Exciting Tiger Safaris in India

 India is the land of the tiger. It has more than 50 percent of the big cats living in the country. The tiger is protected species, and it finds sanctuary in more than 50 tiger reserves. The reserves are known as protected areas, and they are also known as tiger conservation units. They have been created under the Project Tiger Program. The Project Tiger Program is governed by NTCA or National Tiger Conservation Authority in the country.

Among the 50+ tiger reserves, some are more popular than others. The primary reason is the easy sighting of tigers in those parks. These parks are home to many other animals besides the tiger, and they provide an added attraction to tourists. Besides the wildlife, these reserves are a panoramic delight with magnificent terrain.

Besides conservation initiatives, the reserves also organize tours in the core area and the buffer zones. They organize rides in the park in open jeeps and canters. But to enjoy the safaris you need to book a permit. These permits are issued by the State Governments for a charge. You have to pay separately for the jeep hire and canter, and the forest guide that will accompany you.

Tiger Tourism

In the core area, the tiger safari is organized. There are two safaris organized in one day. One is organized in the morning another in the evening. To add to the excitement some reserves organize full-day safaris where you can explore the forests with more time allotted. You get entry half early than the regular rides and half an hour late exit. Permits are bound by tourism zones but on a full-day safari, you can trespass.

Best Tiger Parks

Among more than 50 tiger reserves few are more popular than the rest. These popular parks offer exciting sightings of tigers and other games in panoramic surroundings. These popular parks are known for easier sightings of big cats and that attracts the tourists. They have a well-developed tourism infrastructure that comprises luxury hotels and resorts for extended accommodation.

Some of the popular tiger reserves are:

• ·         Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve
• ·         Corbett National Park
• ·         Tadoba Tiger Reserve
• ·         Kanha National Park
• ·         Bandhavgarh National Park
• ·         Pench Tiger Reserve

Tigers are frequently sighted in these parks. Due to this reason, tourists flock to these reserves in large numbers. You should thus book tiger safari permits in the parks in advance. You can book the tiger safari online or at the gate if the limit of jeep entry has not been exhausted. Always be well prepared before you visit the parks keeping a note of the climate. Carry essentials as most of these reserves are situated in remote confines. 

 

Indian Wildlife & Ecotourism Tourism

 Since prehistoric times wildlife or wild animals' meat consumption was a regular part of the human diet. Animals were meant to be hunted for food before agrarian practices proliferated. Although human food also comprised vegetables and fruits that grew naturally animals being in plenty constituted a major part of the human diet.

In the modern era, hunting became a sport ruthless one at that and wild animal meat was a regular part of the human diet. Because of this Europe and the Americas lost most of their wilderness. Even in Asia, this has happened.

 As the civilizations progressed and guns came into the picture and wildlife persecution in form of sport and food magnified. With greater progress in society, wealth accumulation and greed pushed back the ethos of conservation forever.

In many civilizations, most of the wild animals especially predators were treated as vermin and a bounty was placed on them. They were trapped, snared, or shot down for a small price. With expanding communities the ecosystems or habitats began to vanish as widespread clearance started taking place to grow crops.

Clearance for agriculture and hunting is part of the torturous passage of history pages. Many wild species have become extinct, and mass extinction is threatening wilderness everywhere. During British rule, the Tiger, Lion, Elephant, Cobra, and even small predators were ruthlessly eliminated all for a small price.

When cognizance dawned we are all interlinked with all forms of life on Earth it was quite late. The conservation laws came in to stem the rot albeit quite late. Tigers, lions, rhinos, cheetahs, and leopards are being poached on a horrendous scale to this date.

Even in independent India, these animals were shot before the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 for a paltry fee. Shameful. We cannot blame the British alone for the sad state of affairs that prevails today.  It is the protected area concept that has saved much wilderness in the country. Project Tiger is responsible for saving the tiger in the reserves in India. There are more than fifty tiger reserves in the country, and more are being created to save the big cats, wildlife, and the ecosystem.

Ecotourism

Ecotourism in India has been a saving grace and bringing crucial revenue for the conservation of our National Parks and reserves. Organized tiger safaris are playing a major role in conservation. The parks are managed by State Governments under the aegis of NTCA and the results have been encouraging. There are more than 3000 tigers in the country and the future looks bright. 

Conserving Wildlife in the Pench Tiger Kingdom

Forsyth's Highlands of Central India

When Mowgli roamed the jungles of Seoni, they were teeming with tigers, leopards, sloth bears, bison, and the wolf. All these were part of life at the Seoni Hills, neighboring the township. At that time in India, there was wilderness everywhere, and this is best described in the book by James Forsyth "The Central Indian Highlands". Forsyth was a British explorer and a keen hunter. None could have written better than him on Central India, albeit there is a considerable slant against the natives.  

Tiger

The Sad Decline

Unfortunately, commercial forestry had started, and logs were falling everywhere pan India. The forests were slowly but surely receding; such was their extent in the country. The modern hunter with guns, trained elephants, and an entourage of Indian slaves was more vicious than his counterpart in the bygone era. 

