First date with Wildlife!
This is the story of my very first visit to the forests in India. It was at Kanha National Park. This is the trip that got me interested in wildlife.
So here it goes…
It was 8 years ago and yet I remember it vividly as ever. It was my first trip to any forest and like a child would wait if he was told he is getting a bag full of chocolates, I was waiting expectantly to see the beauty of nature and experience it’s aura.
When you are a first time ‘camper’ going into a jungle, the experience can be a bit overwhelming. You are given a ton of instructions regarding keeping silence so as to not disturb the wildlife (yes this means no aahhs and oos after a great sighting), not to get down from a gypsy no matter what, to follow instructions given by the guide, etc. With all this in the back of my mind, the first day of our gypsy ride began. We were up at the crack of dawn and at 5:30 am we were at the entrance waiting for the gates to open.
The first safari ride however, was not as magical and exciting as I thought. This was because although we a lot of avian and floral aspects of the forests and were awed by it’s sheer beauty, we did not get to see the ‘Main Attraction’, the Royal Bengal Tiger. The reason I say ‘Main Attraction’ is that it is common among first time campers to care only and only about getting to see the tiger and not really caring about the other animals, birds or the ecosystem in general. Hence at that time my first Safari for me, was a total failure. We were discussing the sightings of our other rides during lunch and we only had one other group with us who did not get to see the Tiger. All other groups got to see it on the first ride itself. Along the years I have learnt the golden rule in wildlife that ‘Wildlife is a matter of chance.’, but back then listening to this, all of us were pretty disappointed. To add to our worries, the team leaders were telling us stories about how some people do not get to see a tiger even after 24 rides!
After all this I was pretty anxious as I kept thinking if I was going to be one of those unlucky people who don’t get to see the Tiger. Still I mustered all the positive energy I could and hoped that the next ride will be better. And as it happens so many times in life, when I least expected it, magic happened!
I still remember every single detail of the sighting.We were searching for the big cat for a long time now. It was nearly 5:00 pm and we needed to go back before sunset time. We searching near a water hole where the tiger was spotted in the morning but still luck did not favor us. So we decided to go back towards the exit. By now I had given up hope of spotting the big cat. But I was still optimistic about the next day’s rides. As we were on our way back, there was a small upward slope and as we climbed it, we saw about 7 Gypses parked in a line. Our guide immediately said, “Wo dekho aage tiger hain!”
(Look ahead, there’s the tiger). Adrenaline rushed through my body and my heart started thumping as if I had run the fastest sprint of my life! Even after all this, fate had one last test for me, because except me everyone had spotted the tiger. Our tour instructor as well as the guide were trying their best to tell me reference points of trees, bushes, etc but I was just not able to see the cat. So after about five minutes of nervousness and anxiety of not seeing the Tiger even after seeing the Tiger, I finally spotted it. Partially visible through a labyrinth branches. It was on it’s side, face away from us and the tail going up and down. We got to see it for about 10 minutes before we had to leave. While leaving, we saw that it had also made a kill! And since it was a big prey(A Sambar Deer), we got to see the tiger again the very next day at the same place.
It was really one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had. After that trip I have been watching and capturing images of wildlife. It’s been 8 years now and I am still learning something new every time I go out on a trip. It just goes to show the expanse and grandeur of nature. And even though I am a passionate photographer, believe me when I say that no photo in this whole world will be able to take you through the emotions you feel when you get to see that species you always wanted to see. So just once, for fun, go to a forest, search for the cat and feel it with your own eyes!
P. S. — Please forgive the blurry photos. I was an excited kid who did not know a thing about cameras or how they work. I am just happy I have some documentation of that trip. Here’s a better photo I took recently Pench NP. The name of this tiger is Raiyya Kasa.
Raiyya Kasa male — shot at Pench NP
