Misssssssssssed the cat! By a whisker!

Brown Hawk Owl

Leaf Bird - Tirath Singh

Langur - Tirath Singh

The discovery of the Brown Hawk Owl (Ninox scutulata) a Northern Taxa was exciting. We were on the spot at Dumna Nature Reserve in Jabalpur on the usual Sunday birding. We could not see the owl that day but were satisfied by images taken by Prayut and Aishwarya Mandal. These two young guys have a knack for locating birds not checked listed earlier in Jabalpur in MP State. They have discovered Bar-headed Geese, Whimbrel, and a group of Ruff(?) besides this owl.   

Leopard - Tirath Singh

We spent a lot of time searching for avian species in the nature reserve. Dumna Nature Reserve is named after the Dumna Airport since it is on the way. The nature reserve encompasses 200 hundred hectares of mixed forest along with the Khandari Reservoir. The water body is large and is meant to supply water to some areas of Jabalpur City. But there are forests and small water bodies all around. 

The Khandari Reservoir is home to freshwater crocodiles, turtles, and various species of fish. In winter it is visited by many wintering and resident waterfowl. About five hundred Gray Lag Geese can be seen here alongside, wigeon, red-crested pochard, lesser whistling teal, nakta, northern pintail, common pochard, garganey, spot bill duck, and Eurasian wigeon. 

The surrounding forests are natural and once formed an intact ecosystem that was home to leopards and tigers. These forests formed a contiguous patch around the extant of the city. This is no more the case since the forests are badly denuded. The Dumna forests are subject to rapid construction hence another protected area for deer park has been earmarked for conservation. The fate of the forests now resides upon humans with greed for the land. The creation of triple IT or IIIT has denuded a lot of lands and continues to do so. There is a five-star hotel proposed for development by MPTDC? If true then it will be a further blow to the wildlife in the area. An immediate stop to all construction activity is a must in all green patches of Jabalpur.     

This is a stretch of about ten km and leads to the Dumna Aiport. There are some water bodies surrounding the airport as well as the reserve forests. This area is in the news for the regular sighting of leopards. A leopard has been filmed on the airport road by some enthusiasts. On numerous occasions, we have seen crocodiles in tanks, barking deer, wild boar, spotted deer, langurs, and rhesus macaque. In spite of regularly frequenting the area, we had not come across the big cat. A few years back I had seen a leopard with three cubs at Imzhar Ghati Forests near Pariyat Reservoir. 

     

Our birding trip led us to these forest tracts after we had a good look at the greenish warblers and a Eurasian Oriole family.  We came across several birds like shikra, white-eyed buzzard, white eye, rufous treepie, gray hornbill, and long-tailed shrike. It was a dull birding day on eve of Dusshera and we were busy discussing things besides birding. On our way back we noticed a group of people standing near the restaurant being built for IIIT.  Ignoring the crowd we moved on till Prayut called us back using the mobile. " Some guys have seen a leopard pair nearby" he informed excitedly. So we drove back to the spot but the big cats were nowhere in sight by then. 

The group was chattering excitedly and we could make out that they had seen the spots. "Just here, whence you passed us by. Look near the pole about hundred yards that were where the pair was idling," one of the guys informed us with baited breadth. Other people joined him in the confused chorus pointing to various directions where the big cats could have vanished. "You should have stopped upon seeing us," he spoke. "Your binoculars could have fetched them close."                          

We searched the canopy for some time and then gave up. We could not see the spots that day but there will be endless visits hence better luck awaits us I am sure. As we drove back in silence we traversed through huge buildings that are changing the landscape of these once pristine forests. Total disregard for our natural places is causing havoc and endangering prime forest animals in India. 

Leopard in Jabalpur - Video

These video speak of return of wildlife or beleaguered status. The leopard roams around the periphery of Jabalpur City towards Khamaria Forests, (Dumna) Airport Road, Mandla and Bargi Townships. It is heartening to note the animals presence. Much earlier tiger roamed around the periphery of this city. 

With reference to the second video why do newsmen not highlight humans making inroads into the home of the wild animals?  

