Tiger Tour: How to make best?

Wildlife Safaris: Tips & advice Destination

It is a dream come true to be in tiger land. The fortunate can afford it or get enough time to visit India. I believe the success of your safari begins with the destination chosen. For tiger sightings Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Ranthambhore and Corbett are best. But the first three are anytime better in my personal opinion.

Tigers being tigers are not seen sometimes and that is very disappointing. Hence avoid festivals, holidays, Saturday and Sunday. And a day or two after that. Rains, large number of tourists, seasonal burning, etc can have a negative impact on your safari and tiger sighting.    

Hence visit during January and February or till March. Avoid Holi Festival which is in Feb or March? If you  are a birder than hire professional birding guide the regular forest guide may not be able to help you. A good naturalist will assist you in having a holistic tour with his interpretation and trekking skills. Maintain park timing enter as early as you can if the rush is great enter half an hour later. (Thanks Peter). He is below with his camera. Have your vehicle driven slowly and silently. Keep your eyes and ears open for some unusual sound an alarm cry perhaps. Concentrate and enjoy everthing you come accross - ask the guide.    

Accommodation

Another important factor going budget may be okay but going cheap is a no no. There are many mid range resorts in these parks. They are best, until unless you have lot of wealth. In this case go for the star hotels. The luxury resort should be able to deliver more than food and accommodation. An introduction to tribal culture, village life, wildlife films, lectures etc makes your stay more enjoyable.            

Travel easy do not rush, buy essentials in a major town you land in, something that you may need in the remote areas, assure you have enough money and medicine. A luxury bus or private taxi are usual mode of travel to these tiger reserves. Avoid state transport it is much less comfy meant for tourist with strong backbone.    

Hence research and make arrangement for you tiger tour in advance.     

Wildlife Photography

Most wildlife photographer prefer summer months in spite of the heat. Temperature control is available in your room for a price. Hence the cool stay inside is assured. Out of your cottage it is hot, hot, hot and terribly hot! No camera accessories are available in tiger parks so buy, everything before hand. For those in bird photography hire a good birder. For wildlife watching the forest guards will be able to introduce you to all mammals and some reptiles and wild trees.  It is mandatory to take a forest guard in the National Parks and reserves anyway.

Food

Avoid heavy curry dishes if you are not used to them. The mild one's may be okay. Vegetarian food and eggs should always be preferred in India. Avoid roadside and junk food, always seek a clean restaurants. Carry branded mineral water to avoid tummy trouble. Eat hot food that which has been prepared on order.  Scalding hot tea and tandoori bread right out of the oven or tandoor are safer.  Foreign tourists follow these precautions the most since they are not immune to pathogens found in this country.  Eat lot of fruits - the one with peel.    

Safari Accessories: Wild Life Books

Bird Books, Warm Clothing's for extreme winter.

Binoculars, Camera, Spotting Scope etc.

Medicines including for loose stomach, fever and vomiting. I carry these where ever I travel to avoid being in uncomfortable circumstances. Pl. get it on doctor's prescription. 

Mosquito Repellent.

Wines(hic!)

Some Hindi Words: Food = Khana Tea = Chai Water = Pani Medicine = Dava Jeep= Gaadi Tiger = Sher Deer = Hiren Leopard = Tendua Road= Rasta City = Sahar Ahead = Aage (will add more later.)   

My friend Peter

Tall hefty fellow he is an epitome of naughtiness and impish delight. That is what the old duffer as he calls himself appears at first. The pun starts before the handshake takes place. But behind the humourus facade there is a hard working specialist birder, top of the rung nature photographer and a philanthropist who has lot of goodwill for the poor and helpless.  

He is into ornithology and photography all through the year, especially in Morrocco where he does lot of human welfare as well. Peter seeks birds everywhere, he leads groups of Worldwide Birding Tours  Company. He is English but knows Spanish as well and perhaps other languages.     