The British rulers in India had declared predators as vermin, and a price was paid to the killers. In that period, around twenty-five thousand tigers were reported killed besides other predators. This was pure butchery! At that time, both the jungles and wild animals in India faced the fury of the rulers and their satraps, the princely bandwagon. This was followed by the cleansing of forests for agriculture post-independence, and wild animals came in the way. Rapid urbanization is the biggest threat ecosystems are facing in present-day India.   

Pench Jungle

Slow Recovery 

The jungles of Seoni, and neighboring Chhindawara, like everywhere, were being denuded, and subsequently, the depletion of wildlife was taking place. However, these forests were part of the Satpura Ranges, and the hilly terrain survived somewhat. Even in the seventies before the WPAct, a license to kill a tiger was around Rs.45, and you had the blessings of the local livestock owners and the dispensation. 

Small patches of forests came under the net of Project Tiger as a protected area, and the rot was stemmed. This happened quite late in 1972 whence the Wildlife Protection Act was passed, and the Project Tiger Program was initiated. WPA led to a complete ban on hunting wild animals. 

As a result, Pench Tiger Reserve and National Park came into existence in the year 1977. A much-reduced ecosystem, nevertheless, the creation of PA gave hope to the critically endangered tiger.  Today the park is a conservation unit, and more than fifty tigers survive in an approximate belt of 700 plus sq. km with dense cover. However, before creating the PA, the park was being run under sordid circumstances with rampant poaching and wood logging cases.  

The electrocution of wild animals was a major threat that was eventually brought under control. But this threat still exists, and so do other means of killing wild animals.  During my visit in the early nineties, I was witness to a carcass of electrocuted tigers and other animals; even one poacher was said to have died in the horrific incident. The sordid saga dealt with neglect, and the police apathy was evident.  

Though greater effort is being made by protecting wild animals and flora, conservation initiatives with the least intervention are quite common. As a result, the wilderness is flourishing, and the big cats are breeding well. At least in the critical tiger habitat or core. 

This conservation unit is home to the critically endangered Indian Wolf. Severely persecuted by humanity, it is still surviving, but there is no count or status record here. The dry deciduous tropical forests of this reserve are mixed forests with an abundance of fruiting trees, contributing to the strong recovery of animal populations in Central India. The overflow in the future would accelerate the need for a corridor between Pench and Kanha, which exists in a fragmented state at present.  The Jabalpur, Nagpur highway intersects the jungles, and road accidents are being prevented by building underpasses which sets a good example for the rest of the country obsessed with linear development.  Remedies like building elevated highways or underpasses and overpasses will reduce man-animal conflict by allowing safe passage to wild animals. 

Under the aegis of NTCA and the State Forest Department, considerable protection is accorded to the unit. Though the major part of the forest is under Madhya Pradesh Government, the rest is under the Maharashtra State.   

Tiger Tourism at Pench

Although created with conservation in focus, there is another dimension to the unit. And this is tourism which has proven to be a substantial revenue generator in the park. In addition, it contributes to National Exchequer by the inbound flow of foreign exchange through overseas visitors. 

Tourism is conducted in twenty percent area of critical tiger habitat and in the outer ring called a buffer. Though a preferred activity in the core, there is substantiative movement in the buffer as well.  The regulated tourism ecosystem is not only instrumental in earning revenue for the park. It is a major source of employment and small trade opportunity for people living in the periphery.  

The department employs a large number of people as guides, forest guards, and sundry laborers. The popular wildlife resorts in Pench are the key employment generators. They attract tourism from overseas as well as the domestic crowd. Luxury resorts and tour operators play a major role in marketing wild India abroad and locally. The tourism ecosystem generates business and employment. The status of locals and small-time businesses is robust thanks to the regulated tourism in the parks like Pench.  

These units are effective in nature interpretation and thus generate a sense of pride by increasing awareness about our wild heritage. Experience the wild tiger safari on an open jeep in Pench. It is organized every day except Wednesday evening. The tourists have to book a permit for each safari at MPOnline Portal. Another option is to book at the gate if available. The best season to experience conservation and search for wild animals is throughout the year except for the monsoon. 

Approach to Pench

From Kanha National Park by Road 

By Air Jabalpur and Nagpur

Nagpur Airport is much closer at 90 km approximately.  

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Uday freelances as a naturalist and loves to write about tiger conservation and the environment.

He also provides SEO and Content and teaches  Digital Marketing in his hometown Jabalpur. 

Contact: 

pateluday90@hotmail.com

9755089323

A Mini Green Core Dumna in Jabalpur Under Seize

The Onslaught on Oxygen & Water Banks

Nowhere is the onslaught of the developmental spree more apparent than against remaining small green pockets of towns and cities. These are mini-ecosystems that act to preserve and provide fresh air and water, and hence are invaluable assets in preserved form. 