Tiger Trouble - Live Stock Killings

It is quiet often that tigers come out of their hidings from dense forests in order to kill live stock. There are many instances of cattle kill by tigers in brought daylight right in front of the villagers.  This often calls for retaliation by the villagers during the kill or after it. The irate live stock owners often poison the carcass in order to seek revenge for the loss of their cattle. 

In many cases the tiger is at the kill with hundreds of villagers gawking at it. This is a dangerous act since there have been cases of people being killed by tigers on kill. This usually happens whence villagers venture too close to the big cat. These animals are intolerant whence eating and they charge in fear.  

The villagers encroach tiger habitats with impunity in periphery of many tiger reserves. This invites conflict with big cats inhabiting the area. Often the cattle are killed or the big cat chased away by the herdsmen.  This is an ongoing problem in tiger habitats and no solution has yet been found.   

Charismatic Wildlife of Central India

Male Tiger

Sunset at Bandhavgarh

Barking Deer & Peacock

Mugger Crocodile

Great Stone Plovers

Leopard at Kanha

Leopard on Tree

Tiger at Tadoba

Sloth Bear

Tiger at Bandhavgarh

Tiger Near Water Hole

Tiger is Grass

Tiger Road Crossing

Wild Dog at Tadoba

Central India or the State of Madhya Pradesh and part of Maharashtra abounds in enchanting wilderness and amazing wildlife. The animals and birds can be seen at tiger reserves which are of World Fame. Most popular tiger safari destinations in Central India are Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench National Park.

Other tiger reserves in MP are Panna and Satpura while sanctuaries such as Bori and Nauradehi are slowly gaining popularity. The charismatic wildlife can best be enjoyed at tiger reserves with proper tourism infrastructure. Places like Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha National Park are well equipped for tourism. 

The Tadoba Tiger Reserve is in the state of Maharashtra. Tadoba Tiger Reserve is an emerging tourism destination. With the establishment of budget and luxury hotels in Tadoba tourism for tiger safari is increasing. The reserve is part of Central Indian Highlands which were ones a contiguous patch. Tiger sightings are very high in this reserve thanks to less restrictions imposed. 

For wildlife photography Kanha and and Bandhavgarh are the best. The former for its tigers and abundant wildlife and the latter for its tigers and picturesque settings.    

Photo Credits Teerath Singh

Tiger Family at Bandhavgarh

This video was taken during Bandhavgarh tour organized by MP Tiger Safari in the State of Madhya Pradesh in India. The little cubs follow their mother obediently straying away could be dangerous. This video was shot at Banbei in Bandhavgarh and is a rare sight.

Wildlife Photography by Teerath Singh

Teerath Singh does not need an introduction in this blog anymore. The photographs below exhibit his skills at capturing the images in the wild.  

Sunset Bandhavgarh

Honey Buzzard Balck Morph

Wild Leopard

Male Tiger

Bengal Tiger

MP Tiger Safari Office

Tiger By Water

Tiger Male

Wandering Tigers

With the creation of National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries a myopia has set in. That the tigers survive in  protected areas only is a result of this assumption. Tigers are peripatetic animals and can traverse a long distance to reach other habitats. This is more by instinct and need based, driven perhaps by hunger or territorial subjugation...whatever. Tigers may also seek areas without any competition hence there are number of time whence they are seen wandering in reserve forests.

But the greater abundance of tigers is always present in critical tiger habitats. These are also classified as core zones in National Parks. But thanks to successful tiger conservation in popular tiger reserves the big cat population in buffer areas and surrounding reserve forests has also swelled up.  The newspaper report frequently about tiger sightings in areas they are not thought to be. Most of the tiger sightings outside the tiger reserves goes unrecorded as villagers sometimes do not report these sightings. Another reason for this is difficulty in identifying the big cat from its cousin the leopard. 

Bandhavgarh Tiger Pic Teerath Singh

Every time I have spent at buffer zones in Kanha and Bandhavgarh I have come across signs of tigers. My stay at Muchmucha Lodge near Bandhavgarh was made exciting by presence of tigers and leopards. Recently a huge male at Muchmucha was electrocuted by local shikaris.   