The company conducts avian tours all over the World in top destinations. He excels in wildlife photography as well and was kind enough to gift one of his grand image. The tiger above is a magnificant animal and so justified by the image.

Peter Jones is very active on facebook and is a gifted writer as well. I have enjoyed watching avians with him on Kanha tour a tiger extension plus ornithological trip that the company organizes. I have also associated with him on bird tour in New Delhi, Bharatpur, Chambal, Corbett and Nainital circuit. His absolute delightful humour can be very subtle and effective. For he is a jolly good fellow! 

Tiger Lands of India

The subcontinent was full of tigers before 20th century. But expanding population and need for agricultural land decimated the big cat’s habitat. This was associated with large scale hunting in India. There was a drastic fall in the tiger population by the seventies. The Project Tiger initiated to conserve the endangered species achieved success albeit for a short time.  The scheme controls barely 2 /3 percent of the country’s forest habitats – protected areas.  

The tiger population is precariously low around 1400 cats survive. This number is also suggestive of large scale plundering of tiger habitats in India which still continues.  Both habitat destruction and hunting has contributed to the sad plight of the tigers in India.  The former has been more damaging since large tracts of forest have been denuded in the country and it continues.

India is in a state of quandary since the leaders perceive large scale industrialization as solution for economic development and prosperity for the poverty ridden masses. Habitat conservation and industrialization are an antithesis and intrusion in pristine lands is deadly. The rabid industrialization augurs environmental hazards by reducing the green cover and emission of poisonous waste harmful gases and chemicals. Raw material required is often mined which directly affect our ecosystems. Mining in the country has been a scourge with absolutely no control exhibited by the state governments or the administrative bodies - court reprimand notwithstanding.   

There are no efforts or ingenuity to go in for green industrialization the cottage industries are an apt answer to it. In eco sensitive zones the development should take places by empowering the local with indigenous skill set. Hence a stable earning source would emerge. Handicraft industry is one such example, eco tourism is another. Proper harnessing and utilization of minor forest produce is much less damaging than perceived. Assistance in marketing is a prerequisite in order to sustain the efforts.  

Agriculture is another malicious factor that has reduced our forests and grasslands to naught. Most of the agricultural practices in and around tiger reserves are inefficient and non productive. The land comprises of gravels and by all means is infertile, there may be exceptions but the land owners are very poor. The dependence of large herds of livestock especially cattle is another menace. Since we cannot utilize beef for food in India the holding population of old animals is unfeasible and puts further pressure on the ecosystem. (I am not advocating beef consumption). 

The livestock also endangers rare species because of disease transmission. The proximity to the forests is one reason for man animal conflict in which the latter is the looser. In Corbett where man eating is taking place often, the villages are situated right in the dense pockets. Hence the clash is inevitable with large scale intrusion taking place every day.        

Most of the tiger reserves are now pockets of survival isolated islands of natural habitats for prime species.  Creation of corridors seems unfeasible in absence of strong political will. The greatest fear is of inbreeding and some instances have been recorded as in Bandhavgarh.

In most of the tiger reserves administration can be defined as lackadaisical absolutely non committal in approach to save the wilderness and its inhabitants. Panna and Sariska are live examples and there may be many with shoddier performance that has gone unnoticed. The ill equipped machinery makes the parks more susceptible to wood logging and poaching. Corruption it seems is becoming a salient feature and it affects our tiger lands as well.

Counting of tigers may be a prerequisite in order to take assessment of the situation. Counting trees literally is as important since habitat must improve and increase in order to sustain the big cats and other endangered species.      

Muchmucha Tigers

A Wildlife Safari at Muchmucha

Night had set in by the time we reached Kuan village on road to Barhi and turned in for Muchmucha. It was going to be a tiring night and exciting as well, I could feel the coming in my bones. As we moved on I saw a pair of Chinkara then a Jackal and Spotted deer...things had started to happen. 

