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Maya, the "Queen of Tadoba," is a robust, striped killer in golden and brown. Her colours stand out from the pale yellow canvas of the dusty road. It's a mesmerising sight—what more could I ask for in a tiger reserve?
With great expectations, we arrived at Tadoba and made it to the entry gates of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) near Moharli. At the entrance, we were surprised to find 20 jeeps ahead of us. The news of a tigress with a sambar kill had spread like forest fire in Tadoba, and everybody wanted to witness it. This eagerness of people surprised me. I mean, imagine a hapless animal being killed by a feline for lunch and over 50 humans enjoying the scene! We travelled along the dusty roads but unfortunately missed the actual killing. Maya, the tigress, was nearly done with her meal and was now lazily stretched out on the middle of the road. She was breathing heavily with her tongue out. All around, the silence was deafening. It is amazing how, despite being an everyday occurrence, death still shocks the forest.
TATR, also known as the Jewel of Vidharba, is the oldest tiger reserve in Maharashtra. Although it has been a national park since 1955, it was officially renamed Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in 1995. TATR is located in the Moharli hills near Nagpur, Maharashtra. It is a relatively less-visited tiger reserve compared to other tiger reserves. It is open all year round. I highly recommend visiting the tiger reserve during the monsoon as the wildlife sightings during this time are considered phenomenal. Moharli is the busiest location in the area and is part of the Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary. Moharli Gate acts as the primary entrance point for tourists and is known for its commercial facilities. Most of the accommodations and tourist facilities are situated here. India has a population of 4500 tigers, and Tadoba is home to around 115 tigers. However, spotting them may not be easy because they mostly stay within the core zone of the reserve.
Now, back to our safari. During the afternoon safari, we ventured into the same territory, expecting the tigress to move out for water. The jungle was still warm and quiet. Suddenly, a few feet away from us, Maya crossed the road. It happened so quietly that it caught us off guard. Without any warning calls resounding through the jungle, we were left speechless for a moment. The presence of a striped cat can be powerful. I spotted her again behind the thick bushes on our left. She was rolling on her back as if trying to digest her recent meal. She did oblige us by approaching the road again before moving away to safety. It felt like this wasn't my day. Despite being granted a second sighting, I was unprepared with my camera. My companion, Sandhya, who was experiencing her first wildlife trip, was so mesmerised that she couldn't even utter a word. She just sat there frozen, with her camera on her lap. So much in such a short period of time! All the other jeeps moved towards Maya. Lokesh, our driver, also stepped on the accelerator saying, "Maybe we can see her again." We held on to the safety bars of the jeep with one hand and clutched the cameras with the other, trying not to get thrown out of the speeding vehicle on the rather bumpy and rough terrain.
Excitement took precedence. It was more thrilling than a chase scene in a movie. We noticed three jeeps ahead of us, maintaining the permitted speed of 20km/h. Since honking is not permitted in the jungle, we had to make various gestures to encourage them to speed up. When we reached the expected spot, there was an unusual traffic jam with 20 vehicles already lined up haphazardly. Upon seeing so many vehicles, Maya proceeded to cross over to the other side of the road to rest. I lost sight of her, but the sound of camera shutters going off in other vehicles made me impatient. Despite having seen more than 25 tigers so far, missing another chance was unacceptable to me. Lokesh noticed this and attempted to move ahead of the other jeeps. He managed to position us right in front of the striped beauty. It was now time for my camera to dance beneath my fingertips. Back at the resort, Sandhya was exhilarated—three sightings in one day! Yippie!
Over the next three days, we spent time marvelling at the beauty of the Tadoba Tiger Reserve. The concrete jungles of Delhi undergo major changes within a year. Luckily, Tadoba has remained unchanged since the time I first developed a profound connection with the jungle around seven years ago. Now, Tadoba feels like a second home—I know the twists and turns of the roads here. I was captivated by the elephant grass, the intertwined creepers, and the weathered tracks just as I did on my previous visits. The langur army was active as ever, moving symbiotically with the cheetahs, who were busy training their newborn cubs to gallop. The silence of the jungle was intoxicating. The cool breeze, infused with the scent of damp earth, stimulated my mind and body as I deeply inhaled it. I felt an immediate sense of unity with the rich flora and fauna all around me. Eagles glided above the trees against the blue sky, announcing their dominance over the expanse of the sky. Towering sal trees loomed overhead while dense foliage closed in on us, making us shiver despite being bundled in jackets.
Despite having an incredible sighting on the first morning, my craving for more tiger sightings grew with each passing day. We went without another sighting for three days. It wasn't until the seventh safari that we heard a resounding alarm from a langur deep within the dense forest, near the entrance. The repeated alarm calls caught everyone's attention and we saw other jeeps rolling onto the spot. In a game reserve, the news of a potential sighting spreads with the speed of a forest fire. Soon enough, just around a hairpin bend, there she was—Maya, the Queen of Tadoba, walking barely 15 ft ahead of us. I jumped onto the stands of the bars of the vehicle to get a clear view. My index finger pressed the camera's shutter button without pause.
Maya, a beautiful and majestic tigress, was a sight to behold! The loud and urgent cries of birds flapping their wings in panic made the air heavy and tense. For a brief moment, I stood motionless, lowering my camera to relax my eyes. When I turned around, I saw a crowd of more than 50 people closely following behind me. Despite being a vast jungle, covering an area of about 1,727 sq km, I felt claustrophobic inside the jungle. The next day—our last safari at Tadoba—we saw bears and a leopard hiding behind bushes, but Maya remained elusive. However, as we exited through the main gate, we received news of a tigress with her cubs resting near the previous day’s spot. Well, that’s what happens at a game reserve. Better luck next time!
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