Most such green patches that still survive to this day have been fortunate enough to escape the wrath of concretization due to remote placement or exclusivity. Though much reduced in size and composition these are invaluable assets for rapidly expanding towns and cities of India. 

Easy Acquisition of Invaluable Greens 

It is ironic that even in these times of suffering from imminent ecological failure and climate change, natural places are not being spared. On the contrary, they are under intense scrutiny as lucrative developmental prospects  - ready for concretization perhaps due to ease of acquisition?  Another reason that seems apparent and facilitates concretization is the lack of humanity or rather the ubiquitous public ownership which makes acquisition an easier prospect.  

For developers, the eyes are always on these reclusive patches of vacant lands irrespective of their natural worth to the cities. But this should not apply to green corridors and patches they should be preserved for eternity. It is nigh impossible to regenerate natural forests after destruction.  

Save Dumna Plateau & Ecology 

Take Dumna for example. A much-neglected elevated green plateau of Jabalpur which holds an airport built during the British Era and subsequently expanded, it is now a subject of intense scrutiny.  As a matter of pride, the ecosystem stands as a fine model of urban conservation and displays impressive synergy between man and the surrounding wilderness, all this will be destroyed if urban projects devastate the home of other life forms. 

These forests border the city confines and are home to Dumna Nature Reserve with an enclosed area of 1800 acres. It is well protected and receives a large number of visitors every year. The reserve is home to a large population of spotted deer, wild boars, jungle cats, jackals, foxes, and reptiles including marsh crocodiles, and other small mammals most of which are nocturnal. But please note the forests expand far beyond the reserve and form a corridor. The terrestrial diversity comprises mixed forests, grasslands, herbs, shrubs, and scrub each invaluable on its own, and together, in this fragile ecosystem.  

The crocodiles find shelter in the large catchment of Khandari Reservoir within the reserve that supplies potable water to the city. Few leopards and perhaps hyenas survive within and outside the reserve. The ecological niche spreads out beyond the confines of the Nature Reserve and comprises invaluable species of flora and fauna, it is visited by avian migrants from the Palearctic and the Himalayas as well. 

The forests in Jabalpur's outskirts are interconnected and act as corridors for migration for the diminishing wilderness that still survives. The last remaining patch of green in Jabalpur is least capable of taking on the projects slated, being an ecologically sensitive area with a preservation history that dates back more than 150 years. The forests support a number of water bodies in the surroundings neighboring the villages. 

Planned Projects in A Leopard Habitat

The plan for a man-made tiger safari in the nature park would have wreaked havoc on the floral elements and the fauna in the nature reserve, and the visitor numbers would have been stressful on this ecosystem. Thankfully as it appears, it is nowhere in the picture now perhaps due to litigation that ensued?  A number of PIL have been filed in Jabalpur High Court against the developmental spree in this ecologically sensitive area.

The establishment of IITGM on 100 acres was the first alarm that set in among the nature lovers of Jabalpur, a number of citizens who are sizeable and active in conservation initiatives.  The establishment of IITGM is encroachment into natural land, the barbed wire wall prevents the free movement of wild animals besides enhancing prospects of man-animal conflict.   

Besides IITGM a number of projects are slated here which is not at all desired keeping the nature of the land in consideration. From amusement parks, and public offices to a five-star hotel all bode ill for one of the last remaining pieces of natural land in the town. Wise counsel should prevail to prevent this concretization and the projects should be planned elsewhere since there is no dearth of vacant land on the outskirts.  

Although the reserve was subject to exploitation in earlier times, the status has accorded some much-needed protection. Spread all around the protected area are forests mostly mixed with scattered patches of bamboo, much exploited and ravaged in the past. The network thus forms a greater ecosystem that once flourished in totality but as of now is badly fragmented but still invaluable for climate stability and for humanity.       

Following the establishment of  IITGM at Dumna a large number of projects are slated in this invaluable eco-niche one of the few remaining lungs of the city. The overzealous developmental zeal which is clearly evident in this beleaguered urbanity that is Jabalpur is not leaving this ecosystem a mini patch of green unscathed. 

The article does not target a particular dispensation, but it urges the planners' future and present to avoid places with biodiversity however small that which have ecological importance. Hence the plea is to leave Dumna untouched and prevent the scars that concretization will eventually bring in.     

Dumna Source of Potable Water & Fresh Air

By urbanizing Dumna, one of the last remaining green patches we are sure to lose the green lungs that the city strives for in times of intense pollution and hectic biotic activities. The hills do not have the capacity to bear the reckless establishment of structures that will come up eventually under the projects that are slated to target this valuable eco-niche. 

Khandari Dam is a wetland ecosystem that sustains fast-vanishing terrestrial and aquatic species in and around Jabalpur. It is a valuable source of water for the town, though not under direct threat destruction of the surrounding biome would have a negative impact on the catchment area.  

More on Dumna Nature Reserve

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Uday works as a freelance naturalist and loves to write on related issues. He also provides SEO and content writing services. He runs classes on digital marketing in his home town Jabalpur.  