After negotiating a rough road with  lots of bends and turns we finally reached the Old Hunting Lodge at Muchmucha. The lodge belongs to Avinash Pathak landlords of Katni District in Madhya Pradesh, India. The lodge as I had imagined was a colonial style structure with touch of class. Modernity only exists as electricity for some hours, antique, appealing furniture and stylish cutlery. But refurnish exercise is being planned for travelers. The hunting lodge stands out imposingly amidst the rustic dwelling of the tribal.  

The folks hang around the lodge whenever Avinash Bhai is there. They come to pay their obeisance to a family that has nurtured them since ages.

Jeep Safari

I finally settled down for a brief rest in the bedroom. Till this day the grand lodge is as it was built. Neat clean and spacious with old style bathrooms in the vicinity. The hunting lodge has been host to large number of top brass who came here for hunt and to enjoy the family's gracious hospitality.   

There are no trophies anymore, but photographs of wild animals adorn the whitewashed walls. Steeped deep into nature conservation the owners now work for preservation of local wilderness. 

While sitting by the fireside we decided to explore the surroundings. Our night safari began at two o'clock and it had become cold Brrrrrr! We traversed a short distance from the village and soon entered the confines of dense forest. I was expecting a scanty denuded forest but was surprised by dense canopy all around. We crisscrossed through the rough jungle road on the old Willys Jeep in expectation. Soon we were greeted by a small gathering of barking deer foraging in grass amidst tall stands.   

The night safari went on, and in the halo of the starry night we came across nocturnal animals like civets, porcupines and fox. Night jars and Eurasian Thicknee were in plentiful. The eyes of Nilgai and Samabar shone like sparkling diamonds in the darkness.  After an exciting safari we finally headed for the lodge, happy and contended. 

No tigers here eh?

Avinash Bhai gave a benign smile and beckoned me to retire..it was four thirty AM. I received the answer next morning as locals who came to greet the landlord informed us about two cattle kills. One about four hundred meters from the lodge and the other near neighboring Barmani village.   

The kills were made by the young adult tigers, recently separated from the mother, the herdsmen informed us.  Much earlier a tigress with cubs was spotted near the village often. Strips of forest make in roads into the surroundings near the village. Or rather the expanding human habitation has stripped the dense forests on village border. Fields intrude in what was once a dense patch of woodland.

Part of dense Bandhavgarh canopy small belts of the forest encircle the village. Muchmucha is about 25 km as the crow flies from the park and about 30 km of drive.   

On closure inspection the surmise came out to be true. The cattle was much larger than we had expected. It was a clean kill with canine punctures on throat that ruptured the arteries. There was no messing around as leopard do with kills larger than they are made for. The pugmarks around seemed to be that of a young tigress and we followed them till the water hole. We came here again in that night but could not see the tiger. The animal had eaten more of the hind part and had probably slipped into the darkness on hearing the jeep. In order not to disturb the animal at kill, we stopped crossing through this area and hoped that we will sight it in the neighborhood.       

Being so close to human habitation the shy behavior was evident and there was no movement during the daytime. We heard alarm cries often, but by the time we reached the spots the animal moved into the forest. The other kill was probably the work of a male since it was made right in the cowshed of a large dwelling and dragged into to the neighboring forest for consumption. The kill at Muchmucha was made by a tigress and she was not big enough to drag it into the canopy. Hence she could consume only at night that to with great difficulty as it lay near an open field. After a two days of feasting she probably moved into the dense forests some distance away?   

We stayed at Muchmucha and explored the surroundings for safaris and bird watching which was our purpose. The old hunting lodge is to be turned into an ethnic accommodation for night/day safaris and birding. It is highly suited for niche travelers nature lovers and birders. Those interested in ethnic stay and rural experience alongside exciting wildlife safaris in India. The plan is to offer a combined holiday experience of local culture, day and night safaris and bird watching. A trip to Bandhavgarh tourism zone is possible on request. This will be good for those interested in exploring the tiger reserves neighborhood and visit to Bamera Tank, Umrar River, Marzad Garh and Muchmucha forests. This part of the tiger reserve has not been explored yet for tourism and is much exciting. The tour is being promoted online on Indiana Safari Website. 

