Wild Fest for Kids, Season 3; Tadoba Buffer Magic!

 

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It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men… Frederick Douglass

Out of the best wealth we can hope to give our children, one is, roots to stay grounded, & the other is, wings to fly high…. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Only if we can make our kids understand the importance of a tiger in our life, then there is hope for the entire forest… Me

Don’t get confused by the quotes & the subject of them as child psychology is definitely not my subject, though the subject is something which kids like or has started to like is my subject & that is wildlife & yet there is Tadoba in it but the sharing is not about Tadoba (thankfully, lol)! Ok, enough of tongue twisting, the sharing is about “Wild Fest for Kids; Season 3” which was initiative by Jungle Belles & Nature Walk (plz google) & more than that it’s about the response which it received & is a big hope for wildlife, especially on the background of our Hon Govt (read as entire system) is rampantly against wildlife though no one will admit it openly! Today you open any newspaper & may it be Western Ghat or Arwalis (plz google) or even our dear Tadoba, everywhere wildlife is under threat & its only because of us, the humans. Our greed which we call need or development or growth is swallowing (sorry that’s the only term I can think of) every sq inch of land which is home to wild life of every form. And if this is less then we don’t care for the lives of any wild animal, bird, or fish as we drive cars on our built roads through the forest which kills thousands of animals of every kind every year. Our boats & sewage pollutes rivers & water bodies which kills millions of fish & aqua lives of every form, we even pollute air & we cut trees for our homes which makes lakhs of birds, butterflies homeless, & outcome of all these our actions is only one i.e. death of some wildlife! This is the reason we have decided to at least make young minds aware about what we are doing to their future because even as per our country’s Law which deals with wealth & land like assets, there are two types of assets, one is self-earned & other is ancestral! And the second type assets have the right of even minor children in the family & you can’t dispose of them at your will but need to indemnify the children who have equal rights in such assets. This provision is because the asset has been earned by your forefathers; the next generation has right over it & some single generation should not alone benefit with it & throw it away or enjoy it. In the same way, wildlife which today we have, it isn’t wealth owned by any single generation but it’s conserved by the nature itself & is like our ancestral asset & we must protect or save it for next generations & if we are not following this Law & wasting this asset the next generation must made aware about our actions as well the asset, they possess or have right, which was the sole purpose of Wild Fest for Kids (WFFK)!

And what better than the theme of Tadoba (sori, I am not the only tadoba crazy person) that too buffers of it to make the kids understand the importance of wealth we have been gifted & it’s decided that we will dedicate this season of WFFK to tadoba buffers & coexistence! Once the theme is decided then the second step was, what we should showcase to kids so that they will understand the subject in the best possible way & this is trickiest part as today’s kids, well, we all know their patience is wafer thin! Yet we were sure not to just showcase some tiger photos or films, as that anybody can watch on OTT channels & Insta pages are full with exotic wildlife images from the best of the photographers! So, there must be something (and someone) who can talk with these kids & share what is wildlife in reality at Tadoba without boring the kids! And fortunately we could think and actually got more than one as Tadoba is the outcome of not just the tigers but of the people who understand tigers as well wildlife! As we wanted to show the hidden side of Tadoba as well the people behind the success of tadoba’s coexistence with wildlife, we zeroed down on Mr Kushagra Pathak, IFS & a Lieutenant in Indian Territorial Army & is Dy Director of Buffer areas of tadoba. Then there is man who has helped to treat & rescue more than hundred tigers i.e. Dr Ravikant Khobragade who is Vet at Tadoba & is specialized in capturing & treating tigers. As well we have Mr Anant Sonavane who wrote one of the best books on one individual tigress Maya, the Queen of Tadoba & who is editor of Tadoba’s very own magazine Tadoba Diaries. As well we had Mr Sumesh Lekhi, Cinematographer who shoots wildlife in the film format & has many interesting stories about filming in & around Tadoba. We also had a Puppet show about tigers by Ms Mrudula Kelkar & her team & lastly, we had Mr Sumedh Waghmare, Guide of Tadoba who is famous by the nickname Birdman as he can mimic nearly hundred plus birds in the wild! So, the script was done & to our surprise when we called all the above people, they all accepted & promised to be in Pune travelling thousands of kilometers just for this event! And yes tow more names got associated with the fest, Pune Forest Davisson & none other than MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation),thanks to Mr Ashish Thakre, IFS, CCF Pune & Mr Neelesh Gatne, IAS, MTDC, both liked & accepted to be part of the event!