He can be contacted :

pateluday90@hotmailcom

9755089323  

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An Exciting Stay at Pench Resort in India

After a lackluster stay at Tadoba, my friends joined me at Pench National Park.  This was their first trip to Central India, and their first lag was a disappointment. Their aim was to sight the big cats, and surprisingly Tadoba was disappointed.  

Most tourists to tiger reserves arrive with only one goal in mind, and that is the sighting of a big cat. This has almost become a prestigious issue a thrilling memory to take back home. But working for a number of years as a naturalist I have come to realize that all safaris are not the same and all visits are not the same. The disappointment is greater whence the visitors are from foreign lands and may never return. Overseas visits are costly and generally, travelers keep them to one visit per country. The best way to enjoy the excursions is to take interest in everything the jungles have to offer the bird and the bees for sure. Birds, reptiles, insects or butterflies, and mammals should be your goal to make your wild holiday fulfilling. Not only tigers!

This was not on job trip, and a leisurely drive from Jabalpur took us to Pench. The Jabalpur Nagpur Highway is a lovely drive amidst forests, green fields, and quaint hamlets. From Seoni the landscape becomes not only panoramic, but it is also an esoteric experience driving through pristine forests as dense as they were during Mowgli’s time.  Seoni is a small town surrounded by forest-clad hills which Kipling penned as Seoooni Hills!

About two hundred kilometers down the highway there lies a small township called Khawasa, this is the end of Madhya Pradesh, and across the barrier lies the State of Maharashtra. Pench forests stretch through Maharashtra as well although the tiger reserve in that part is managed by Maharashtra Forest Department.

Pench tiger reserve lies in the forests now notified as Seoni and Chhindwara Districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is a region well known for its Sal and Teak forests. Both are top-quality hardwoods and much in demand. Sal forests abound in moist regions while Teak prefers drier regions. Tigers love to make these forests their preferred habitats. Other animals that can be seen in Pench are antelopes like Nilgai, four-horned antelope, and Indian gazelle. Deer abound and you can see the spotted and barking deer frolicking in the meadows.   Besides the deer which include the Sambar, wild boars, langur monkeys, and peacock pheasants are a common sight. A leopard or a sloth bear sighting could provide the utmost thrill. Like the wolf, both animals are sighted rarely. Another good sight is that of the massive bison or guar which weighs anywhere from 700 kilograms to over 1000 kilograms. The males are the heaviest and a sight to behold.  Reptiles are a rare sight being nocturnal but you can often see the monitor lizard hanging down the branches or slithering on the ground. Birds are everywhere and if you are a serious birder this is the place to be.      

Our safaris were slated in MP or Central India and we were not disappointed.  I was looking forward to the trip since we were to stay at Jungle Home a resort as good as they exist in the remote woods. We reached early enough for lunch by the time our friends arrived.    

From Khawasa visitors from Jabalpur have to turn left as we did and drive for ten km to reach Turia where our resort Jungle Home is situated. This drive is through jungles and full of wilderness, and it offers the best chance to see Indian wolves.  They are sighted often in this area which is outside the National Park.

We had a wonderful bird-watching session that evening and check listed a large number of species with help of a senior lodge naturalist. A quick dip in the pool and then a long evening spent on the balcony watching the electric moon surface in the company of twinkling stars. After a long exciting Gupshup full of jungle lore, we moved in for dinner in the large spacious dining.  

We spent one full day searching for big cats and we could not find them. Two safaris no tiger see. But at this reserve, birding is exciting and the lodge naturalist did not disappoint us. Eventually, on the second day, we worked out a plan. Noticing the rising heat, I suggested that we should score for big cats across the River Pench which intersects that park. And we did visit the zone on a wild tiger safari to see our first cat at Pench. I have been here earlier when tourism had not begun and it was an exciting discovery but I returned without sighting any tiger. That was not the aim of the visit since it was an exploratory trip but this time, I did not want to disappoint my friends.

We could hear the alarm cries from bushes very close to us, but we could see not any stripes. Across the bush, we could see the river beach and the jungle. The alarm cries continued for a long time and we waited patiently in our jeep. Nothing happened.

Eventually, the cries dried down and the reduced decibel was disappointing. What could be the reason I began to conjecture. I had not realized that the tiger in the bush had moved away towards the beach perhaps disturbed by us. But nevertheless, our eyes were well set on the beach. It was not futile for soon we could see the stripes moving towards the sandy beach heading straight for the jungle. That was a long walk and we wished it was longer well enough so my friends could get some nice pictures for stored memories to carry back home.   

There were many more trips to come and Jungle Home Pench became our second home. Raju Bhai the owner of the luxury jungle resort never disappointed us. The place is luxurious and well kept with all modern amenities and grand service. If you visit here in winter stay in the luxury tents under the starry night sky and watch the electric moon. Romantic, exciting, and full of new finds that are a holiday at Pench National Park.