It was a fun stay at Muchmucha and I could get the feel of old days. The lodge is a grand affair of simplicity that makes life possible in remote areas. The offerings though simple have a touch if class in colonial style - the days of the British Raj.   

The Muchmucha village of 400 is on the way to progress. But I am sure it will retain its wilderness in the surroundings though not in immediate confines as it is now. The animals we could see suggested of good population of spotted deer, samabar, wild boar, langurs, barking deer and Nilgai the desired prey of the tigers. There are many leopard sightings taking place where ever the forest exists. One can come across sloth bear, wild dog and perhaps Hyena and Wolf? Highly endangered animals beside the tigers find shelter here. The prime example is the Chinkara which has lost large grounds in Madhya Pradesh. A proper population estimate of animals especially the Chinkara would require subsequent time to be spent here. The place is rich in forest birds and combined with expeditions at near by wetlands, scrub and fields the birding is exciting. 

The cattle kills though suggestive of the vanishing tiger augurs threat to the big cat. Humans think of themselves firsts and more incidence like these would lead to the cleansing syndrome.   

Few tigers more

The tiger estimation report 2010 by the ministry of forest and environment released recently cites an increase in tiger population by 200 + tigers. This report was released by MOEF in Bhopal recently and attended by top bureaucrats and who is who in nature conservation. It was heartening see there a lady ( Belinda Wright) who has sacrificed her whole life in favor of the endangered species and perhaps some who could speak.       

What is evident that under Hon Minister Jairam there has been new initiative taken. There is very little doubt that he is a friend of nature as whole in the country. The minister exhibits energetic and palpable  commitment to nature conservation and environment protection in India. But is he is as enamored by the economic, political and democratic urgency as anybody? Time will tell.

The report albeit does not create any euphoria in our minds ..it should not. The ground situation remains the same perhaps worsened by impetus on rabid economic growth. The animal remains endangered, still and ironically the leopard is in the worst case scenario as tiger already is. Let us give credit if the numbers have really increased in spite of the fact that there is still no credibility in the process - camera trap or whatever. But experienced field biologists should always be relied upon.

If the numbers have really increased and auger further increase than it is a heartening news. What it implies is that we have learned to govern ourselves and our Nation better. The debacle at Sariska and Panna have created doubt in our governance itself. If right in the control of highly paid and privileged administrative system a population of tiger can be wiped out..and fact to be discovered much later in a farcical manner...it is nothing but humoring ourselves in front of the whole World..what more.

For a laymen who does not understand political maneuvering, administrative lethargy, corruption and inability, it is difficult to understand the plight of the tiger and hence the whole environment. In my years of wandering in the wild I have yet to see the top brass actively engaged in the field, though there are few exceptions. But few exceptions do not make a tiger.

Tiger Safari - A holistic experience

Tiger tourism is a boon to nature conservation. It introduces, teaches and instills in mind the salient principles of conservation. It brings forth to surface that we share this Earth with many life forms and that we are all linked in a short of chain. It is like a family... what happens when the family is broken? You know that well... you can surmise how fragile an ecosystem is. Ecosystems are what constitute the habitat which are suitable grounds of survival of amazingly vast biodiversity. 

The tiger reserves should not be seen as tourism centers.  But rather tourism should be seen as  show case of conservation efforts, their success or failure. Tourist are the best sentinels of our natural heritage since they can express concerns which other life forms of the reserves cannot. Tourism benefits if conducted properly, hence rules and regulations of preserves should be followed thoroughly.  To enjoy the nature that we have inherited is to learn to value and conserve it.     

