Summer time in the backwaters of Kabini - The amazing KAAV

[madaboutcheetah]

Dear all,

 

Just back from two nights at KAAV in Kabini - what an amazing two nights it was ...... An absolute gem here in Southern India with hospitality and service at it's best without the stuffy atmosphere. Big Thank You to PK and his team for their total professionalism and hospitality, along with Vikas our Naturalist/guide ........

 

Here's a teaser from Sunday afternoon - a curious Young male Tiger in gorgeous light .......

[Kitsafari]

@@madaboutcheetah you returned to Kabini! it's fast becoming your fav haunt there. and what a gorgeous healthy looking male.

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks @@Kitsafari - it's an easy 4 hour drive from home ....... Tigers and Leopards right at my door step!

 

It's an easy flight to here from Singapore. Please come visit!!!!

[Kitsafari]

@@madaboutcheetah definitely!

[madaboutcheetah]

Here's the first batch of photos ..........

[jeremie]

Amazing!!!!!! I am absolutely amazed by your sightings! Congrats!!

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks a lot @@jeremie

[madaboutcheetah]

Today's instalment - More from the SuperStar - The Young BackWater Female

[madaboutcheetah]

The Sub-Adult male of the Tiger Tank Female ...... Everyone is super excited about him; there hasn't been a photogenic male in the park since the death of Euco to a territorial fight a couple of years ago ......... all Male Tigers are super shy and won't hang around for photos....... This one is a poser!!!! Hopefully, he will be able to stay in the tourism zone and hold that pose!

[madaboutcheetah]

That big boy!!! The temple Male Leopard ........ Well - he's super chilled out and asleep on his tree - but, got curious when he heard the tractor at work with road repairs and possibly the humans on foot (i'm assuming so, as from where we were, we could hear them. They will have had no clue about this, though ..... not their fault)

[africawild]

Nice pictures Hari, i specially like the ones of the tiger playing in the water,it looks like she wanted to play with her reflection?

 

Paco

[madaboutcheetah]

Thanks, Paco - you will have to come visit!!!!

[africawild]

Thanks, Paco - you will have to come visit!!!!

Well Hari,that would be nice for sure,India has always been in my bucket list !!

[madaboutcheetah]

Back from a quick couple of nights again ........... What a phenomenal trip!!! Thanks again to the incredible PK and his hosting / guiding and to his entire team of staff from Ramu to everyone else!!!!

 

I've got a mountain of images to edit - but, I'd be stupid to attempt Ranthambore or Tadoba or Bandhavgarh for Tigers in the summer time (ever again) when i have all this at my doorstep!!! I do not think I'd be able to endure that kind of heat in North or Central India............

[madaboutcheetah]

Interlude "Blackie" ........... Fresh from yesterday afternoon. My second sighting of this Melanistic Leopard called, "Blackie"

 

He was so far from the road - so, not nearly as good as my shots from October, 2016. Oh Well .......... Will be back to the Tigers over the weekend!!!

[PT123]

@@madaboutcheetah

 

Hi Hari,

 

Thanks for posting these great shots - I think that you need to change your handle to @madabouttigers! Great shots, you are so fortunate to have such easy accessibility to this park. In terms of logistics, was the park very busy (were there many vehicles at tiger and leopard sightings)?

[madaboutcheetah]

@@PT123 - There are two zones A and B - and each of them are restricted to 10 and 8 vehicles per zone .......... (A/B) ........ So, if you plan Kabini visit Week days and not weekends ........ The Tigers are in the waterholes for upto 4 hours in the afternoons, so expect all vehicles to be there from their designated zone!

[PT123]

Excellent, thank you - and good point about visiting mid-week vs. the weekend!

[madaboutcheetah]

BackWater Female Junior (Contd) ....... Essentially, Tigers love their own waterholes and territorial routes to walk through (identical spots) ...... This would turn out to be a carbon copy of our previous sighting of her a couple of weeks prior! Tried a couple of new angles too!!!

 

I've been thinking about @@PT123 's question ....... I think places / parks in India make you faster with the shutter and make you think on your feet with a quicker reaction time; the whole place is buzzing; it's probably noisy and you have to think quick and be quick all in all very good practice!

[madaboutcheetah]

Action Jackson!!!! ...... Just got lucky with these languar as we were sitting at the Black Panther sighting....

[TonyQ]

@@madaboutcheetah

Great sightings and great photos!

[jeremie]

Thank you very much for sharing these wonderful pictures!!

I had no idea it was feasible to have such great sightings at Kabini!!!!

 

How long did you stay there and how many sightings of tigers and leopards did you have?

 

Cheers

 

Jeremie

[madaboutcheetah]

Hi Jeremie, these pics represent two trips (2 nights) each - tigers literally every drive. Leopard a bit more difficult this time of the year as the tigers are out and about ( 1 leopard and 1 black panther is still amazing enough?)

 

Different tiger images still to come .....

[janzin]

wow! Amazing tigers and the black panther again too! Love seeing tigers in the water...had hoped to see that on our trip but no such luck. Hopefully next time Meantime I will drool over your shots! You are so lucky to have this in your "back yard."

[madaboutcheetah]

After an hour plus at the Hoskere Tank with the Backwater female ...........

 

We thought we might give a quick try at Tiger Tank (not very far) as there were reports of amazing Tiger sightings there during the morning game drive earlier the same day .......