Why Are We Not in The Tiger's Food Chain?

Do humans taste awful? 

Do we have less meat?

Have we been ousted from genetic coding of the tiger's food habits? 

The last question seems more of a plausible answer. 

This Story: Is probably repeated but this time with a twist. 

Having lost a wonderful sighting of Chota Munna somewhere in Kanha meadow we set our brains busy. We then began to encircle a mountain to reach a fire line that the big cat often frequented after crossing over the grasslands in the plains.     

Two alarm calls made us stop a little ahead. And then we heard him. Thinking he would circumvent since there was no doubt that he knew of our presence and exactly.    

Hence I stood up to take a peak over the tall grass and bush. We could hear him brush past the thickets...he had come closer. We were in the middle of the jungle road but in that silence, all seemed still except the massive tiger climbing uphill. 

And then straight from the bushes, I could see the white patches peering at me.  We were at a distance nevertheless fear engulfed me. I quietly sat down. Many times on safari the big cats emerge by surprise at a distance good enough to attack visitors. We reversed immediately to be at a safer distance. At our first sight, the big beast could have charged at us but the attack did not take place. As it does not almost always...

From that spot, the cat turned back only to emerge from an opening situated a little ahead. Without a glance at us, he began to ambush deer from time to time hungry as he was.     

A lone tusker in muust could have charged, maybe we could have been charged if the animal was a wild water buffalo...   

That made me think ...the massive tiger was hungry...yet he did not go after us... he would not have attacked a forester on foot in his kingdom. The staff patrols the whole forest on foot and two-wheeler every day without an incidence.... 

Anshuman Singh

Man-killing is rare and is considered an aberration or an act of self-defense whence a surprise.  It is evident tigers do not consider us as food till more stressful situations arise...As we say there is plenty of meat (prey) for the predators to survive.    

In most, man-killing cases hunger drives invalidated tigers to kill humans but this is a cause. Else they prefer to stay away from us. 

Possible another answer to this benevolence is that somehow we appear indomitable to the predator. The other answer could be that we have managed to stay away from the wild food chain for a long and that has cut us out of the system. 

It is true that other life forms are fearful of this two-legged creature...and their intelligence warns them to stay away. Hence no animal attacks without provocation or fear. 

All said and done we should respect wildlife and maintain a safe distance always.      

Tiger Safari on a budget

No Cheap Options from 20 Dec to 7th January, Diwali Festival and Holi festival ...avoid Saturdays and Sundays other holidays.   

The recent price hike in tiger tourism in Indian tiger reserves in  MP has a negative impact on economy that sustains many homes. A world reeling under an economic stress finds it difficult to spend so much on wildlife safaris. Nevertheless lot many people on Earth wish to see this wonder creature though they can only travel on a budget. This does not apply only to middle class Indians but to foreigners as well.   

The price hike may be a management issue aimed at regulating tourism in the Central Indian Parks. Hence those wishing to travel for tiger safaris and birding need to economize everywhere they can. The tour begins at Delhi for most.

Depending upon your flight you can avoid a stay at the Capital. There are direct flights for Jabalpur if time allows get on board straight. Booking flights in advance cuts the cost, last minute flights are costly. Another option is overnight train which are about 4 or 5. You should have booked your rail ticket in advance the cheaper options are 3 tier sleeper or 3 AC bit higher priced.  These are overnight options but will certainly save a stay in the hotel in New Delhi.    

Whence you reach Jabalpur you have an option to get bus for Kanha National Park via Mandla but this is in the early morning times. Taxi ride is costly hence if you have to stay overnight than there are many economy hotels in Jabalpur at Russel Chowk. Be cautious that you do not land in unsafe hotel. Some of the better hotels are Arihant Palace, Vardhman Hotel, Hotel Shikhar Palace which charge reasonably and you can bargain. 

There is a direct bus for Kanha from the bus station known as motor stand very close to Russel Chowk. You can walk down there about 10 minutes. You should reach around 5.45 am.I think there are two buses going to Kanha hence get the first worm. The ride is about 156 km to Mocha Village if you are putting up there or bit further to Khatia Gate.You have to travel to Khatia Gate..Kanha Kisli Side and not to the Mukki Gate (towards Raipur) which does not have budget options. Keep this in mind. Always ask for Khatia Gate at Kanha near Mochha Village.     

Stay: Bargain at hotels in Kanha ....motel chandan at Khatia Gate, and other lodges on main road to Khatia Gate they are safer.  Food is also cheap in these places else there are many road side dhabas for food. Avoid Non Veg which is costlier than vegetarian food. Always go for deep fried hot food in road side joints else eat boiled eggs bread and butter if you are extra sensitive to Indian Pathogens. See things cook right in your presence the hotter the better. The oil and spices your stomach will adjust to. Once you get hooked to Indian curry & roti there is none other food. Anyway carry antibiotics for your stomach as many do. Carry mineral water...branded one use that throughout your journey.

Remember India is a vast country so you cannot expect any homogeneity in services and offerings. There are World class restaurants and accommodations in the country but on budget tour forget it. Most of the budget restaurants are clean and neat. Avoid roadside joints if you come across some good eateries.      

