Tigers of Kanha National Park
The Park Ranger explains the problem in a whisper as we sit quietly at a junction of three tracks,
‘In the Summer grass 2ft tall, Tiger 3ft tall, now grass 5ft tall and Tiger still 3ft’.
I’m in Kanha National Park and I am beginning to worry, so far all we have seen is a few tracks in the road that have lead us to this spot.
Help is at hand though, we are not the only ones looking, every Spotted Deer, Sambar Deer, Wild boar, and Monkey is also looking. All those eyes, ears and noses are constantly scanning the forest for these majestic predators and if they spot them they will soon let you know. That’s why we are sitting quietly, waiting, listening.
Then we hear an alarm call, we all point in that direction, its someway off but persistent. Off we go, following the calls. The vehicle stops at a stretch where the forest breaks for open grassland. My Naturalist and the Park Ranger are noticeably excited as they stare into the forest bush.
‘Get ready Clive, get ready, Tiger comes, Tiger comes!’
Where? All I can see is grass and leaves?
‘There, there’ they point, ‘Behind the tree, you see, you see’ – I can’t see, what tree? It is a forest after all!
Then suddenly not more than 50ft away a Tiger emerges into the open and strides purposely towards us. It’s Chhoti Mada a female with three cubs, she has made a kill in the bushes and is now off to fetch her cubs to feed.
We chase after her, using the various roads to try and keep track of her and soon enough she stops and calls her cubs to her, they come bounding and gambolling out of the bush to greet their mother.
Then they all slip back into the thick forest to gorge on the kill and presumable settle down to sleep off their meal. It’s also time for us to head back for lunch. My first Tiger encounter is over, but this is only the first day of my trip!