The major problem was (and still is), raising funds because as an individual company we have limitations yet as Sanjeevani we do give our best possible support & thankfully there are friends who cares, respects & helps for the cause, Mr Jhala (Mayuk), Mr Kiran Nehte & Mr Anil Agarwal of Tathastu Group were few such & most importantly Mr.Sidharth Gokhale of Bouganvilla Farm, as in city like Pune the venue matters most on financial as well space front! I am personally thankful to all these & sure their sponsorship was a win win situation for both, bit more about this aspect of wild fest in concluding remark. So, the D-Day came on 10^th January 26, which again was strategically thought, as it's Saturday after New Year’s weekend & most people are back from holidays as well as school exams yet to kick-off, so the kids would be relatively free. We chose Saturday instead of Sunday & Sunday most people have their own plans & the event was only for kids, but parents accompanied by kids were welcome, lol! And then there was the time factor because to accommodate all these people’s sharing, we must give them proper time but we shouldn’t forget the patience aspect of the kids, that’s really tricky. Even after squeezing time yet the entire event was going to stretch for nearly five hours! Keeping in this time thing in mind we planned food stalls also as well as a few fun stalls such as Tattoo (temporary) & face painting, so that the kids can have some fun as well break!

And right from 4 pm itself the rush started, the most heartening sight was kids accompanied by their parents, grandparents queuing to register for the event & they came from all segments of the society, once again confirming the fact, wildlife doesn’t have any boundaries such as caste, religion, or financial status! And the event kick-started with a puppet show about tigers & their importance, since then the next five hours were of pure wildlife for the kids & they enjoyed thoroughly cheering up, clapping but with intent concentration! As I mentioned the topics by Dr. Khobragade was a bit technical about rescuing tigers yet the kids listened, they were eager to ask questions about the work, challenges in work & things like that to him! Lt. Kushagra Pathak, explained how forest dept is making efforts to make the people around forests to accommodate wildlife as well what is core & what is buffer. Writer Anant Sonavane in candid interview by Anuj Khare shared stories about Maya tigress who is probably the most popular & photographed tigress of tadoba. Interestingly, life-size cutouts of Maya & Mataram (tigress from Pench MP) were put at entrance of the venue & I was observing, eight out of ten kids entering at the event were clicking selfies with Maya & Mataram, this is sheer display of affection & bonding of the next genre with the wildlife! Hemangi Vartak of JB took an interview of Sumesh Lekhi & he explained about filming wildlife as well tadoba landscape & making a career in wildlife, to which the kids responded cheeringly. The last event was of Sumedh Waghmare, in his native tadoba accent & language thrilled not just the kids but even the parents by sharing his exposure with wildlife & stated importance of other species also in the forest along with the tiger! Such was the response that at 9.30 pm we had to request with folding hands to the audience for closing the event as it was more than six hours & for our teams it was whole day work & all were tired but happily! Rather the feel was of full day safari in the forest for which we wake up at 5 am & come back from the forest by even with spending fourteen hours in the forest yet we never feel tiredness as that’s what wildlife can do to us & this wild fest was like a safari only! And all this success of Wild Fest was without any celebrity involved or a so-called big names in the wildlife in the list of speakers or performance, because the biggest celebrity was Tadoba itself & committed people working for it the wildlife Tadoba has!