You can reach from Nagpur Airport a distance being only ninety kilometers or drive two hundred km from Jabalpur Airport as per your travel plan.  From here you can drive to Kanha National Park another Kipling Country. It is just five hour drive.   

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Uday works as a freelance naturalist and loves to write on related issues. He also provides SEO and content writing services. He runs classes on digital marketing in summers in his home town Jabalpur.  

He can be contacted :

pateluday90@hotmailcom

9755089323  

Development & Our Attitude : A Trail of Death and Destruction

Albeit it is a necessity to develop infrastructure in the changing times with great emphasis on accommodating rising population and fulfilling the economic goals of people...infrastructure development combined with use and misuse is proving to be a terrible scourge on our wildlife. It is shaping our lives as power-hungry and luxury-seeking aliens that eventually will have to create a glass bubble to survive once the atmospheric equilibrium is completely destroyed or damaged beyond repair.     

Before we extrapolate further few questions arise? 

Why does humanity go against Nature and Environment? Are we aliens?   

Why do humans mistreat wild animals? Do we suffer from an animal phobia?

Why there is always a man-animal conflict?  

Answers to these questions are not difficult to understand but the solutions are difficult to implement because we do not care. In the confrontation between personal greed and sacrifice the former wins heads up. 

Our economic goals override wildlife and environment conservation. The priority of the States follows these norms as well in the grab of economic achievements. There is no signboard that says the buck stops here. 

Machinations surpass rules and regulations, and political infringement leads to a bending of green environmental laws...even the courts are not able to hinder because of same-page thinking (often). To this worst is added our negative outlook and attitude towards all life forms leaving aside the natural resources at our behest squealing for mercy.  When the Earth has been torn apart for greed mining takes place leaving in its wake an agonizing trail of death and destruction of nature nurtured for eons destroyed in a few Universal seconds. The damage to nature is often irreparable a sad story permanently imprinted in the annals of human history on Earth. This gives rise to the question. Are we aliens with total disregard for this extraterrestrial conquest?       

For some tearing apart strips from remaining forests is an economical adjustment while the death of a tiger by accident is a sad story no more. It is not a cause for concern that could lead to amelioration and save precious wildlife...killed by our speed highways. The constant death of wild animals by electrocution and poisoning also ends up as a story for the newsmonger, not a major cause of concern. There is an endless trail of death that is decimating our wilderness painfully slow, yes slow enough to mitigate the concern.  

The recent brutalization of the Gangetic Dolphins is a shameful reflection of our attitude towards other life forms. The brutalization of leopards, sloth bears, and tigers are not newsmakers anymore for it happens...a price for survival in a human-dominated ecosystem. Ironically we readily berate laws that violate minority status but we do not bring into the same purview the status of other life forms in the country. 

Extolling Vedic ethos that values conservation and veneration of life forms is limited to political discourses whenever hustings are near. But so less weight does environmental issues carry in India the discourses are becoming hearsay.   

The decimation of wildlife in India is a cause for a National Discourse in order to lead to factual solutions that are implemented truthfully and sincerely. This discourse never happens because our National priorities differ simply put wildlife conservation is an issue of the least concern. 

So imperative is the need to develop concrete structures for urbanization and to generate wealth through enterprises we are even putting our lives at risk. The complaints of polluted air and climate change are a constant in our lives now. No activities that maintain the continuity of our exploitative lifestyle but are inimical to the environment are considered as harmful anymore. There is no time to stop looking and go. No time for the realization of our wrongdoings in order to keep up with our rabid lifestyle. All it needs is a push and pull to keep fulfilling our greed and justifying our attitude towards other life forms and the environment.       

India does care about the mega species as a National priority through conservation initiatives like Project Tiger and so on. But is this enough holistic conservation ethos and concern for the environment is the public domain. We the people should strive to rectify anomalies in our system as well as in our attitude and values systems. Perhaps we should return to Vedas.    

At present, our value system is of the least concern as far as other life forms are concerned and the environment. We are paying a price, the global rise in temperature, the melting of ice on the poles, pollution, zoonotic disease, and the imminent extinction of many species that will impact our environment for sure.     

Wait till our children grow up, they will certainly lament the neglect for destruction is a daily occurrence now. Hopefully, the next-gen cares about nature and preserves whatever is left!     

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Uday Works as Freelance Naturalist and Blogs on conservation, tigers, and environmental issues.

He also provides SEO and Website Content in English. He teaches Digital Marketing in Jabalpur in the summer.

He can be contacted at:

Mail: pateluday90@hotmail.com
 Mob: 09755089323

             

Tiger Photo Safari : How to Best Organize?

Tiger is one of the most charismatic and aggressive predators, because of its incomparable beauty it is the cynosure of a photographer’s eye. Well, not only the lens men it is equally coveted by one and all. Some wish to see it in its natural habitat while some wish to catch scintillating images in their camera.

