Tiger Trifecta; Thirty Three sightings of Twenty Three Tigers in Ten and a half days

[Atravelynn]

Our driver for Bandhavgarh was Mohan.  On the last day we found out that after spending all day with us in the jungle he went home to attend wedding festivities for a relative until late into the night or next morning.  This was the pattern for the length of our stay.  One tough guy!  Our naturalist was Manjeet for the first day, then Veejay for the next two.  A good team.

 

The tiger Chakadhara is typically seen about once a week in Bandhavgarh, so we lucked out with more sightings of this shy guy.  He was the largest and most commanding tiger of the trip in my opinion.  He also had no qualms letting us know he was in charge of the territory by giving us a menacing snarl.

Sighting #1  Chakadhara, Male, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone).  One other vehicle.

 

Sighting #1 Chakadhara, Male, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone).  One other vehicle.

 

Sighting #6 Chakadhara, Male, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone) with 2-3 vehicles.  Sharing a hidden meal with female Kajiri, who is not seen. We were told several cubs were present too, but we saw only this guy, barely.

 

 

Sighting #7 Chakadhara, Male, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone).  Just us.  It was worth hanging around the water to see if he would come drink. No other vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #7 Chakadhara, Male, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone).  No other vehicles.  It was worth hanging around the water to see if he would come drink.

 

 

Sighting #7 Chakadhara, Male, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone).  No other vehicles.

 

 

 

Sighting #7 Chakadhara, Male, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone).  No other vehicles. The snarl was directed at us.

 

 

Sighting #2-#3 Distant shot of one of two sleeping cubs. Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone). 3-5 other vehicles.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Atravelynn

[michael-ibk]

An impressive King! 

[xelas]

Those sightings without crowds are so precious in India! Don't spare with logistic details, please.

[wilddog]

@Atravelynngreat job getting one of Chakhadra at sighting 6 in the bush...... and the hidden subadult cub at sighting 2&3 and love the Chakadahra snarl.

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by wilddog

[wilddog]

Just for info, after you have met 'our' Tigers at each National Park we will follow with a section on our other sightings, and there were many, and a birds section with which I hope Lynn will take the lead. Better eye sight better camera skills and a better birder than I.

[wilddog]

TIGER 4 Dot D Female - Sightings #4 & #10

Seen on the afternoon of Day 1 and also at the end of Day 2 (but no images at her 2^nd sighting.) A beautiful relaxed Tigress, with cubs which we would see another day.

 

DotD just crossed the road and in front of us and then made her way across the open area to the water. She was totally relaxed with the vehicles unlike Chakadhara.

 

Once she reached the water hole she had a tranquil cooling time, and then retreated up the slope to groom.

 

 

 

 

 

My apologies for the poor last 2 pictures but we were at a considerable distance and my camera and I, do not do distance well. I am sure @Atravelynn will have some great shots of Dot D to add here
 

Later Dot D would be joined by a young male

Edited April 13, 2023 by wilddog

[wilddog]

TIGER 5 Young Male -Sighting #5

This young male suddenly appeared while we were watching Dot D and made his way up to join her. He was evidently not related to her but was seeking company.

Dot D seemed to tolerate him quite well.

 

 

[Atravelynn]

Here is why she is known as Dot D.

Sighting #4 Dot D was named for her beauty mark.  Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 4-5 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #4 Dot D entering the water. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 4-5 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #4 Dot D after her bath. The D and the dot are visible. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 4-5 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #5 Young Male pursuing the company of Dot D. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 4-5 vehicles.

 

We asked if Dot D, who was a mature female with nearly adult cubs, would have any interest in this young male.  Was he trying to make a love connection?  We were told that her company and acceptance was all he was pursuing.  If Dot D would tolerate his presence in the area, then he could claim it and start establishing his territory.  He was not trying to mate with her, just gain her acceptance. 

 

Sighting #4 & #5 Young Male, on ground, is seeking acceptance of Dot D. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 4-5 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #5 Young Male who seeks acceptance of Dot D. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 4-5 vehicles.

