THE AUTHOR’S BIGGEST TIGER—10 FEET 4 INCHES BETWEEN PEGS The great beast was shot less than 2 miles from the Maharaja’s palace at Ambikapur. Beside General Mitchell stands his host, the Maharaja of Surguja. PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIG. GEN. WILLIAM MITCHELL, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Editor’s Note: In recognition of International Tiger Day, we present the following article from our archives as a way of illustrating how attitudes toward tigers have changed in the past century. In November 1924, Brigadier General William Mitchell, who is regarded by many historians as the father of the U.S. Air Force, published this account of a three-day tiger hunt in eastern India with the maharaja of Surguja, a legendary tiger hunter.
Vijaya and her three cubs on the road (c) Shivang Mehta
Vijaya charmed everyone at the end of the season last week. She had made a small kill of a spotted deer in Chakradhara Meadow near several water sources but hidden amongst dense lush elephant grass, ideal cover for a tigress to stalk through, as unweary deer gather at the water’s edge. For several days Vijaya enjoyed her meal and even bought her three little ones to share the feast. They were hardly visible but for the movement of the tall grasses. Now and then the glimpse of an ear or tail as the tigress turned over in the grass to relieve a very full belly.
But the end of June was very hot and with no rain on offer by morning or late afternoon it was time to venture out for a drink. First Vijaya would slowly emerge from the grasses and settle near the edge of a clearing not far from a muddy waterhole. Here she would sit and carefully groom her gleaming golden coat before beckoning her family out. Ears pricked and softly calling to encourage the three to come Vijaya seemed confident and unconcerned at the attention she gathered around her. Slowly slowly out of the dense cover three little faces appear. The first to show its face is a bit unsure however and allows the second in line to approach and nuzzle it’s mother first. The third very shy and a wee bit frightened decides it’s its not the time yet to be too brave and vanishes back out of sight. Yesterday too the family had been seen. Two little ones coming forward into the clearing while the third tentative and snarling would not venture far.
Vijaya and her new small family in Chakradhara meadow (c) Kay Hassall Tiwari
Today, again Vijaya is ready to quench her thirst as two of her offspring stare out of cover. Suddenly Vijaya becomes very alert. She has noticed two patrolling staff on foot on the road hardly yards from where she and the cubs are sitting. This challenge is an unwelcome interruption and soon her cubs are hurrying back into the tall grasses. The tigress too turns and crouches low slinking off in a manner of a leopard rather than a dominant cat. Obviously people on foot are not welcome in Vijaya’s meadow. Minutes later Vijaya emerges again a few yards away and settles under a bamboo clump. It appears the cubs are close by behind a long and that mother wants the family to cross the road and head for the hills. Confident the jeep borne visitors watching are of no concern, yet the patrolling staff want their bicycles and as a further Forest Officer on a motorbike enters the scene all three disturb the tigress once more and she heads off towards the Fort Plateau, her original plans now changed.
As the sun rises higher in the summer sky Vijaya and her family can be seen amongst the dry forest grasses heading towards a cool cave nestled on the hillside. Here they can rest in peace and the cubs can suckle milk. No one on foot will enter these dark cat coverted places for fear of attack. Here Vijaya and her little ones rest a while before returning to the meadow and the remains of the kill.
Sadly by the time we all see them again they will be nearly four months older and a lot bigger.
Lets hope they have a peaceful healthy monsoon and that all will be well in October.
Jaya at rest after two years of motherhood. May 2014 (c) Peter OROLIN
Jaya is spending little time with her two year old foursome now preferring to rest up under the cool Badhaini hill where cooling springs seep from the crevices and offer relief during hot late summer days. In Central India the monsoon has yet to arrive. Though a few welcome thunder rains have quenched a dry earth the baking sun is never far away and temperatures still reach the mid thirties.
For her son and three daughters its time to think of adulthood especially for the girls. Monsoon will mean all three will become mature enough to mate and they will no doubt draw the attention of several suitors including the big male Jobhi who may well have fathered their mother’s forthcoming litter. With both the Banbehi (Wakeeta) boys fully mature and eager plus Somanshu and the aggressive mystery boy from Magdhi on the fringes of their mother’s territory it will be an interesting time for these three sisters!
Crumbie has settled around Sukki Dam so may well come into contact with Ondrila’s maturing boy too. Most young tigers prefer to spend easy time with newcomers rather than tackle an experienced partner so it is likely she will find her monsoon time more enjoyable than Trya who is presently living around Climber Point and Sehra. This area is well attended by several males and she could find herself under the chase rather than enjoying a picnic or two.
As to Murphy she has become quite shy but is still seen in the company of her sisters and brother mainly at common meal times around Rajbehra or Nilgai Marg. It’s thought she’s trying to settle in Kanoji but with the area closed its hard to say for sure. In any case if any of these daughters settles they will steal some of their mother’s territory. We will all have to wait till next season to know the exact position and with Jaya likely to be will new cubs she will definitely want to keep the prime area of her range around Rajbehra. If the Forest Department would give back the area now in the empty Jhorjhora enclosure Jaya would certainly snap it up allowing her to claim what once was her mother Durga’s space.
