After over a decade since I first went to forest, unlike others, tiger sighting is the last thing on my agenda. But the situation is different when someone who has never seen a tiger despite regularly visiting forest and that too during season, is with you and having ‘assured’ tiger sighting.
I have done this many times earlier. But last time I visited Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, the things were different. Taking a friend along is definitely different than taking a senior journalist, my guru to show tigers. Especially when he is a known personality when it comes to report on wildlife and forest. Despite regularly visiting forest, he had hardly seen tigers.
So this time when I went on vacation, we decided to go to Tadoba. Before starting from Nagpur I assured him tiger sighting. An army of tourist guides, forest guards and other department officials informed me that a tigress with four cubs was being regularly seen at a waterhole in the area called Shivanzari.
Right from the moment we entered the forest, he started asking for tiger. Every couple of kilometre, he would ask, “Where is the tiger, what happened?” and I kept on assuring him, with fingers crossed off course! that he will get to see a tiger.
My friends in the forest informed me that a tigress with two cubs was seen near water hole number 7. I went straight to the spot and strategically parked the vehicle so that we didn’t miss her even if she comes there from any direction. After waiting for around 15 minutes, I jumped with joy when tiger call from a peacock and sambar came. Both calling simultaneously means the tigress has to be there. Now it was just a matter of her coming out in open. Everyone in the car was on the edge of seat. They started getting depressed with each passing moment and I started getting restless as pressure kept on mounting. At last the patience paid and the tigress came out of the bamboo shrubs. Waiting for a moment to judge people there, the tigress signalled her cubs who promptly joined her. And they went to the water hole. I was the most relieved person on this planate as the tigress was sitting there with her two cubs. I had kept my word to show him tiger. While at the water hole, I was informed that a tigress with four cubs was seen at Shivanjhari. And everyone including the guru wanted to see the tigress with four cubs seen at a place named Shivanjhari. “Isn’t he asking for too much now?” I thought.