 

TIGER 6 - Dot D's Daughter - Sighting #8

 

During one afternoon (Day2) we were waiting at a waterhole where one of Dot D’s daughters was hunkered down behind thick grass out of sight.  As the sun dropped, we weighed our options of waiting for her to emerge while there was still daylight or moving on.  We all wanted to move, but our WWI Guide Rajen said that driver Mohan suggested we wait 10 more minutes.  We agreed to his hunch. At about the 9-minute mark, Linda brought out some chocolate treats to share with our team, hoping they might bring us some luck. 

 

No sooner had she  handed them out when Dot D’s daughter emerged from the thicket.  The tiger could have quickly slipped into the brush giving us only a glimpse, but instead she decided to strut around in full view.  Rajen acknowledged the "Power of the Sweet," as he called it, and also made sure he credited Mohen with the suggestion to remain.

Sighting #8  Dot D's Daughter after sitting in the water.  Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone), 5-6 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #8  Dot D's Daughter after sitting in the water. Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone), 5-6 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #8  Dot D's Daughter after sitting in the water in private. Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone), 5-6 vehicles.

Edited April 14, 2023 by wilddog

[AKR1]

Just a superb trip report. Linda & Lynn thank you for sharing - hope to recreate one day! 

[wilddog]

1 hour ago, AKR1 said:

Just a superb trip report. Linda & Lynn thank you for sharing - hope to recreate one day! 

Thanks @Akri. So pleased you are enjoying it.

[Atravelynn]

2 hours ago, AKR1 said:

Just a superb trip report. Linda & Lynn thank you for sharing - hope to recreate one day!   Thanks, we'll have a few tips on what you may or may not want to include.  We were very pleased with the trip.

 

[Atravelynn]

TIGER 7 - Dot D's Other Daughter - Sighting #9

We had seen one of Dot D’s daughters following a pleasant sit in the water.  We saw another daughter under more traumatic circumstances as she pursued her increasingly distant mother (Dot D), mewing and calling all the while.  Dot D ducked off the road into the brush and kept her distance but her daughter continued down the road in search of her mom.  Seeing and especially hearing this necessary process of separation tugged at the heartstrings.

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D walking down the road looking and calling for her mom. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D pauses to call after her mother who is ignoring her as part of the separation process. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D calling after her mother who is ignoring her as part of the separation process. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D walking down the road trying to find her mom. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D walking down the road looking and calling for her mom. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D stops to watch her mother walk away and ignore her, part of the separation process. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D walking down the road trying to find her mom. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D walking down the road trying to find her mom. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D walking down the road looking and calling for her mom. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D walking down the road trying to find her mom. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #9 Other Daughter of Dot D sitting in the road and yawning after her mother took leave of her as part of the separation process. Bandhavgarh, Zone 2 (Magdhi Zone), 2 vehicles.

 

We shared this meaningful 15-minute sighting with one other vehicle and took turns driving—at a respectful distance of course—in front of the tiger, leading the way as she walked toward us.  We never passed the tiger and always remained in front of her. The tiger paid no attention to either vehicle.

Edited April 14, 2023 by wilddog

[wilddog]

@Atravelynnjust looking at your shot of the young male approaching Dot D. It seems to be she has her ears flat back, which is perhaps why we did not see them  sitting close together?

 

To me it looks like a 'don't push your luck' message'.

 

As Lynn states watching Dot D's 'Other daughter' calling to her mother.... 'Don't leave me' was heart breaking. Mum did not listen.

 

It seems that Dot D's daughter, seen at the Water hole earlier, had already accepted her independent status

[wilddog]

 

Just another shot of Dot D's Daughter TIGER 6-Sighting #6

after she had ben persuaded to leave the water by 'The Power of the Sweet'

 

 

 

 

TIGER 8 - Kajiri Female -Sighting #11

 

Very early on Day 3 at Bandhavghar we finally got to see Kajiri, who had been at the kill with Chakadhara on Day 2. We simply followed her down the Road. No facial or side shots for me.

 

But with all my 'Bum' shots, I have noted that the patterns on the tail are SO different. Whether these are ever used for ID I do not know.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by wilddog

[wilddog]

On out last afternoon we ventured into Zone 3 of Bandhavghar. This did not reveal anything in terms of tigers but may feature more on the birds /other sightings sections

.