Before concluding I will share some (bitter) facts, we wanted this for kids & we did it free of cost with no charge of a single rupee for any of the even to any kid or parents! Yet the whole thing costs a lot & even with sponsors help yet the shortfall is big, & JB as well nature Walk team has approached many wealthy persons, companies who never replied or turned them away! I agree, you can’t force anybody for charity but the people, the companies who shell lakhs of rupees for many causes where celebrities are involved or to please some powerful people (read as politicians or bureaucrats) why can’t they help cause of wildlife on their own & trust me this can be best branding also with your brand getting exposed to huge footfall of kids, parents in reality, not virtual! Sustainability is where both sides get benefitted & Wild Fest is a very powerful tool to achieve it for wildlife conservation as well commercially for the brands associated with it! But looking at the attitude of our riches’(moneyed people) towards supporting wildlife events, we are not just fool enough to understand power of wildlife but we are foolishly ignorant also, about our responsibility towards wildlife & our next generation, Jago People Jago, adios with this note & a promise to be back with next season of wild fest for kids with bigger bang!

Check more moments of the Wild Fest Season 3 at the links below…

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/coexistance_is_the_key/albums/72177720331545469

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTpX-NkEfy-/?igsh=dWwzd2xqY3BxeHAw  

 

(do follow us on Insta to keep in touch)

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Sanjay Deshpande 

smd156812@gmail.com

Sanjeevani Dev.

Please view my sharing about finding a Right Home/ Office in Pune, at YouTube link below & share if liked..

 

https://youtu.be/27j3I3rwGPQ?si=-ODYBxVI2Dl_C345

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2025/12/pune-real-estate-in-2026.html

https://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/2024/12/2025.html

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

www.punecorporation.org

Think Green, Think Life

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Hon. DGP Sir & Hope of a Common Man!

 

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“Police officers know that each time they put on their uniform, they are taking on risks to protect others’…  Mike Parson.

“People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because some rough men with badge stand ready to face violence on their behalf.”...  George Orwell.

 

Michael Lynn Parson is an American politician and former law enforcement officer &

Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic whose work is marked by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism and outspoken support of democratic socialism. Though going by the present scene, Orwell’s & Mike’s above words, many of our countrymen won’t agree with, as read any newspaper & most of the time men with the badge make for the wrong reasons only! Either the news is about police making innocent people victim or unnecessary use of muscle power while interrogation or some cop getting caught for accepting bribe for not filing FIR (a key word for policing i.e. first investigation report) & if not least then some constable’s suicide due to work pressure. Interesting isn’t it, as on one side police dept’s communication or dialogue with society (read common man) is hailed by most & on other side police dept is said to be under extreme work pressure (read political as well media pressure) as well less man-power & poor infrastructure which includes inadequate funding for police force to below-par infrastructure which includes basic needs like housing provisions! Something somewhere is going terribly wrong with police dept if not with men but the system we call police, isn’t it the outcome any wise man can make out from all such scenes? And it’s unfortunate that it’s the wise men which are most endangered species especially in the jungle named govt & on all such background we have got a new Director General of Police (read DG) which many believes is from the endangered species i.e. wise, level headed & straight forward (read under the line plz)!

 

Yes, I am referring to Mr. Sadanand Date, IPS , who has taken charge as new head of police force of our State where the Chief minister himself handles home dept which controls police force & that’s why work of police dept. is more under radar of the media as well from the society & yes, politicians too! Because, if in any classroom a particular subject of a particular class is being taught by Principal of the school, obviously all will expect the students must excel in that particular subject, same is the analogy at present with police dept, right? And maybe that’s why the present CM must have got this particular man as head of  the class room & that's a big burden or responsibility, especially looking at the present status of the class (no offence, just sharing people’s opinion). And I thought to write or say share my views (read as expectations) to Hon DG sir as a businessman & more as a common citizen about the Khaki & I handle police committee at CREDAI (plz google) for last fifteen years, which is one added reason I have some exposure with khaki, rather much more than most people & I am sure all these people aren’t sorry for that, lol!