The desire to photograph the big cat is best fulfilled in India. With more than fifty reserves, it is the most coveted destination for wildlife and tiger photography. Well not only that even the filmmakers vie to come here on their mission and many succeed.

Success depends upon a few factors that experience teaches hence; lens men keep in touch with naturalists and tiger experts to decide upon their journey.  The guidance is valuable and most of the expeditions succeed in availing striking images of the predator in its natural habitat.

The prerequisite for tiger photography in India is a suitable camera with a high-quality medium lens and a monopod. This equipment need arises since the work has to be done from an open jeep, and people are not allowed to set foot in the wilderness of the reserves. It is not possible to film or photograph from a hide or a tent keeping the nature of the best in mind as well as associated dangers being charged on being bitten by snakes. Anyway, this requires special permission from the MOEF or Ministry of Forest and Environment through the Chief Wildlife Wardens of the States.

Forget this need if you are a good lensman with experience. In most of the parks experienced naturalists and guides impart valuable advice in order to fulfill your mission.

You have to choose the best place with frequent sightings and a panoramic backdrop to come across a striking image. As far as tiger sighting is concerned there are quite a few places in the country that can deliver if you book more than five safaris. Professional photographers usually organize a week-long program but amateurs do not, so this advice is for them. Some of the best places are mentioned below:

• Kanha NP
• Bandhavgarh NP
• Pench NP
• Panna NP

All above are in Central India.

• Ranthambore in Rajasthan
• Corbett in Uttrakhand
• Tadoba Andhari in Maharashtra
• Nagzira in Maharashtra

These are a few places with good sightings and hence accord moments with the big cats you would like to capture. The tourism infrastructure is sound in these destinations and travel is not much of a trouble. But entry to the parks is limited and on a permit. This calls for advance bookings, hence contact the tour operator in India and ask them to book the safari as soon as your dates are set and the program finalized.

The wildlife hotels are situated near the parks and it is good to book the accommodations as soon as the expedition is finalized. Sometimes during the festivals and weekends accommodations are fully booked so take heed. The tour operator will do all these bookings in a package so that’s not much of a hassle. He will also assure the services of a naturalist who will assist you on the photo safari. Most of the naturalists are well-versed in wildlife photography so that is a great help.  The local forest guides that must accompany you on the jeep are also of great help in tracking the big cat.     

For greater space and comfort on the jeep, organize a solo expedition, or else no more than two lensmen accompany you.  Always seek a well-maintained jeep registered with the forest department and avoid canters that seat many tourists. For photo safari in India privacy is a must and the jeep offers this the best in the reserves. The reserves offer a good enough chance to capture images of enchanting mammals and birds as well.   

Before embarking on the tour read books on the tiger and Indian wildlife. Familiarize yourself with your destination and travel in India. The country is remarkably diverse and so is the terrain, I am sure you will enjoy the tour all the way through.       

 Read on... Exciting Tiger Safari          

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Uday Works as Freelance Naturalist and Blogs on conservation, tigers, and environmental issues.

He also provides SEO and Website Content in English. He teaches Digital Marketing in Jabalpur in the summer.

He can be contacted at:

Mail: pateluday90@hotmail.com
 Mob: 09755089323

             

Kundwara Forests Victim of Agricultural Expansionism

Agriculture in any form in India has never been seen as a malady thanks to teeming uncontrolled population with billion mouths to feed. Its status is akin to the holy cow whether productive or not. The biotic stress is difficult to manage and the environment is crumbling under the pressure.  But little do people realise that the same life saving agrarian benevolence has wreaked havoc on our ecosystems all over the country. 

Agriculture has made inroads into the heart of nature in India and remote places are remote no more, they have been recklessly invaded by humanity completely degrading habitats and wiping off nearly all life forms. The negative impact of encroachment and subsequent land clearance for settlements and urbanization has been further enhanced by large-scale livestock rearing. Both have made rapid strides all over India in order to feed the people and establish local economies. It is time now to increase the productivity of land in an organic manner and free as much land as possible for regeneration by reducing dependence on traditional farming. Even livestock at places are unproductive but weigh down heavily creating biotic pressure. More productive stock and alternative eco-friendly income is the need of the hour.            

                                                            Kundwara Forests 

In my quest for understanding nature in India, I have noted with much sadness the wide-scale loss of our ecosystems and the near extinction of our precious wildlife. This though has not drawn much concern among the people as well as the administrators and politicians to a large extent. Lost habitats with lone trees and past zoo geographical status may find mention here and there but for us, the living suffering from amnesia nothing is lost. But surely whence environmental impacts broil down our throats the absence of precious ecosystems will become conspicuous. 

                                                                Kundwara Rest House

The impact is already in effect due to global warming and pollution. In spite of public outcry, the negative fallout of unplanned development at places has not made any impact. Although this is not happening in remote rural confines the ecosystems are being nipped in the bud by constant abiotic and biotic pressures. Infrastructure development in remote confines is limited but encroachment or stripping of land for economic purposes and settlement albeit slow cannot be ruled out.        