But on our return into Zone 2 we came across another large male tiger

 

TIGER 9 - Jamhole Male -Sighting #12

He was first spotted through the bush where he was resting. We then moved the vehicle to get a clearer view but this was at a distance

 

He was very chilled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by wilddog

[Atdahl]

Wow, such awesome sightings!

[wilddog]

8 minutes ago, Atdahl said:

Wow, such awesome sightings!

We were so very lucky with this trip.

[TonyQ]

Excellent sightings and photos. You did very well!

[Atravelynn]

Nice photo of that tiger tail, Linda!  Very reptilian-looking markings.

 

We spent much of the final day in Bandhavgarh’s Zone 3 (Khitouli Zone) for a change. The resident tigers of Zone 3 remained hidden from us so we returned back to Zone 1 (Tala) to see if we could find one final tiger in Bandhavgarh.  Through binoculars, we saw a staff member on a bicycle waving at us.  We drove to him and he told us about a tiger in the area.  Following his advice, we found Jamhole, just as it started to rain. We asked Rajen for the spelling and that indeed was the tiger's name. 

Sighting #12 Jamhole, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone), No other vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #12 Jamhole, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone), No other vehicles.

 

 

Sighting #12 Jamhole, Bandhavgarh, Zone 1 (Tala Zone), No other vehicles. 

 

 

We enjoyed Jamhole in the rain for about 20 minutes before anyone found us.  As the crowd grew, we drove off and located the man on the bicycle who was responsible for this last tiger sighting.  Linda gave him and his “assistant” a chocolate as a thank you.  The Power of the Sweet!

 

Two final thoughts on this final tiger.  (1) He was really far away, maybe 150 yards or more, so we did a lot of viewing through our binos.  The Nikon Coolpix P1000 does not always give the most professional results, but in cases like this, I was able to get some reasonable photos with the 125x optical zoom.  Had the tiger moved around, the P1000 would have delivered poor results.  But fortunately he sat still in the rain.  (2) “We enjoyed Jamhole in the rain for about 20 minutes before anyone found us” is one of the weirder sentences I’ve contributed to safaritalk.

 

 

Other sightings in Bandhavgarh besides Tigers

Looking over my photos from Bandhavgarh--and from the whole trip--it seems our best luck was with the tigers.  I think past trips yielded more diversity in photographed species, in part because we had a lot of uncharacteristic overcast skies and dull light; and, it very uncharacteristically rained at some point in all three parks, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kabini.  Tigers are photogenic under just about any condition.  Some of the other species not so much.

The always photogenic Lesser Adjutant Stork.  No other vehicles.  We had this specimen to ourselves!

 

 

Mult-species shot of Sambur, Chital, Rhesus Monkey.  My only Rhesus shot of the trip.  Bandhavgarh.

 

 

Lesser Serpent Eagle in Bandhavgarh

 

 

The often sighted  and always attractive Green Bee-eater in Bandhavgarh

 

 

Brown Fish Owl grooming. Bandhavgarh.

 

 

Collared Scops Owl. Bandhavgarh.

 

 

Elephants can now be seen in Bandhavgarh.  They entered the park through one of the corridors.  They were very shy, but in this case were not fleeing us, but the scent of a hidden tiger, per Rajen's guess.

 

 

Langur in Bandhavgarh

 

 

We were hoping to see a sloth bear and this was our chance.  Mother and youngster in Bandhavgarh.  Spotted by Naturalist Veejay.

 

 

Sambur in Bandhavgarh

 

 

Male Sambur in Bandhavgarh--one of my favorite photos of the trip

 

 

 

Our visit to Zone 3 (Khitouli) produced some of the best and most varied non-tiger photos.  Some photos might have been on the way to Zone 3 or right after we left Zone 3, but Zone 3 was the key in getting these other sightings and shots, even if Zone 3 resulted in no tigers.

Golden Jackal in Bandhavgarh

 

 

 

I was thrilled to see this tree shrew and watch it hop.  Bandhavgarh.

 

 

 

Tree shrew without the red circle to highlight it.  Bandhavgarh.