Visiting such natural heavens gives one an immense thrill especially if you come across magnificent species like tiger, leopard, swamp deer, wild dog, Indian gaur or bison and so on. You can come across an action thriller - tiger on hunt, wild dogs chasing prey, raptor pouncing on a hare....Good Luck.  

You can further heighten your pleasure by taking interest in birds - all it requires is a good pair of binoculars and books on birds. Dr. Salim Ali's book of Indian birds is good for the beginners. These parks are home to interesting species of birds some rare and enchanting. 

You should also take interest in the flora of the reserves and learn about the different forest types. Some of the local guides are very knowledgeable about the vegetation. You should enjoy the fresh air and lovely landscapes that surround you. the forests can be incredibly silent experience peace and tranquility.

Trekking Tigers 

Everyone wishes to see the tiger and why not? It is nature's most wonderful creation, top predator and magnificent. It is one of the most charismatic and beautiful animal seen in the wild.  It is very difficult to track tigers and you need lot of luck. 

Listen to the sounds of the forests they are the best indicator of the predators presence. Keep a look down on jungle road for pug marks ...they tell you a lot. Keep and eye on the deer and other animals they indicate tiger's presence by their behavior. Alarm cries are very good sign of a predator in neighbor hood.

Over all it not just the tiger sighting enjoy nature as whole. You will feel contented even if you do not come across a tiger. Making it a learning experience that is what wild safari is meant to be.  

Why big cats kill humans in India ?

Man eating by big cats is not a new phenomenon, somewhere down below man could have been in the food chain. But as the species (homo sapiens) evolved into a more intelligent form they removed themselves from the instinctive arena.

The personae of modern man is indeed intimidating - especially the upright posture which animals always perceive as larger. The gregarious behavior of humans living near tigers could be another reason. Or long back humans must have succeeded in proving themselves as superior beings in conflicts. Then series of senseless brutality by hunters did the rest. The destructive weapons/guns became an object of fear which passed on to the coming generations instinctively.

The tiger and leopard finds man as naturally threatening. As tertiary carnivores, tigers and leopards have limited energy and always go for larger kills that can be obtained easily. Another factor is the mass to energy spent is not always favorable, with average weight of rural malnourished women in India being 50 to sixty KG or perhaps much less. Women wander deeper into the forests in search of fire wood and minor produce.E.g. Corbett.

Throughout evolution genetic coding changes and the tiger instinct changed too. Hence somewhere along, the instinct made tigers/leopards distance themselves from humans. But instances of man eating continue, though the initial attack is in self defense out of sheer fright and surprise.  Extreme hunger due to inability to kill prey also induces tiger to kill anything that comes easily including wandering humans. 

Most of the man eating cases subsequently turn into premeditated attacks. By stealth and surprise is how the tiger hunts - so does the leopard. But the latter can be more damaging since it lives near the confines of villages.  

I do not believe that man eating is an aberrant behavior always. This can happen in case of drastic reduction in prey base, the animal than looks for alternative food. Young animals rarely turn man eaters by intent.  In old/injured animals man killing may be need based as often it is in the case of cattle lifters. The bold term I find as pressing further ignominy on the beleaguered animal since fact is the cattle are intruders.  Tigers never eat stones as it is not their food, so why would they eat humans if we do not constitute as food?

Humans and big cats often came in close proximity whence forests were widespread. Due to large forest cover the spacing mechanism kept humans and big cats apart most of the time. But this does not work anymore. The forests are scarce and you have humans intruding everywhere. Accidental killing and territorial clash (breeding females) do the rest of the damage. Due to political urgency it is the animal that suffers since no alternative is provided in time. Corbett is prime example of women being killed by tigers.the recent news of another kill in Sunderkhal in Corbett is troubling. Which tiger did they eliminate? What are they doing there?