                                                    Brook at Kundwara Forests

Driving down to Kundwara Forest Rest House is one fine way to discover the damage agriculture has brought about. The RH is situated near Baghraji (Bagh=Tiger) a hamlet named after the tiger. And this nomenclature is not due to a fig of imagination, in the past, this destination was full of big cats and diverse wildlife in large extant forests that were part of the Central Indian Highlands. Most of the forests in Central India and elsewhere are pockmarked with settlements and the fallout on surrounding forests is evident. The crown cover is absent and so is the wilderness.  

                                                                           Nursery

Even to the uninitiated, the strip of forest on the hills and its absence in the plains nearby rings an alarm bell, the sordid saga of degradation brought about by humans. Twenty years back I had seen tigers on the descent before the RH. Then throughout the night in the Scary darkness of the Dak Bungalow, I heard the mating calls. The sound made in heaven and the sighting were instrumental in the discovery of tigers where they had lost ground a long time back.       

Kundwara RH is now a hub of picnickers and enthusiasts on nature trails. The romantic British-built RH has been replaced by a modern construction that does not gel with the surroundings. The path leading to the brook in the middle of the forests is good enough for nature walks but the tigers and other animals are missing replaced by a bunch of picnickers and nature lovers. The nearby Laver River was inhabited by marsh crocodiles, pythons, and other aquatic life. This exotic rivulet is devoid of wilderness and completely dependent upon humanity that prevails in the precincts. Spotted Deer though scarce are sometimes visible on the drive and the chinkaras which I used to see often are much scarcer their meat is easily available leading them to near extinction here perhaps. 

"Nothing much here except the chitals," the guard informed me. "Even the tigers you have seen are not here anymore. Migrated perhaps." 

I remember very much the big cats were attracted by the water in the nursery in the summers. A well-armed Thakur from a nearby village used to score the jungles in search of a game. He told me of his escapades whence hunting was not illegal, and for a small fee, VIPs used his services to bring down already beleaguered wildlife. This should have stopped post Wildlife Protection Act 1972 but as he told me he cannot let go of hunting even if it is illegal. I am told he was brought to the book by a vigilant and daring officer. 

Post-booking criminals and wood loggers the administration is often pressurized by local political goons to let go. The brave resist and are subsequently punished by the local politicians reminding us that democracy has not been able to dilute the power of feudal and the local bigwigs. Anyway, the reserve forests notified as such do not hold much clout as the Protected Areas and National Parks do. Belonging to lower conservation rung they are subject to much exploitation, encroachment, and wildlife crimes with the criminal getting away using bribes, using powerful contacts, and the weak laws that prevail.    

Central India abounds in reserve forests beside a few PAs of repute. The reserve forest like Kundwara suffers from neglect even the local nursery beds were rotting with neglect and half-grown plants are left to die without any plantation efforts being made. This is a precious waste of public money and plantation exercise should be conducted only under responsible supervision or not at all.  

Anyway, the RH is well-maintained and the staff is polite and welcoming. A day can be well spent here on holiday and Kundwara is excellent for bird watching. Bring your own food or else ask the staff to cook for you if you have enough rations. The strip of forests will remain and the corridor it forms with other reserve forests and with Bandhavgarh though weak may last for quite some time.   

These rest houses surrounding small eco-units should play an active role in ecotourism in India. Kundwara already popular with tourists could fetch revenue for the development of the nursery, protection of the forests, and upkeep of the RH. The administration should follow suit with RH prevailing in scenic local or eco-units and use them for revenue generation while at the same time dispersing holidaymakers from already crowded tiger reserves.   

Kundware is about forty km from Jabalpur Airport on the Kundum Shahpura Highway. While driving from Jabalpur you have to turn left from Tilsani township (30Km) towards Baghraji in order to reach the RH. Permission should be availed from the DFO Jabalpur. RH facilities are provided on basis of permission availed.

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Uday Works as Freelance Naturalist and Blogs on conservation, tigers, and environmental issues.

He also provides SEO and Website Content in English.

He can be contacted at:

Mail: pateluday90@hotmail.com
 Mob: 09755089323

             

Tiger Conservation : Canids to Rescue

A contingent issue in India the tiger is experiencing many facets of conservation impetus in a desperate bid to save the predator facing the threat of imminent extinction. There are many agencies, individuals, and of course the forest department working in tandem or independently toward an uphill and critically challenging task of saving the tiger. 

The big cat faces macro issues at the behest of the humans in its surroundings, the dreaded poachers who are now working in a more organized and extended network that includes wild animal parts smugglers and pet suppliers not forgetting their nexus with in-house accomplices. This does not mean there is a lesser threat from individual poachers and local hunters seeking an opportunity to kill a tiger or end up maiming it. These criminals are often in nexus with global illegal animal parts traders and suppliers to the TCM industry.  

The need of the hour is a strongly committed protection mechanism engaged in dealing with complex human-dominated circumstances and terrain riddled with challenges. Apart from a standard, regular approach towards protecting endangered species we need the box approach in order to fortify the conservation initiatives with minimal human interventions. 