Dear DG Sir, first of all, a very Happy & Green new year to you & though our famous Bollywood movie dialogue says, “Policewalose, dosti bhi achhi nahi, na hi dushmani,” yet I have some good friends of which I am proud of, in Khaki & about later part, I have earned wisdom, enough not to rub law ever on the wrong side; is all I will say! Though your name is known to most of the people as a hero in 26 /11's Mumbai attack but very few know that with the tag of hero comes the burden of responsibility & that one has to bear individually only, even if you have a force under your command to follow your every word!

 

Sir, do you know what is the most basic & simple expectation of any citizen (read as law abiding citizen) from police; they just want a patient hearing from police more that getting justice & shooting criminals & for that they need to confide in the khaki that the wardi will listen to them, that confidence is missing at present, is a bitter fact, which I want to share with you! And this also I know (thanks to my many good frds in dept), the biggest challenge in front of police is our ever-growing population & disparity amongst this population as five percent people have everything & rest all have nothing, which is bound to raise the tendency of crime! And thanks to social media (and free net pack schemes)  now every information is available to everybody, what’s latest shoe or watch, or car in the market & who is having it, it’s all on screen. Add in that showoff by the “we have latest” category rich & all this is bound to make those who don't have anything & have enough time at hand but no job. This is major problem for police force as gone are the days of organized crime, those guys have either surrendered or dead or moved to white collar crimes & it’s this young (minors in most cases) class who wants to become rich by using easiest means i.e. crime & this crime can’t be dealt with bullet or even danda ( a times yes) but by communication & awareness which also is a full time job & for that present police force is either insufficient or not trained properly is my blunt opinion! The old schools will be going to laugh & tag me as one more activist or socialist but I too am on other side of fifty & I too am a hard core old-schoolian but times have changed is a fact which if we ignore then we only will be facing the heat of it, rather we are already facing it!

 

Open any newspaper on any day & read the crime news, the professional criminals have switched to safer & polished crimes such as financial crimes or cyber-crimes but it’s the immature ones (minors) who are involved in physical assaults, even killings & bhaigiri, isn’t it a living proof of changed tendencies of crimes & the criminals, creating more challenges in-front of the police force? As the professional criminals are unseen & the unprofessional ones are on the surface & use of danda on them is going to only worsen their future as they think crime is the way to glory, a very tricky situation for the police force, this is! And on top of it our rulers (read as politicians) who are supposedly leading the society by their own behavior as well by making policies which will make the society law abiding but here also darkness is looming over the entire society! As it’s the so-called leaders (netas, karykartas or elected members) who drive with black glassed SUV’s, park them on any where they feel, break signal & run processions/ rallies without any permission blocking traffic, disturbing peace & common man watches all this mess helplessly while the younger genre watches this with admiration & thinks with such muscle power they are allowed to go above the law & for that crime, is the right school; this is real challenge for the police today! Here, in the Pune city, police are shamed for enforcing basic civic things like helmet wearing which is for own safety of the society but the political bosses warn police not to enforce it. At the same time if you want what society thinks about the law then do wait at any traffic signal & experience by yourself, from middle aged people to housewives to even grandparents, nobody follows signals & jumps red signal, in many cases even if a traffic warden is standing at the signal! By me this is a dangerous sign for any law enforcement system as this is a very basic thing showing the attitude of the entire society i.e. respecting traffic rules! Because, if they are blatantly breaking the traffic rules means given a choice, they will break any rule becoming party to crime & this is possible because either they don’t respect law or they know, nothing will happen even if they break the law, this attitude of the society is actually a warning sign for the entire Khaki, is what I wanted to share with you!