Whenever I have encountered a tiger, I have seen its stress level rise out of fear. Though there have been sudden aggressive charge often, but the distance is maintained. This is a protective instinct that make big cats withdraw. Their genetic coding passed on from generations induces fear of  man naturally thanks to past experience - a natural protective mechanism.   

The tigers and leopards always move away from man as I have experienced except whence on some purpose. There is no such thing as greater degree of acclimatization with man. Even in remote depth of forests where tigers rarely come across man their behavior is more or less the same. By instinct they shy away from man. But I have heard many times of tigers sitting for long, blocking the roads near forests in spite of the fact they were not conditioned as in tiger reserves (?). When on work the animal ignores man completely in cases like territorial marking and on search of female. This applies to non conditioned tigers as well. Being nocturnal it is always less seen.

The problem with human society is that we have not learned to treat other life forms as equal. The best we treat them is as pariah or vermin an excuse to ravage their home land. Mining in India is the worst scourge followed by carcinogenic industries -  all a short term solution for burgeoning unskilled populace. Populace surviving on infertile soils and denuded forests.          

Amazing India will cease to stress its point the way we are destroying natural lands in pursuit of short term economic gains. Everywhere forests and other remaining habitats are being destroyed recklessly or at unseen pace. It is humans first!

Jago re India Jago re!

Wolf in Seoni Hills - Pench Tiger Reserve

Extremely rare due to persecution everywhere the wolf in India is still considered as vermin. The animal is a livestock killer by circumstances. The wolf in India is an open country scrub animal. It is less found in dense habitats. Most of the protected areas as tiger reserves cover only the forests, the open scrub country in the periphery is neglected. This brings the animal in direct competition/conflict with live stock, dogs and their keepers. There are many myths around the animal which create an impression of being dangerous and a bad omen.     

Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) is an extremely endangered carnivore. There are about two to three thousand wolves in the country. The animal survives in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharastra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Karnataka. It is known by local name in each state. There have been cases of attack on young children the reason being loss of prey base. Most of the attack has taken place in UP and Bihar where habitat damage has been extensive. 

In MP the carnivore is rare and survives in few areas.  It is found in Pench Tiger Reserve in the periphery. Its known habitat in Kanha was Moccha where a number of resorts flourish now. I have not seen the animal there since a long time. The animal is subject to prosecution everywhere, and hence the animal migrates locally in case of disturbance.     

I have seen the animal in Pench two years back. This was the time my friends hotel in Pench was being built. The luxury accommodation was some distance away from Khawasa and we could see the pack of four on the way. They are not seen anymore but I hope they have shifted habitat and not killed.

Well known Pench in Seoni Hills is an excellent tiger habitat. It is home large diversity of flora and fauna. It is a remarkable birding destination as well. Known as Kipling Country after Rudyard Kipling who penned the World famous "Jungle Book" which portrayed the exploits of the wolf child Mowgli. Mowgli is no more and so would be the wolf pack if conservation measure are not taken immediately. 

Will it? or Will not?

It is an animal with head under guillotine blade. And the question asked is, will it or will it not become extinct? In fact the situation is so precarious that there is no surety as to what the next population count will reveal. The animal once roamed in large numbers as the King of forests now lives as a pet cat in protected areas.  

This year I saw few tigers on birding trips in Corbett and Kanha National Parks. But there was hardly any joy or thrill the sighting generated remorse and lot of thinking.  For it is now a possibility that coming generations may not see this magnificent animal in the wild.. The burgeoning humanity and political wranglings have made the protected area insecure. 

One visit to Kanha and Corbett periphery will give you and idea of what I am trying to confer through my blog. In seventies a visit to Kanha would have been an experience sans humanity around it. There were few small tribal villages but not the urbanity you see today. Though land had been opened up there were present pockets of pristine forests which made your journey towards the park an enchanting experience. 

