2022 Travel Diary
October to December
In October, A toehold trip with Sampath to Kabini. Very good elephant sightings, especially of Junior Mr. Kabini, seen in full rain on the last day in Zone-A. We did get to see tiger tank female was sighted in B-zone near the main road (old MM road). Was sitting beside the road. Tiger tank male sighted in B-zone, which was great for photography. Did scent marking, crossed the road. A leopard was on the tree, and was avoiding TT-female. Not a photographic opportunity
In November, Went to Valparai on a 1-1 tour with Philip Ross. Photographed Lion-tailed Macaques, Great Indian Hornbills, Many other birds, Frogs and one venomous snake. Also photographed wild elephants and Gaurs in tea estates. This was a very different experience, as it was all about photography, not much safari, and us finding birds on our own.
In December, went to Bandhavgarh with Harsha. On Day 1, we got a huge male tiger named Chota Bheem, very good photo opportunities. On the 2nd day, we got a female tigress named Dotty head-on, and a quick glimpse of the sub-adult daughter of Dotty (shy one). On day 3 we again got Dotty, this time with her two cubs
July, August and September
In July, Went on a monsoon safari to Kabini, where we saw the wonderful Junior Mr. Kabini in Zone-A for the first time. This guy has tusks which literally touch the ground. A pack of wild dogs were crossing the old MM road in B-zone. Also got my first sighting of an Indian blackbird, many crested-serpent eagles
In August, went on a weekend trip with my brother Ashwatha and Avani. On saturday afternoon, a leopard was sawing in a bush, but did not come out. On Sunday morning, brother got his first tiger sighting when early in the morning a shy sub-adult cub of BW female was resting by the side of the track - and ran out very quickly before anyone could take a photo. Later Backwater female came out in all her glory and met her 3 cubs. This was the last time I saw this tigress, as later she had to be moved to a rehabilitation centre due to heavy injuries.
In September, We visited Jaipur in Rajasthan - family trip. Did two safaris in Jhalana reserve forest. On the first safari saw three leopards: Bahadur mating with a female leopard, and Rana walking head-on and giving a great show. In the second safari saw a leopard from very far away on a rock. Some birds also
June
Went to Ranthambhore on a toehold tour with Sampath and Deepak Sasikumar. This was a hot, hot month at Ranthambhore - temperature was routinely above 45 degrees. Sitting in open jeeps in the afternoons was an experience in itself. If sunglasses were not worn, eyes would turn red from the hot air from the roads. It was also super dusty all around.
1st June, evening - as soon as we entered we saw T101 resting in a cave next to the road. After a few minutes we got to see a tiger mom and two of its cubs - Noorie and cubs at the water, but it was not a photographic opportunity. Yet again, after a few more minutes we saw Arrowhead - a famous tigress. She was eating a kill, and went to the waterhole in a deep valley. We had the opportunity to either wait by Arrowhead, or head back to T101’s cave and wait for him. Our jeep decided to go for T101, and it was a marvelous luck that we took that decision - T101 walked out right in front of us and walked head-on for nearly a kilometer, giving some of the best tiger photography opportunities I have ever had.
2nd June morning - Saw T120 eating a leopard!! That’s right, it had killed and was eating a leopard! A once in a lifetime sighting which left a deep impression and a story to tell our grandkids. In the same safari saw T121 and Shakti’s three cubs. In the evening we did not get any tigers, just a jackal and some birds.
3rd day was a bit slow, with sloth bears, Jackals, and a habitat view of a male tiger from a distance. A beautiful sight of a mother sloth bear with a cub drinking water was especially memorable.
4th Morning - Noorie the tigress gave a great show! Saw her two cubs also. In the evening we had a difficult safari in Zone-10, just a glimpse of a sloth bear.
5th Morning - Caught a glimpse of Sultana from a distance, as well as Riddhi with a kill in the water. A beautiful leopard on a tree, which walked on the side of the road as well. We got a beautiful leopard as well, which is a rarity at Ranthambhore for me.
March
Went on a family trip to Kabini. Stayed at Evolve Back Kabini, and booked 2 boat safaris and 1 canter safari. From the boat, we saw elephants, birds - Osprey with fish kill and a grey-headed fish-eagle from close quarters the highlights - crocodiles, etc. A tiger was resting inside the bushes near the backwaters, but not a photo opportunity.
During our canter safari we saw Backwater female walking head-on in zone-A. The tigress was very close to a herd of Gaurs, and after sighting the gaurs the tigress walked into the forest.
The big trip in March was the trip to Tadoba. In those days we had to stay overnight at Nagpur before startign for Tadoba - but luckily my friend Swapnil lived there, so it was a pleasant inconvenience.
Tadoba itself was swelteringly hot, but we had some nice wildlife moments. Sonam the tigress had three small cubs, whom we could see in grass. Another evening the tigress Tara was resting on one side of a stream, with two of her cubs on the other side. The view was very, very limited because of clutter, but the cubs did cross the stream. At the same time a male tiger was calling these tigers.
From a photographic perspective, it was a difficult trip. we got our chance on three occasions: On one evening, at the closing time of the safari, we got a young, adolescent tiger in great light. On the final morning the tigress Sonam crossed the road, and I was sitting next to the driver, so got a great angle. Same morning tigers Rudra and Maya - two tigers - mated, and we had a wonderful sighting for nearly an hour.