 

And then the youngsters joining police-force are also coming from this changed society only, so how can we expect respect for law from them as that’s not in their DNA any more, is my reason to write to you. And outcome is, those who follow law or want to live by law they are actually afraid to go to any police station as they think there is no use because police force is helpless & that’s why many people doesn’t even go to register a crime unless dire need is there for doing so is a sad fact which nobody accepts or turns a blind eye! On the other side,  those who are criminals & must be afraid of the police, are no more afraid to go to the police station as they believe they can manage their way out today or tomorrow!  I know, a police man’s job isn’t to decide who is guilty or not as that’s judiciary’s job but to help judicially to nab & punish the guilty is possible only with the support of police man & somehow common man doesn’t feel that the khaki is doing it right way or is fit enough to do that, whatsoever the reasons may be, this is the reason I wanted to write you! May it be a businessman having an industry or a paw bhaji stall person, today doing business here, in any form is difficult not because of the competition or govt policies but because of the lack of support from the law enforcement system which we call police & if you think I am lying, then you yourself can go on the street, speak with people (without revealing your identity) & check! If my words are wrong then  forget this letter (if it reaches you in the first place, lol) but if you find it true, then your challenge has become tougher as I don’t expect change overnight but at least you can start from somewhere about it, is my reason to write to you. And because personnels like you are actually a form of Hope in your own way for the entire society & system! I understand the other side of the coin also, as poor infrastructure, inadequate salaries (in compare to the duty expected) from the police force & political interference are something not even the DGP can do anything alone but again, they will be there always & more, so you have to find a way which sure you will! Sir, Police are called as Force because of the power it has to do things which other departments or segments of society are not allowed, & ever power comes with responsibility (Spiderman) & here the responsibility is of millions of people who has only one power with them & that is power of home. This may sound dramatic but this is the fact as most people think this force named police either doesn’t exist or works only for a select few & they are stopping to believe in this force & that’s your biggest challenge i.e. making the masses to believe in the Police named Force!

To conclude, I will share something very personal memory, in my childhood days in a small town named Khamgaon in Vidarbha,  when we used to see a constable which is lowermost link of the entire police force’s chain, we used to wave at him & shout with a salute “Police Kaka, Jay Hind” & the constable too used to return our salute smilingly by saying “Jay Hind,”! DGP Sir, I wish to see today’s kids also doing saluting thing for the constables on the road; as that saluting was not mere act of courtesy, it was act of affection, respect & love of the society, for the khaki, adios with this note! Needless to say, as an individual, & organization, will be happy to assist in any possible way if you feel & need, Jay Hind!

-

Sanjay Deshpande 

smd156812@gmail.com

Sanjeevani Dev.

Please view my sharing about finding a Right Home/ Office in Pune, at YouTube link below & share if liked...

 

https://youtu.be/27j3I3rwGPQ?si=-ODYBxVI2Dl_C345

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2025/12/pune-real-estate-in-2026.html

https://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/2024/12/2025.html

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

www.punecorporation.org

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com / https://junglebelles.in/

Winter Magic of Tadoba & UKWS!

 

                                                            

                                                          

                                    

                                                         

                                    

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The time I spent in the jungles held unalloyed happiness for me, and that happiness I would now gladly share. My happiness, I believe, resulted from the fact that all wildlife is happy in its natural surroundings. In nature there is no sorrow, and no repining.” … Jim Corbett

If a man goes to the forest & comes back unhappy then he is a fool for sure… Me

Well, first sharing of the New Year & it’s about Tadoba (I can feel the oh no, not again, of some readers) & Umred Karhandla i.e. UKWS but let me be honest, it’s just a coincidence as I had been to both these places in late November & early December but few other issues took space of my mind & this sharing got delayed. But the best part is I am happy (at least for myself) that the first sharing of the New Year is for my most favourite subject, wildlife & Tadoba. Of late even I myself questioned (to myself), am I obsessed with Tadoba, & answer may be somewhere in between yes U no (sorry, elections & tamasha going on so the answer is bit political) but so much my each trip here surprises me with something new that next time I visit for something more, to learn to experience, so be it, why to waste words in defining what I feel, better I use it for what I experienced there, right?