Phil Davis

Phil Davis

An innovative apparatus is a boon for the conservation of big cats in India more so whence it arrives at the behest of committed individuals like Phil Davis stationed in India for years working for the cause of the tiger.

He has been part of conservation initiatives and programs in India for many committed years and is instrumental in auguring best practices for the ecological betterment of society having an immediate impact on tiger reserves and species conservation all over the country.  

Tiger Awareness                

It is a funding agency that works in tandem with many organizations in India with the aim to save the tiger. The funding is mostly at ground level which is ecologically more fruitful, encouraging local communities at the behest of the big cat and their heritage inheritance. The organization based in the UK was formed in the year 1998. The main focus is centered around the Sunderbans and Madhya Pradesh at present.  The charity is active in community initiatives as well which helps empower the local communities.  

Dogs to Rescue

The threat looms large with the ever-burgeoning poaching nexus aiming to supply big cat parts for TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine manufacturers. The invisible feeder lines like local poachers and their accomplices are hard to catch nuts that kill big cats using nefarious techniques and often get away with the heinous crime thanks to lacunae in the legal framework.      

Dog Training

An innovative approach that trains and manages Belgian Malinois Dogs and their handlers is being funded by UK-based Charity Tiger Awareness. The unit involves local vets on regular basis for the upkeep of the canines used in anti-poaching operations.  The projects are often executed in conjunction with the forest department. The efforts are in place for the last three years and have achieved notable success.       

The initiative has resulted in bringing a large number of wildlife crimes to law and solving a number of cases related to the wilderness in the area of operations.   

Subsequently, a large number of poachers have been apprehended and booked by the law. The success of the program has been enormous and more dogs are being trained for catching poachers in India's protected areas in an effort to save the tiger.    

Well-trained dogs are able to track the carcasses of wild animals as well as their poachers. Dogs have been trained to perform various tasks related to wildlife crimes in India and overseas. Wildlife protection dogs as they are often called can lead their handlers to illegal arms and ammunition belonging to poachers as well as rhino horns and tiger parts in urban and rural confines.  

The anti-poaching dogs are trained by experts before they become experts in detecting wildlife crimes and tracking poachers. For detecting illegal activities as regards tigers in India Belgian Malinois dogs have been found to be most effective in hot and humid conditions that prevail in most parts of our country.         

The induction of dog units for catching poachers and detecting crimes related to wild animals has proved as a boon in India and the initiative has been inducted at other tiger reserves as well. 

Read More: 

         DOGS SAVING TIGERS AND CATCHING POACHERS

Belgian Malinois dogs funded by UK charity Tiger Awareness are saving Tigers' lives and other forest animals in Madhya Pradesh, India.

The project started in 2016, working with our partners Saving Tiger Society and the Madhya Pradesh forest department, a plan was put together to train four dogs and handlers, and after their 9 months of training, they would be working in Kanha, Panna, Sanjay Dubri,  and Pench Tiger Reserves.

The training with 2 handlers per dog, starts together with socialization training for the first month, the pups are 6 months old. They move on to tracking and apprehension training, then onto wildlife parts tracking. It was decided on Belgian Malinois dogs, as they are agile, intelligent, and have proven abilities working in temperatures in hot countries. They are slightly smaller than German Shepherds with good temperaments, they generally serve for 8 to 9 years and have regular checkups by veterinary staff.

The dogs have now been working in the field for 3 years. They have solved a range of cases in Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve including wild boar and most recently a sloth bear case, Leopard electrocution, chital poaching and sloth bear poaching case in Pench Tiger Reserve, recent leopard case at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Sambar and Wild boar case in Panna Tiger Reserve, Kanha Tiger Reserve, they have solved Leopard and herbivore cases, they have solved around 50 cases for wildlife in this period catching over 140 poachers, also a criminal case, where a person stole gold and money from a safe and the dog team tracked the criminal to their house.

Dogs, handlers, and Saving Tiger Society founder as the dogs complete training.
Sundar, Jacky, Apollo, and Storm, are the original four, they have eight more furry friends that have completed training since then, 6 have been posted to forest areas, and the other 2 posted to transport hubs, to combat the wildlife trade in Madhya Pradesh.

The charity gets regular updates on how the dogs are performing in the field and has seen them in training themselves, they have provided K9 first aid kits and protection / cool vests for the dogs. There are a further 2 dogs in training, and they completed their training in June 2020. They will be posted in West Bengal.

The charity helps support many other works in the field, they have built a school in the Sundarbans, Tiger squads, boundary walls around open wells, and supporting forest staff with medical camps and kits, you can find out more on their website at www.tigerawareness.co.uk

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Uday Works as Freelance Naturalist and Blogs on conservation, tigers, and environmental issues.

He also provides SEO and Website Content in English.

He can be contacted at:

Mail: pateluday90@hotmail.com
 Mob: 09755089323