Johnno, still hanging onto his mother’s apron strings but for how long. June 2014 (c) Kay Hassall Tiwari
We must not forget Johnno too. He has grown into a handsome boy but he faces a tough time. He still follows his mother here and there and his sisters but soon he must depart for safer ground as it will be hard for this young boy to compete in as male saturated domain as Bandhavgarh is these days.
Vijaya and her second litter of three cubs near Jumunia in the Tala Zone. (c) Imtiaz Khan
It’s several weeks now since news of Vijaya’s second litter of cubs broke when they were spotted at Gopalpur crossing the road during the searing heat of an April day, following their proud mother to the safety of a cool cave. Since then they have been seen on a few occasions and even with the presence of Jobhi. Finally they have arrived to reveal three small bungles of fun under the ever vigilant presence of their mother’s caring eye.
It is not really known when they were born exactly or who the father truly is but does Jobhi’s huge presence now in Chakradhara and Sidh Baba offer a reasonable hint of parentage? The cubs though still small, no longer have their baby blue eyes or show the cuddlesome fluffy cute bodies of new borns, but the viewing has indicted that at least one cub is male. For this family the learning curve has already begun. After the troubles of Vijaya’s first litter if all three are to survive to adulthood, they must study well.
It’s early morning in Jumunia with temperature a cool 26 degrees celcius as the sun rises slowly in the west. A half consumed chital kill lies in damp cover nearby. Vijaya killed in the night and the whole family has already feasted well. Tiny stomachs take less than a kilo of meat but Vijaya herself looks well fed, content and untroubled. She grooms her cubs with her long rasped tongue and they lovingly gather around under her watchful gaze.
Rising she steps out of cover into the open and again sits and looks longingly at her cubs to follow and perhaps suckle a while. However, suddenly patrolling staff appear on foot and disturb her intentions, causing her to retreat and head off towards the track beckoning her cubs to follow. Within second amongst the rustle of undergrowth three little bodies emerge and trot off behind the tigress hurrying to keep pace, their little legs at time fully extended.
Growing fast, Vijaya’s cubs must be over three months old already. Notice the eyes are amber in colour not baby blue! (c) Imtiaz Khan
Mum does not glance back to check her family is following, this is not the first time she has moved her brood in daylight or human presence and she knows her cubs have learnt the need to keep her in their sights.
The Berda female is a great survivor. Orphaned when she was just over a year old, she survived this trauma to establish herself in the place of her birth as a member of the ruling elite. Gave birth to a new litter after loosing her first litter earlier.
Born in the beautiful Berda valley to mother T4 and father Big Daddy, T41 grew up with her brother Berda male cub (T40) and was well known to regular guides and travelers. When the cubs were a year old, their mother died as a result of an infected injury caused by another tiger after a fight over prey. The cubs stayed together and supported each other for another year, helping each other hunt and learn basic survival skills.
As the Semli male (T6) started muscling his way into their home territory, T41’s brother was driven out of the area and has not been seen since. T41 stayed behind and made her peace with the new Semli male, regularly mating with him.
T41’s range now includes Berda, Semli, Bhakola valley and the Adidant region.
She gave birth to a litter of cubs in November 2012. She however lost all this litter. However a single new cub was seen in May 2013.
These life stories were brought to you after years of careful observation, notes and photography. Aditya Singh is a principal contributor together with many of Ranthambhore’s nature guiding community, and the success of Tigerwatch’s ongoing intelligence. Read all their blogs here
Junglee – the Berda female and her cub at Bhakola. (C)
Tracking the Tigress, INDIA – Cee4life doesnt just help captive aniamls, we also try to help the wild one when we can. On this occasion we were in India, where a female tigress had one of her cubs killed by a car. She stayed in the area for the next week attacking every vehicle or bike that went by. The authorities were alerted, but no one came to help. We were in the area, so we did what we could. The mum was separated from her 3 remaining babies by monsoon waters. They could have been killled by jackals, bears and other predators. We went to find the mum and try and get her back.
Turn it up, sit back, and watch how frightening this is. We had no defences and we knew, the tiger saw us, but we did not see her.
Happy ending, she got back to her cubs.
A female Tiger with her 4 cubs crossed an isolated road outside of a protected area. One of her cubs was hit by a random car and killed. For the next week, the Tigress attacked every vehicle or bike that went past. She finally wandered into the bush. It was monsoon season. News came that she had been seperated from her young 2 month old cubs. Other predators were in the area. We went to check on her to see that she made it back to her cubs safely. However, we did not need to see her, we just needed to find evidence she was reunited with her cubs again. Every tiger counts. This footage is a bit bouncy, sorry about that, hard to film in this situation.
Baghin Nalla teaches her cubs the art of the road (c) Gaurav DhotreMum leads them onwards (c) Gaurav DhotreOK let’s get going Mum (c) Gaurav DhotreThanks Mum. I love you really! (c) Gaurav DhotreMum lays down her territorial markers (c) Gaurav DhotreThe third cubs crossing the road after being given the all clear (c) Gaurav DhotreMum and cubs prepare to cross the open road (c) Gaurav Dhotre
Carmen Rivero Colina 