 

 

 

Red Jungle Fowl in Bandhavgarh

 

 

 

Blue-bearded bee-eater and butterfly in Bandhavgarh

 

 

 

Blue-bearded bee-eater and butterfly in Bandhavgarh

 

 

 

Rufous-bellied Eagle in Bandhavgarh

 

 

Ruddy Mongoose in Bandhavgarh

 

 

Changeable Hawk-eagle in Bandhavgarh

 

 

Changeable Hawk-eagle up close in Bandhavgarh

 

 

Gaur in Bandhavgarh

Edited April 15, 2023 by Atravelynn

[wilddog]

Peacocks

 

We saw many many male peacocks with in their breeding plumage calling for some girlfriends, throughout the days. They also acted as predator 'alerters' along with the Chital, Sambar and Langur. We had to wait until Kabini before one gave us the full display.

 

For those who have not been on safari to India. Alarm calls are an essential part of tracking, more so than in Africa, as the trees and bushes hide everything. We spent much time with he engine off just listening. The guides were constantly listening even while we were driving along and Lynn and I became more skilful hearing them as time went by. 

 

Langur

Mother love.

 

 

Chital

 

 

 

 

Gaur I had not noticed previously the colour at the base of their horns which can clearly be seen in Lynn's picture in the previous post

 

 

Other sightings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by wilddog

[wilddog]

So to finish of the Bandhavgar section of our trip report, 

some fun pictures

 

The 'Chakadhara Chicks' at play

 

 

 

Rest time at the rest stop

 

 

Our guides searching for tigers

 

 

Magical Mohan of the 'Magic of the Sweet' fame on top and Vejay , our Sloth Bear Spotter

 

 

 

 

and finally the 'Chakadhara Chicks' take over.

I did the driving and Lynn gave the binoculars and camera training, and led the wildlife lectures for our clients.(guides and driver) They were good sports.

Thanks to them all for everything

 

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by wilddog

[wilddog]

So what of our 3 all-day drives?

 

Despite our anxieties this was not as arduous as we had anticipated. The temperatures were not too high and we had both breakfast and lunch with us and plenty of water. Lynn kindly brought battery operated fans for each us to use but in fact we did not need them. Thanks Lynn for this added item for my safari kit.

 

Did we see much? No, not in the heat of the day but one of the benefits was that we were already towards the  centre of the zones and well away from the gates when activity began. Another plus, we spent more down time with our guides, hence the fun above. But was it was probably one of the more costly parts of our trip given we had 3 staff with us.

 

Would we do it again?      Yes but possibly 2 whole days rather than 3.

 

Over to @Atravelynn now to add her final comments and pictures to the Bandhavgarh section of our report.

We will post general trip advice at the end of the whole TR.

 

Next Stop, Pench National Park

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by wilddog

[Toxic]

@Atravelynnand @wilddogI have really enjoyed reading the dual narrative report, and some excellent photos and sightings across the both of you! The fun photos just above brought a smile to my face too - so nice to see you both having fun with your guides

 

I'm interested in reading your thoughts on Pench and the sightings you saw. The call of safari and the possibility of seeing my first tiger in the wild was too strong so I (perhaps foolishly) added a week of safari onto the end of my 14 day trip through Rajasthan, covering Pench and Kanha. I'm guessing just by the title you had better luck there than I did! 😂

[wilddog]

@ToxicThanks.

We were obviously disappointed not to be able to visit Kanha this time, particularly as it had been on our original plan and Rajen, our WWI guide, is normally based there. But as you can and will see, we felt we hit the jackpot tiger-wise with our itinerary.

 

It is so often a matter of timing, and planning that factor in, is so tricky

 

I am pleased our antics brought a smile to your face. Lynn and I had lots of laughs on this trip, as well as great sightings.

[Zubbie15]

Really enjoying this report, you had some great tiger sightings. It makes me regret that we had to push back our almost finalized trip for next February to 2025( with WWI and guided by Rajen).  

 

I really like the idea of the fans, I remember how hot it was on our all day drives in Ranthambore back in 2019. Something to keep in mind for next time!