Tigers in Mukki zone, Kanha National Park,

TIGERS IN MUKKI ZONE, KANHA TIGER RESERVE as on 29th Feb 2012

1.NAVPATHARA Tigress - Tigress of 07 years moving with 03 cubs of 02 yrs out of which 2 are female and 1 is male. This female covers an area of approx 25sq km and seems to be of very shy nature. Mostly sighted around Nawpathra road and Aurai meadow.

2.Harradadar Tigress - This 5 yrs old tigress covers the territory around Algidadar and Bamnidadar, and sometimes sightted in the non tourism area around Bhesanghat,covers an area of about 20 sq km. Though shy in nature but sighted quite regularly. No litter reported so far.

3.Mahaveer Tigress – This beautiful Tigress is like a queen. Very popular in the area and carrying a litter of 3 cubs of 4 to 5 months and sighted off and own with the cubs. If she is alone then gives a good sighting. Covers Andhkuan, Mowala ,Kiwardabra and Jamjhola region, territory of 35 sq kms. The 02 cubs of its last litter a male and a female are successfully separated from her and for the time being sharing their mothers territory .

4.Queen Minkur Tigress – One of the very successful tigress have seen the sal forest shedding its leaves for the 12 th time this year, looks still pretty healthy even after loosing the upper left canine. The 03 cubs of its last litter one male & two females are separated from her and still found sharing their mother’s territory . Minkur is very shy to face the safari jeeps but it is been noticed that she loves to be seen from the elephants back and stays around for longer during the Tiger show. Hence called the “Tokan wali Mada” also. Minkur coveres area of about 40sq kms.

5.Minkur’s badi beti- This young tigress of 04 years is sighted during the jeep safaris and also very often during the Tiger show also. She is a very successful predator in the Mukki zone and mostly sighted with her kill. Stiil sharing Mother’s territory as mentioned above.

6.Minkur”s choti beti- This 4 years old tigress from Minkur’s same litter is comparatively shy and generally sighted around Bisanpura meadows that lies under her mother’s territory.

7.Minkur’s Beta – This 4 years old sub adult still hesitates to face the tourists, sighted occasionally and has not yet established his own territory, still sharing his mother’s territory.

8.Minkur’s elder Beta – This 5.5 years male from queen’s previous litter seems to be very shy and still keeps hiding in mother’s territory. Rarely sighted. and the reason could be a big fear, since his two sisters were killed by the other transient male in front of him.

9.Chimta Camp Male – This handsome, a bold male of 09 years covers the area of Baba Thenga and Jila line in Mukki Zonne and also covers Nakti Ghati, Raja Kachar and Chimta camp are in Kisli Zone too. All together covers about 45 sq kms. This daring male has also been found hunting on the largest Indian Bovine the Indian Gaur(Bos gaurus).

10. Mahaveer’s Beta – This 3 year old male has just established his own territory of about 30 sq km in mothers territory only. Generally sighted by the Jeeps. Sharing territory with his own sister from the same litter.

11. Mahaveer’s Beti- This three years old female also seen sharing mother’s territory with his brother even after getting separated from the mother. Comparatively less sighted after the separation.
Vijay Joshi / Sanjay (Naturalists at Chitvan)

A very common problem encountered by the tourists during safari was that the Kanha National Park has no toilets. In a 4-5 hour safari it is something that was of a concern to everyone. Our General manager Mr Ashwani Agarwal designed this convenience for the tourists. Currently this is kept at the Soundhar Camp in Mukki range. Just installing was not enough, one person has been deputed to maintain the same after due permissions from the Forest department. Now you may enjoy the Safaris in a more relaxed manner.

Tiger census in Kanha National Park

This was one of the methods to do census of Tigers and other wildlife in the Wild in our National Parks in India. This video has been taken by our guest Mr John Uscian in Kanha National Park, India. Now, this method is being replaced by camera traps considered more accurate as they get the stripes of the Tigers in the photo. And just as no two humans have same fingerprints, no two Tigers have the same stripes. Interesting, isn't it?

Feedback from our guest Ms Shilpa Seth

From: Shilpa Seth
To: 'Chitvan'
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 9:24 AM
Subject: RE: Chitvan Jungle Lodge, Kanha National Park

Dear Sharad

just back from a very rejuvenating break @ chitvan…the property is beautiful & kids friendly –they had a gr8 time @ organic farm & village fields….we loved the fresh, delicious and homely food ….

hospitality @ chitvan is truly commendable - better than the tajs or the oberois!

special thanks to ishaan, ajay and sanjay for making our stay so special… and we were lucky to get the tiger show on our first safari!

planning to gift my parents and in-laws a holiday @chitvan…. and looking forward to come back next year

thank you once again….

Best Regards
Shilpa Sheth
Private Wealth Management

A dawn in Kanha:

No matter how dark the night, somehow the sun rises once again, and shadows are chased away.

Today was an unusual morning. It was 1st January 2012. I entered the Mukki gate. Few moments inside the park, and my mind had a bizarre reflection. We celebrate New Year, make new resolutions to improve ourselves, I wondered, don’t these inhabitants of the forest do the same, that too, daily?

Every sunup in Kanha, a deer awakens knowing it has to outrun the fastest predator, or be hunted to death. Also, at every crack of dawn in Kanha, when the sun rises, a predator awakens knowing it has to outrun the slowest prey, or be starved to death. Daily goals, daily performance, leading to perfection. Aren’t these 4 legged souls more disciplined and superior than Humans? Isn’t every morning a New Year morning for these denizens (as I dislike to dub them as animals) of the jungle. This contemplation made me believe more in my work of being a wonderer in these forests.

Few dozen tourists had entered the park, some enduring the chilly weather, some thinking if they were possibly better in their beds, some craving for a hot cuppa, but none of them devoid of enthusiasm to a degree that almost 80% of them hoped to be the first tourist to see the Tiger in first 100 metres of the drive, and another 10% in 200metres. I guess only 10% would have the patience and enthusiasm to last the whole safari, and only 5% perhaps who would come out of the park not being disappointed if they did not sight one.

Some 4 kms of a lovely wooded drive, we arrived at a Suar-kachhar lake, a herd of hard ground Barasinghas were on breakfast. We stopped; I let the whole lot of Jeeps pass. Some asked if we were seeing the Tiger, on hearing a denial, they just could not fathom that we can halt for anything else as well. I wondered when we will embark on discovering splendor in every speck and atom in nature, which is scattered all around us.

My mind, my lens, my attention, turned back to the grazing Barasinghas. I knew that the show was about to begin any moment. And, then commenced, what I had come today in the park for, a mesmerizing sun rise. The thrill of being in the Jungle at sunrise cannot be expressed in words. The tall grass (sacrum spontaneum, also known as wild sugarcane), was rising from the earth, as if to offer the few dew drops, atop it, to the Sun. And then the color of the dew drops changed to light orange, and it seemed they were also smiling and welcoming the Sun.

I dropped my camera in the Jeep, and wanted to capture the whole frame for eternity in my mind. After all, few things cannot be captured by a camera. The camera has only one sense of sight, while we have 5 to experience. A beautiful sequence followed, two male stags of Bara singhas locked horns to appease a female. The lesser one had to go, and then the dominating male, walked towards the female, and both of them went into the sunrise, as if two lovers walking arm in arm, they disappeared in the tall grass.

Sharad Vats