Ohk, I had been to Tadoba in this time of year i.e. peak winter, December nearly nine years back & I hate cold so rarely after that I visited central Indian forests in Dec/ Jan as winters are harsh & frankly the forest safaris become more of torture than enjoyment for a cold hater like me & fault is mine not of nature! On top of it this year’s winter is like a real winter after decades for sure as in Pune I have never witnessed mercury roaming around ten degrees for more than two months & more importantly dry air with clear sky, that was the reason to dare to visit tadoba even in December! As last many trips which ever month I have been here it rained & I agree forest looks most beautiful in winters but combination of cold & rain I can’t sustain but I looked at sky & thought this is the time to explore Tadoba in the winters & there I was, on those dusty red roads with grass & bamboo changing colours from greens to yellows, with crisp cool air & clear blue sky above! Before we start, a disclaimer for those who want to visit Tadoba to see a tiger or tigers! In Tadoba you have maximum chance of sighting a tiger because the conservation efforts of the forest dept along with the people living around tadoba has made the term coexistence of humans with wild life, a reality & that’s why tigers here are much comfortable in the presence of tourists & not shy unlike many other forests. At the same time the forest, especially in the core, has wider roads & patches of open grass which in summer gets dried up so the tigers can be seen much more easily than other evergreen forests. But two important aspects, unlike any tourist destination or even project tigers, Tadoba is much more in demand so safari bookings are a big & most important thing & needed to be done well in advance. Many of my friends call me today (for e.g.) & ask if they can go to Tadoba by next weekend & answer is a yes, they can go to tadoba on any weekend but safari bookings are always full nearly ninety days before, so plan the trip accordingly. At the same time safari permit (ticket) is non-refundable as well as non-transferable, you can add names in it but can’t change the names, so be very clear about all these facts. Another aspect is what you see the posts of people on Insta, FB or on WhatsApp groups about the tiger sightings is present sightings, & when you visit Tadoba which can be three months later the scene may be different as it’s not a zoo but a real forest where tigers grow, move as per their needs (not mood) so visit with all these aspects in mind as then you will enjoy the Tadoba as a forest more!

Another aspect of Tadoba is, there are zones & then there is core & buffer & good thing is, tigers are everywhere but in core the expand is large & the road network is lesser, in compare to the area so chances of tiger sighting in core is actually less than that in buffers which many people doesn’t understand or realize. As well the spread of core is also big so if you are entering from Kolara gate (entry of core) the Moharli gate (another entry point) is on opposite side & with speed limits on vehicles it takes more than one hour just to reach other  gate if you know that tigers is being sighted on this side & probably till you reach at the spot it might have gone somewhere & by the time you go back to your gate even the tigers there also might have moved away! So, understanding the way a tiger is sighted in the forest & enjoying the forest as well as the Tadoba habitat instead of just running behind the tiger, is what I will advise as then tiger sighting is a bonus which does come to you sooner or later & then you welcome it with more joy for sure. At the same time, buffers also have wonderful forest & wildlife, the only difference is, here human settlements are there, though scattered & roads are narrow but the spread is small & chances you bumping (not actually, visually) with a tiger are more! In nutshell, don’t be fussy about just getting a core safari ticket whatever you get grab it, advise no 2!