Similarly I hear tiger roaring near the Courtyard House at Patpara in Kanha buffers where the home stay is situated.

Few years back I had seen a tiger pair on Bagharaji Ghat near in Kundam Range of Jabalpur. A tiger was reported at Phool Sagar Ghat on the way from Jabalpur to Mandla. Tigers were present in whole of Mandla before hunting and forest destruction took place. Tigers are found in reserved forest all over Central India or Madhya Pradesh living in isolation perhaps. Kanha National Park is situated in Mandla District.

A tiger was seen in a forest range near Bhopal as reported in newspaper recently. Like wise these big cats are reported in many other places in the state of India.

Will we be able to secure a favored gene pool from this distribution or will the animal become extinct. The latter is not much of a conjecture. 

Kanha National Park - Swamp Deer

Kanha National Park known as the land of the tiger is home to many animals besides the big cats. One of the most charismatic animals is the Hard Ground Swamp Deer or the Barasingha. This is a gregarious species of Red Deer and was once found in large herds in and around the Kanha National Park. 

The swamp deer have a proclivity towards swampy grasslands but in the case of Kanha, there is a scarcity of such habitat. Hence the deer has become adapted to the hard ground through the evolution of a morphological change. Unlike other swamp deer species of India, the Cervus Duavcelli Branderi does not have splayed hoofs. The main food is some species of grasses that abound in Kanha Meadows.  

The Branderi Barasingha was brought back from extinction in the sixties. A significant contribution of Dr.Schaller et. el. was active in saving this species. From about sixty-six heads the population is now over three hundred fifty. A very large enclosure was established for additional protection of the deer. In absence of predation, the survival rate of the fawns increased rapidly hence the result. 

The swamp deer in Kanha breed in the Sonf Meadow and some other grasslands. The mating period is in peak winters. Normally one fawn is born after a gestation period of six months. The deer is sensitive to human incursions and hence needs complete isolation. 

These animals avoid human settlements and are rarely found near them. The nearest relative is the sambar deer which is ubiquitous. It can also be seen near the hotels in Kanha in the adjoining forests.  To see the deer one should visit Kanha National Park anytime. Large herds congregate in summers in meadows with abundant water. Kanha Meadow is one of the finest places to see the Hard Ground Swamp Deer. 

       

The Gun Cult & The Lion

Obviously the experts have been proved wrong. After years of preparation, expenditure of vast sums of money the guns comes in the way. According to the times of India news dated April 29/4/2013. Sheopur District in which the park is located is having 4800 guns while Gir Surrpundings has 2600 guns. 

What is paradoxical is that the guns at both the places can wipe out the lion population in days. Then why single out Kuno Palpur?  

The name of the game is pride. Albeit one pride to Kuno will not harm Gujarat's interest at all. It that is the apprehension than what is this ho ha about Gujarat's might - economic and in all sphere. Is there and element of doubt?

I am a staunch admirer of Narendra Modi governance...but this parochialism baffles me. It is time the able contender for PM post unshackles parochialism and adopts a Nationalistic Fervor. The gun cult is a universal problem in India...well almost. Poachers are everywhere, it is the management that has to be trusted. MP's  record in tiger conservation has steadily improved and Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench are a testimony. 

Lions have always been present in this area the last record is Sagar in 1852. the lions where wiped out by shikaris and habitat take over. The Asian Lions prefer open savannas, deciduous forests and scrub country. The intense clash with tigers is not possible as the tiger prefer dense forests with small grasslands, wetlands and bush as associates. 

The recent re-introduction of tigers in Panna has proven to be a success, and with additional protection they will survive for posterity.

So what's the problem with Kuno?  

Well IUCN Guidelines. At this juncture the issue is meaning less, let the Gujarat Government express affirmative and then proceed with interpretation of guidelines. If the experts say yes then relocate the lions here and save the species.     

Wildlife Images by Tirath Singh

Leopard at Bandhavgarh

Jackal Pair

Male Tiger

Tadoba Cubs

Tiger Cubs

Tiger in Grassland

Wild Dog