By Marcellus D’Souza
Apr 18: As the controversy in Goa rages between Vishwajit Rane, forest minister and environmentalist Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation and groups like Amche Mollem have launched an on-line awareness campaign aimed at providing protection to the tigers found in Goa, my mind goes back to the time I visited Pench Tiger Reserve.
Spread on the fringes of Maharashtra and more within Madhya Pradesh, the drive from Nagpur airport was a combination of being smooth and bumpy. We drove through thick forest of teak and were put up in one of the lodges that are built on the outskirts of the reserve.
Our guided safari began at 6:30 am the next morning and after a drive of about half an hour into the Reserve, our driver as well as our guide heard a faint call of the tiger. We stopped dead in our track and tried to pick up the call again. Our ears peeked and we were told to remain silent. A pin drop silence overcame all of us. But the call of the tiger had vanished. We were the only vehicle that had taken the route. Suddenly, the deer’s scattered and the monkey’s sent out its warning call. That confirmed that the tiger was in the tall grass but could not be seen by the naked eye.
We drove slowly and followed the paw marks of the tiger for some time, suddenly our jeep took up speed. The tiger’s loud roar was heard clearly. Our driver had to outdo the tiger blending in the dry brown grass. He circled the place where we had first heard the faint roar to an open space. Many other safari jeeps had reached the spot. We were told it was a corridor used by the tigers often. The path was lined with eucalyptus trees and sag or teak trees. The paw marks were more prominent in the loose mud on the edge of the muddy road.
We waited in anticipation. Suddenly the wild cat made an appearance. It was a huge and majestic beast. We felt small in the presence of such a huge beast. As it walked its steps were royal and elegant. It was in no hurry. The tiger was not perturbed by the presence of human beings. The tiger was in full view. Camera shutters went off endlessly.
The tiger was identified by the guide as a female. She kept spraying every tree with her urine and walked majestically across the road. Then she changed her mind and walked back onto the dirt path to spray the barks of more tress with her scent to show her presence in the area. The guide later told us that the Pench Reserve has 22 male tigers and 22 female tigresses. We were over the moon by this sighting. The driver told us that there was a water pond in the area which was frequented by tigers for a drink or to cool off.
This was our first sighting of the day. Our jeep moved ahead and the guide was explaining to us how Pench Reserve has two sections. The dense forest area is inhabited by all the animals, including tigers and is rich in game. The periphery area has limited game and is situated closer to the villages as well as the area we are in”. The tigers sometimes deviate from their designated corridors to invade populated areas to fend for food and game. These may include small animals like fowl or domesticated cattle. The periphery area are has many small ponds and water bodies which are frequented by the big cats.
Suddenly, we are passed on an alert of another sighting by a fellow jeep driver. There is total coordination between the drivers and guides. We take a U turn and drive to the designated spot. The tiger is in full view of all the safari jeeps. Spraying the tress, she went about her business. She allowed us to click numerous photographs. She was Collarwali -T15 and was the most famous tiger of the Pench Reserve.
When she got disturbed by our constant muttering and talking, she growled to make her presence felt. This was our second sighting. She remained with us for an extended period of time and then disappeared into the green grass that was watered by a river close by. Later we heard the cries of a deer. She was successful in her hunt.
The next day, excited by the two sightings of the previous day, we set out again. We were quite disappointed that we had not seen the tiger we had made the journey for. We spotted other animals and were taken to the place where the elephants lived. We were shown how the feed for the elephants was prepared under the supervision of a veterinary doctor. As we were preparing to end our safari and were heading back, when suddenly our driver heard the roar of the tiger. We were lucky. A third sighting in the offing in two days, Wow!!
We had to wait for long. We doubted if it was a false alarm. But lo and behold, the tiger appeared. It was huge and a male. The guide informed us it was ‘Trishul’. He took one look at us and crossed the road and disappeared into the grass. We came away fully satisfied with the three sightings of the majestic beast. The paw marks and the spray making of the trees was an unforgettable lesson.