Coming back to my trip, after spending so many hours in Tadoba I know one thing, the time a tiger is supposed to be seen by me, it will be seen, not before that & not after (sounds familiar, like a popular WhatsApp forward, “samayse pahale aur samay ke baad kisiko kuchh nahi milata,” plz google for meaning) & this philosophy again I experienced in this trip. Though my wish did come true, which always happens when it's tadoba but patience factor is there for sure. There is a young tigress named Collerwali which is now ruling territory of late legendary Sonam (another tigress) & has four cubs one of which got killed by wild dogs near Telia dam itself. So shaken by this incident the Collerwali was that she retreated in adjoing Junona buffer area which is to be accessed from another gate (for humans, not for tigers) & her sighting was equal to nil near telia dam which was once hotspot for tiger sighting. But as I said this is forest & every wild animal behaves as per its comfort & needs so Collerwali now with her three cubs which are grown up & are of good size decided to come back in telia dam as now the cubs are big enough to deal with wild dogs & barring them there is no other threat here for the cubs. I have seen tigress with cubs but to watch four grown up tigers together is some sight & rather as she is on the core side the sighting (if happens) could be some real memorable things & I do wish for one such. On day one morning, we entered from Moharli & instead taking the route of Telia dam decided to check area behind it & in doing that when we came to Telia dam, the tigress & the cubs have moved away from the water. We waited for three hours but no sign of them & the safari time ended. In the afternoon we waited at Telia dam again & the alarm calls of deer came from the road which we visited in the morning & we rushed to follow the alarm calls & the moment our gypsy took turn on that road, there they were, four of them sitting right on the road! Now, the tricky part was, if they get up which they would eventually & start walking then they either can walk in our direction or opposite direction as we don’t know what is their agenda & here two things works, knowledge of present situation in forest & luck! Our guide & driver said as they have already come from Telia dam so chance is they won’t walk back but the mom has taken these cubs out to teach them territory marking & show around the forest which every tigress did with her growing cubs, so we decided to wait on the side where we were standing. And the logic as well luck worked & all four of them got up one by one & started walking towards us. Well to describe the sight, I don’t have enough words yet imagine this, the sun was behind us travelling towards horizon, the entire surrounding was washed in yellow light & the road was covered with red dust, the grass was yellowish green & on that background four grownup tigers with yellow black stripes & bright orange eyes, walking together towards us! At one moment I felt entire world has frozen in yellow-red frame & unfazed by our excitement the mom was guiding here cubs, making trees along the road with her clows & urine & making cubs learn to do it, we were following (rather they were following) every move of them, giving them space & it was an experience the way mom tigress was teaching them as well keeping a keen eye around (on us also)! Out of three cubs one is smaller & lingering behind the mom tigress has a special eye for it, always making sure that there is not much gap between that cub & these three as well making sure it also gets all the marking lessons! This is not just sighting, this is experiencing how wildlife evolves in the forest & fun is tomorrow (in near future) these cubs only will become rivals of their mom who is teaching them today survival as well territory ruling techniques, that’s how forest life is!

Next day we have safari in Junona buffer which is adjoining to Moharli core & yesterday only we have heard roars of male tiger around who is father of these sub adult cubs i.e. Chota Dadhiyal. A male tiger had a large territory under him & we took the chance that if this guy was in the core for the whole day, so next day, he might venture in the buffer to mark his territory & our logic paid off with some luck on our side. Another important aspect is when you see movement of gypsies' ahead or around, just don’t rush to the spot, take your time, understand movement of the tiger & then decide from where you want to access the sighting as in buffers the roads are narrow & if a tiger is walking on that road then only two or three vehicles can actually have a good sighting because you can’t overtake a tiger if its walking ahead as well you can’t give it side because of the narrow road widths unless a square or diversion  is there to take the gipsy on side of the road. Here also we checked the movement of the male (CD) & we realized its cutting across a patch of grass & will emerge on the road across it so we reversed & waited patiently on the road instead of just going forward & having a glimpse of the tiger. And from the grass CD emerged right in front of our gypsy & walked quite a distance marking his territory on the trees along! Yellow green grass & morning sun & a full grown male tiger washed in it, walking in his own mood, the sight is beyond any words! And as I said, Tadoba is not only about tigers, we spend time watching owls, butterflies & even the moon as darkness covers the forest by 6 pm at this time of winter here. Rather to listen to the tiger roaring & calling its family in the darkness is something which one only can experience by being there!

