As part of the tiger estimation project, I had the incredible opportunity to trek for three days through the forests of Bandipur in the Moolehole range. The experience was nothing short of amazing.
Over the course of the first two days, while exploring the forest on foot, we came across a multitude of scats and pug marks. Whenever we heard alarm calls from the langurs and barking deers, we would quickly take cover behind nearby bushes and hold our breath, waiting with bated anticipation.
However, the ultimate thrill came on the third day when we finally caught a glimpse of a majestic tiger. Nothing compares to the excitement of spotting one of these magnificent creatures while trekking through the forest on foot.
On January 27th, 2010, our final day of the count started like any other day. We were awakened by the sounds of honking trucks and cars outside the forest gates, signaling the start of the day. Geeta Prasanna and I woke up at around 5:30 am, and after completing our morning routine and enjoying some bed tea and biscuits, we set out on the Hebbala trail for the herbivore estimate.
Bommanna was our designated guardian for the day, armed with a gun. We had no way of knowing if the gun was in working condition or not, but we felt reassured by his presence. Despite the potential dangers of our surroundings, Bommanna kept us entertained throughout the day with his stories from the wild and his personal life. As we worked on recording our observations, we enjoyed his company and appreciated his charming personality.
The trail was around two kilometers long and situated about nine kilometers away from our accommodation at the IB. This was the second time we were conducting this estimate. We began our task at approximately 6:45 am and finished around 8:00 am. During the count, we were able to spot a variety of animals, including bisons, elephants, and spotted deer.
Bommanna, our forest watcher, came up with a plan for us two ladies who were eager to spot a tiger. "Why not go to a waterhole and wait there?" he suggested. We readily agreed, so the three of us headed to the same waterhole we had visited on the first day of our trail. Bommanna instructed us to remain silent and pray that a big cat would come to quench its thirst. Geeta even promised to offer Rs. 500 to a deity if she saw the tiger! We chose a strategic spot near the Bund. I sat behind a tree at a lower elevation, while Geeta sat on higher ground about three feet away from me, and Bommanna sat around six feet away on a fallen tree trunk.
We waited anxiously for our hero or heroine to appear, but for a while, nothing happened except for the persistent calls of the White-bellied drongos and Mynhas. As we grew increasingly hungry, Geeta and I decided to open our tuck box and snack on some biscuits and chocolates. Suddenly, a pungent odor of urine filled the air, causing us both to look around in alarm. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't identify the source of the smell.
Then, we heard a langur call in the distance, and shortly afterward, I caught a fleeting glimpse of a raptor. Unfortunately, my Kodak Z980 camera battery was dead, and without electricity at the IB, I couldn't recharge it. I had only my basic Casio point-and-shoot camera with me, but I took it out anyway to pass the time. As I peered through the viewfinder, I noticed some movement on the other side of the bund. Our constant vigil and the dry terrain had strained our eyes, so I whispered to Geeta, "Spotted Deer."
Geeta exclaimed through her binoculars, "Hey, it's a tiger!" I was in shock. My goodness, it was really a tiger! I watched as it emerged from the bushes and entered the open space. The tiger peered down at the water and then leapt in, disappearing from my view. I was at a lower elevation and unable to see it anymore. At that moment, we realized that Bommanna was looking in a different direction. I tried to get his attention by waving, while Geeta whispered, "huli huli..." to him. Bommanna got excited when he saw the tiger, but on the right side of the bund, he noticed another animal wandering around. While Geeta and Bommanna saw the other animal approaching the bund, I observed the tiger getting up and looking to the side. Bommanna whispered, "Henn Huli (female tiger)... take the photo!" Geeta peered through her binoculars and corrected him, "No, it's a leopard!" Wow, what a double treat! I stood up slowly and saw that the tiger was on alert. Its tail was raised, and it was looking towards the leopard.
The leopard proved to be quite cunning. Upon noticing the presence of the tiger, it quickly made its escape and I was unable to capture any photographs of it. Meanwhile, the tiger, wanting to ensure that there were no intruders in its territory, began to move in the direction where it had seen the leopard wandering off.
He stood there for a while scanning the area around him.
then paced around for a while...
He was making sure the territory belonged to him!
Once he had confirmed that there was no one else nearby, he returned to the bund and took a sip of water.
As he began moving towards our end of the bund, fear gripped me. The edge was a mere 20 meters away from us. I panicked at the thought of being spotted by the tiger. In haste, I grabbed my backpack from the ground, ready to run for my life, and in the process missed some potentially good shots. Despite Geeta's attempts to calm me down, all I could think about was the worst-case scenario: what if the tiger saw us and what would happen then?
The tiger slowly advanced towards our end of the bund, and eventually arrived at the edge of it, where he halted. He remained motionless, and then his gaze landed on me while I was taking photos through the tree branches. I was petrified and didn't budge, but later realized that I could have captured several more shots if I had kept clicking the shutter button.I was too scared to keep pressing the shutter button. The tiger then looked away towards the grassland, but quickly turned his head back to me. That's when I finally remembered to press the shutter again.However, the tiger's tail suddenly went up, and he leaped away from us into the grassland.
We returned to the base with big, beaming smiles on our faces, feeling like stars of the day!