Tourism is good for conservation but it certainly needs a looking into. This kind of congregation should certainly be reduced around all parks. If it is urgent to relocate tribal villages from within the confines of the Buffer and core zones than it is also imperative to relocate budding establishments and private houses a respectable distance away. The latter may not happen since it is impractical keeping the costs in mind. But henceforth further construction should be stopped immediately. They new construction should be pushed back far way at least a radius of ten km from any ecosystem taking into account that open scrub constitutes an ecosystem for hyena, wolf, Nilgai and other open country animals.

Managing such large human populations is not easy but then we have usurped so much area that constitutes natural home for other life forms. And the savage ingress goes on... Can we not increase some more area wherever possible and reduce the interference of this destructive species Homo erectus? 

In cities land has been taken over by the Government in order to build wider and better road networks. A due consideration has been forwarded. Can we not find solution for villages around areas of natural heritage. Such that relocation succeeds and is permanent. But the local politics does not understand all this. Many are not capable of understanding or appreciating natural phenomenons. For most such places are more of an irritant a challenge to their management capabilities. The worst - Vote politics.

The buffer zones are no more secure from poachers and wood loggers then they were before. Although it is impossible to guard such a vast area but there should be some mechanism in place. There was lot of controversy in Kanha regarding discovery of deadly metal traps or snares within the core. Although by all means Kanha is one of the best managed parks in India. But than we thought nearly the same of Sariska and Panna - look what happened.

The beat guards and foresters are helpless whence confronted by goons or organized gangs of poachers. Some of them are in league with poachers. Many wrong doers may have political shelter or be powerful enough themselves. I keep on reading that very few people have been convicted in wildlife crimes.  Why? The crimes are rampant the media informs us.        
 

Department of Wildlife Health & Disease Management

Established in Yr. 2001 the Department of Wildlife Health & Management conducts disease surveillance, disease treatment, health monitoring, research and training. The institute is based in  Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is active in disease diagnosis and forensic relating  to wildlife. The faculty is not limited to this and plays active part in providing support to anti poaching authorities. It is helpful in terms of conducting post-mortem, collecting and presenting evidence in courts. A large number of poachers have been convicted thanks to the support provided by the Hon. Dean Dr. A.B. Shrivastava and his team.


On spot treatment of injured wild animals, birds and reptiles is forte of this center. It has developed into a full fledged center for wildlife forensic and health management in year 2010. The department provides veterinary support to all protected areas of Central India. Dr.Shrivastava and his team offers yeoman service to this important aspect of nature conservation. They have been active as silent crusaders providing succor to helpless wildlife since number of years.      

The dept. is a part of Veterinary University Jabalpur an institution conducting training on comprehensive veterinary sciences. The team has performed selflessly since number of years and gained experience while treating injured and sick animals like tigers, spotted deer, hyena, leopards, cobra, mugger, to name a few. Health care, first aid and life saving treatments is provided to birds as well. The efforts have saved life of many endangered species and provided succor to many.

The center's contribution: Research Diagnostic - Scientific Reports

FPL in big cats

Rabies in Sloth Bear

TB in Spotted Deer

TB in Hanuman Langur - Sariska Tiger Reserve

TB in Sloth Bear

Lymphoid leucosis - Peafowl

Haemangioma - Tiger

Ascending Duodenal Invagination - Leopard. 

Sarcocystois - Hard Ground Barasingha

Gasthrothylax - Swamp Deer

Paragonimus infection - Bengal Tiger

Pasteurellosis infection - Tigers - Elephant

Colibacillosis - Wild Dogs

The department co-ordinates in rescue and translocation operations in tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.  Its capability in immobilization technique is a great asset that provides vital support to the protected areas and reserved forests in MP. Besides provides relief from wild animals that have ventured closed to human settlements and villages.   

The Department of Wildlife Health & Management also provides training to field staff of forest department, students and students from foreign countries. With limited funding and infrastructure the institute has created a new paradigm in wildlife conservation.  All help and encouragement is welcome.