Before I conclude this sharing, a month before I visited another favourite place UKWS (Umred Karhandla) & the target was to click F@ tigress with her five cubs which couldn’t happen but we witnessed something equally magical! Every wild lifer has a wish list about the forests & I am no exception to this, Law of Greedy Nature of Humans! And forests have been helping me to tick my wish list all the time but the list has no end! One such in the list is, being able to see a male tiger crossing the road in front of me, with the forest road behind merging in the green horizon, and the tiger looking towards us before getting vanished in the wilderness across the road! I knew it's difficult as so many factors involved in this, first to sight a male tiger in itself is difficult in the forests because of his large territory & then you can get him head on as that's because tigers like to walk along the road for long distance but to get a male tiger to cross road, it's a sheer chance & matter of right timing. Second, an empty road behind the tiger, because if a male tiger is walking then usually the news spreads and there are gypsies rushing to the spot in no time & the tiger crosses the road in two or three strides, so it's a matter of a few seconds. Third, why would he look at us while crossing the road, it's only his mood which can make him to do so means more luck is needed. Fourth, our gypsy must be in front to get a clear shot. Fifth & most important, my own reaction time to click that moment if at all I get lucky to cross the first four conditions!! Yet I have my hopes that in Tadoba this may be possible someday but the Forest Genie chose UKWS to bless me! Ours was the first gypsy entering on a misty winter November morning from Karhandla gate, it was very cold & blueish fog was still settling in the forest, our cameras were out though (a habit which does helps in the forests) but we haven't had much hopes for any so early sighting & suddenly our guide said, “Sir, tiger chal raha hai road par”! We also saw it & the tiger vanished as we reached that spot, we moved our gypsy slowly ahead & reversed, there was no sign of the tiger, like the forest has swallowed it alive, but we keep searching & again the guide, hissed this time, “Sir, gaddeme baitha hai tiger” i.e. tiger is sitting in a small ditch along the road & the eyes on the big head were looking at us only! We reversed a bot & waited in the hope he would come out & resume its morning walk so we will get some head on shots but it's a tiger & he will do what he wants to do. In the meantime, two more gypsies had joined us, meaning the tiger may rise & vanish in the adjoining jungle, we waited anyway. And the tiger rose from the road side, looked at us & silently came on the road looked at me(for a second I felt he actually smiled at me), I could see the empty road behind & my pulse rate went high with feel of adrenaline rush, I was in dilemma, whether just to watch this moment or click, but greed overtook as usual & I lifted camera,  thanked the tiger as well UKWS Gennie, and ticked the wish. To add the bonus, the road behind the tiger was empty & with mist floating along, making the whole scene like a Marvel movie set, which lasted for just 4 or 5 seconds but it will remain in my mind forever! And then UKWS showed me some wonderful displays of butterflies of all colours & shapes, something we rarely notice but butterflies play a very important role in forest life cycle & a greater number of them, is a healthy sign of the forest, which we are lucky to have!

Btw, coming back to tadoba (sorry folks), can’t finish without sharing this one…

We knew he was around somewhere as his kill had been hidden in the bushes nearby. Our guide has seen him in the morning safari, it's typical of Mamla buffer terrain, dense foliage covering ground & he could be anywhere, sleeping leisurely. We circled the narrow roads for hours, now it's near dark as its winter in Tadoba, we haven't lost the hopes & a deep growling filled the surrounding! Usually, a tiger never growls in the forest unless on mating but here it meant, The King has awakened & warned to the forest that he is coming for his meal, so give him way, is what the growling said! Yet, no sign of him & we waited on the road between the growling & the kill & from behind our gipsy he emerged, in low light the orange eyes were glowing like two torches burning bright, that’s Raka, Mamala buffer’s young King!

To conclude, do mind, only when you start visiting forests in every season then you realize what a wonderful gift god has given us in the forms of wildlife & do mind every gift is a responsibility too, of which we are supposed to take care & protect, so is the forests; adios with this note! Wish you a very Happy, Green & Wild New Year 2026!

View more such moments at the Flickr link along…

https://www.flickr.com/photos/coexistance_is_the_key/albums/72177720331036784/

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Sanjay Deshpande 

smd156812@gmail.com

Sanjeevani Dev.

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