. Feet have become powerful grasping organs for climbing-human foot has lost this power.
Teeth – molar teeth have broad crowns with cusps and ridges for grinding tough vegetable matter.
Cheek pouch help cram food. Macaques have these but not Langurs. Langur’s stomach does his work. It is three chambered stomach. Macaques and baboons have a stomach of carnivorous animals as they are omnivorous.
Well developed vision and hearing.
Indian Monkeys. Family Cercopithecidae. Sub- family-Cercopithecinae—macaques Colobinae-Langurs.
Rhesus Macaque. Macaca mulatto. Wt 7-10kgs. Mating October to Dec. Birth March and June. Second Sept. to October. No birth in Nov. March.
Langurs. Hanuman Monkey. Presbytis entellus. Wt. 34 -36 kgs. Breeding AprilMay. Birth feb onwards. Gestation – 6 months.

Tiger Sighting

The most thrilling moment in one's life is sighting the rare and elusive tiger and that is what a tiger tour offers to a tourist. Most of the tiger sighting in Indian tiger reserves is on elephant back but for the lucky ones they can come across a tiger on the jungle trek. This happens less but when you experience such an adventure it is simply breathtaking. The moment is filled with spine tingling fear and excitement though the fear is unfounded as the tiger is a thorough gentlemen. Harmless if undisturbed. It follows the law of the jungle to tee.

The King of the forest has been so ignominiously treated by the humans that he is on the brink of extinction। For a tiger lover or an eco tourist, those who venture into the wild seeing a tiger is not enough, he should strive to save the tiger any which way he can।

The tiger is just not for tourism he is an important aspect of the environment being on the top of the food chain and an indicator species that tells the state of the forest. These forests are important for man as the source of precious water and food. This fact very few people understand specially urban dewellers.

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