There is a dormitory at Kisli in Kanha National Park operated by MP Tourism you should book in advance along with food it is a real cheap option. You could share the jeep safari if other inbound tourists are staying there. Since the dormitory is in the core area your movements will be restricted by Gate timings. Khatia Gate has a small rustic bazaar but not quaint at all...he!he!. This is where people begin there safari on Kanha side, the jeeps are available here. But if you connect in advance with your accommodation you might get a share ride and save money.     

Try to share jeep safaris with other foreigners this brings the cost down a lot. There is seperate pricing for Indian and inbound travelers which include NRI foriegn passport holders.  Visit any zone that is available since Kanha Zone is a premium zone and costs more. You can see as good wildlife any where. the same bus will fetch you back it leaves around one am from Khatia or Mocha Village. Gate Entry has to be booked in advance since the vehicle entries are limited.  

Do not buy beverages at your resort in the tiger reserves they are very costly. The local bazzar is the best bet, but liquor will cost more anyway...wine is not available....do all these purchasing at Jabalpur or other major town.    

From Jabalpur you can buy a luxury bus ticket to Khwasa township ahead of Seoni town, the entry point to Pench National Park. Within a distance of ten km there are many resorts you can stay at Mowglis Den Resort which has a dormitory that could cost less. Except in the rush season you can bargain with the resorts for accommodations.

Pench is closer from Nagpur connected by luxury bus. In non holiday period the bus will not cost you the nose. There is a Jabalpur Nagpur railway connection as well.  

For Bandhavgarh there is a direct train Utkal Express from New Delhi leaving 3 pm apporx, it reaches Umaria Station early in the morning from here you have to walk down to the bus stand and catch a bus for Tala which is about 32 km. Most of the accommodations are in and near Tala and some are budget class. 

From Jabalpur you can travel by rail/bus to Katni and catch a bus for Umaria and so on. The best option is the Utkal Express which departs for The Capital around 9 pm approx. Please confirm all rail timings.

There is a long option for Khajuraho from here about 6/7 hours drive, from the temple town Panna National Park is about 45 km and so is Ken Gharial Sanctuary.  

The three tiger reserves are recommended for tiger safari on budget. If you can gather some more people from your country the sharing will certianly bring the individual cost down.

The views above are my own, please use your own discretion during the safari tours. 

Man eating tigers of India

Every since Jim Corbett published accounts of man eating tigers in Kumaon region, the phenomena of man eating tigers and leopards reached the World.

Tigers are top predators in the food chain. They are tertiary carnivores and hence indicator species of the forest ecosystems. The main prey base of the tigers and leopards are the herbivores albeit the big cats eat anything that walks on four legs. In Indian forests the tigers hunt spotted deer, sambar deer, swamp deer, wild boar, langur monkey and at times bison, elephant calf and porcupine. Tigers are known to predate on leopards but that is more of a territorial conflict than the quest for food.

Tigers are dense forest animals and avoid open or scrub forest. They need cover to hide since they hunt by ambush. They need lot of shade as they cannot bear the heat. Hence good prey base, dense forest cover and water is essential to a tigers habitat.

By nature humans are not included in tiger's food. The reason is that tigers are afraid of humans and avoid them always. The jungles of India once harbored a large number of tigers before deforestation, unchecked hunting and poaching took its toll. Susbsequently it affected the prey base or the population of the herbivores. The scarcity of prey base put the tiger under a major stress and some resorted to man eating by accident in these circumstances. In quest for food, tigers in forests with inadequate prey base wandered near human habitation. In search of food they began to lift cattle. In the conflict with man it sometimes resulted in accidental killing of humans. On discovering the ease with which humans could be killed the tigers emboldened with this finding went on killing spree where lot of humans lost their lives.

Tigers also turned into man eaters when injured by hunters to such an extent that they could not hunt their natural prey since their hunting prowess get affected. Unprofessional adventurous shikaris where the main culprits behind this man killing by tigers.

Once the tiger turns into a man eater it goes after humans with amazing efficiency. A man eating tiger is difficult to track and kill as it moves swiftly from one place to another in order to avoid alerting humans. A man eating tiger can cover a range of as much as hundred kilometers during the period. The incidence of man killing has come down drastically as there are hardly any tigers left outside prime habitats. The incidence of man killing by leopards is still higher as the leopard is more stressed out due to want of space and prey base.

Rarely do tigers kill by intent. There are accidental killings taking place by tigers and these rarely result in tiger turning into a man eater. The accidents happen if humans venture too close to an unaware tiger, a tiger on kill or to a tigress with cubs. The first instinct of tigers is to move away from human beings. But in certain circumstances this is not possible and the animal is forced to attack in self defense.

Tiger is a gentleman and follows the law of the jungle to a tee. Man eating under all circumstances is an aberration as even the most powerful of the tigers are known to fear man.

If tigers are conserved in India and their habitats are kept intact there would be no man killing incidences. The tigers face a road uphill, and their survival seems to be a deep uncertainty.

Labeling tigers as horrible and cruel man killers without understanding the real cause results in hatred being created for the animal. It is labeled of as vermin (as in earlier times) in minds of the human society which further escalates its chances of facing extinction in India and elsewhere.

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------







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.