My India Trip: In Search of the Royal Bengal Tigers (Part 3)
- kwankew
- Jun 1
- 5 min read
Valmik Thager, the "Tiger Man", conservationist, died yesterday. India is home to two-thirds of the world's tigers, yet they remain an endangered species. I was born in the year of the tiger and have always wanted to see them, so the latter part of my India trip was devoted to searching for the tigers.
Ranthambore National Park: Former royal hunting ground and home of the royal Bengal tigers, leopards, and marsh crocodiles.
I got up early for a morning safari on a 20-person canter bus. There were many canter and jeep safaris, with the same mission of spotting the tigers. We stopped by a body of water where many birds and white-spotted deer were feeding. The convoy then traveled to the other side of the water.
Then, a tiger appeared among the tall grass, treading leisurely, paying no attention to us. We watched it disappear into the tall dry grass where he stalked a group of white-spotted deer. The alarm cry of the black-faced Indian Langurs alerted them, and at the last moment, they scampered, leaving the tiger without breakfast.
In the afternoon, we saw sambar deer, peacocks, peahens, and many species of birds.
The next national park was Kanha National Park, located in Jabalpur. To get there, I had to take a 12-hour overnight Chitrakkoot Express at the Lucknow Train Station, which I had been anxious about. Seven years ago, I took an overnight train in India with my G-adventure fellow travelers in a third-class carriage crowded with people, men, women, and children. There were three-tiered narrow bunks, and I was on the topmost bunk. This time, I was in a first-class enclosed cabin with two bunk beds twice as wide.
It turned out I only had one cabinmate, Manish. He told me his parents wanted him to be an engineer or doctor, but he is now working for Cimmyt and is involved in researching the higher yield of wheat in the changing conditions of developing countries. He loves his job.
I was led to believe dinner would be served, but there was none. Manish offered to order dinner over the phone to be delivered at the next station, but it would be quite late. I preferred to go to sleep.
The Chitrakkoot Express went clickety-clack and bumpety-bump all night, it was not easy to fall asleep. Passing the stations, many passengers slept on the platforms waiting for their trains.
At the Kanha National Park, we did not spot tigers except for one of the safaris, an early morning one, when a tiger moved through the tall dry grass and crossed the path of the jeeps, toward another vast stretch of tall dry grass, and finally lay down, likely for a long nap. We saw Barasingha deer, Indian wild dogs, barking deer, peacocks, jackals, Indian gaur (bulls), vultures and their nests, and many bee hives hanging from a tree.
In the afternoon, the driver took me to the Mogli Resort, driving through markets selling powder in preparation for the Festival of the Holy. He had a hard time finding it, and I worried about him having to drive back in the dark. We had driven for over four and a half hours.
At Bandhavgarh National Park, I saw peacocks, white-spotted deer, somber deer, barking deer, langur monkeys, and a tiger from a distance of about 600 m. There were too many vehicles tracking this tiger. There was a mix of tropical trees, Sal trees, and grassland, home to scores of bird species, including the eagles. From a distance, a peacock danced to a number of peahens. Many vultures in the naked branches of the tree and near a waterhole. They soared high up in the sky, looking for food.
We drove to Panna National Park, about a 5-hour drive. At the park after two safaris, a tiger was spotted from a distance, 2 tigers on an island, but other people thought there was one tiger and 3 cubs. In the afternoon, no sightings other than the usual.
March 14th was the Festival of the Holy, but I didn’t see too much of the festivity. Before transferring to Khajuraho airport, Narayan, an older guide, at his leisure and unhurried pace, took me to visit the UNESCO Heritage Site of Khajuraho Temples: the Western temples, a complex of 4 remaining temples, all dedicated to Lord Shiva, with voluptuous carvings of women and men adorning the outer walls. Kamasutra features prominently with erotic figures performing sexual acts. Narayan said it was only for those doing yoga who could achieve the impossible positions. Homosexuality existed even then. He said there was nothing new under the sun.
The Eastern complex, a set of 2 remaining temples with a Jain overlay, is not as ornate and well-preserved as the Hindu Western temples.
In the Southern complex, there is only one temple left, which is also dedicated to Lord Shiva.
In New Delhi, before leaving for the airport to go home, I took an evening walk and met a few youngsters who powdered me for Holy.
There are still many places in India that I love to visit, notably Kashmir and Kerala. I know I will be back someday.
In almost all the cities of India, cows roam the streets freely, looking out of place. There is no green pasture to feed on. They look mournful and yet patient. They saunter along and nibble on things on the streets that they wish were food. Once in a while, vegetable sellers strew remnants of fruits and vegetables on the tarmac, and herds of cows feed on them without any fighting. Indians revere their cows, but surely they are happier if they are farmed out in rich green pastures in the countryside.
On the streets of New Delhi, there are many gypsies congregating at traffic intersections. A woman nursed her baby as she leaned against a cement block, her family belongings scattered around her, her "living room". Her older children performed acrobatic acts, attempting to earn a few rupees. The monsoon season will soon arrive, my guide said the government has tents for them, but they choose to live outdoors. It demonstrates that one's idea of normalcy may not be universally shared. Just like my Chitrakkoot Express cabinmate, Manish, who was not used to the lack of honking in Tokyo, it was too quiet for him, and he missed India. I prefer my privacy, a peaceful and tranquil respite.
Time to go home to see my cat, Kuchi.
wonderful travelog, and stunning photographs! Thanks for sharing
L