What Does The Jungle Say? Jungle Lingo Deciphered.

Welcome to the jungle! The conversations here are dominated by the super stars- the animals. The photographers & filmmakers are guests of honour and the forest officials have all the swag. The atmosphere is always charged, for someone new you’re bound to be a little more than lost. Now, we can’t name all the super stars, there are too many, but here’s a small directory that can start the ball rolling.

BITE SIZED NEWS: T1 The Man-Eating Tigress

WHO IS T1?

T1 or Avni is a 6 year old healthy tigress, migrated from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary to Pandharkwada; where she has given birth to two 9 month old cubs . It is here where according to official reports she killed 5 villagers while local reports put the death toll at 13.

SO WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

With the fear of more deaths & the possibility of her training her cubs to hunt conversely making them less fearful of humans the Supreme Court has ordered a man hunt. The order would have been passed in early 2018 but due to lack of evidence the Bombay High Court stayed the order on a man hunt. It is after the death of Mr. Gulab Mokashe that this stay has been reversed & a 60 member team including vets & Special Tiger Protection Force. But this hasn’t stopped T1 from making more kills.

Tiger in the image is for representational purposes only.

According to protocol, a man eater has to be found, tranquilized and kept in zoo it is only when this isn’t possible that a shooter can be deployed. This is where the plot gets murky. The Maharashtra Forest Department has involved a controversial Hyderabad-based shooter Nawab Shafat Ali Khan in the operation. Conservationists see red and reckon that the tiger is going to be shot & no efforts are being made to capture her. The vets on the team have accused Nawab of botching up their operation of tranquilizing the tigress & thus have staged a walk out. Mounting pressure from conservationists & wildlife activist has led to Nawab being sent away for a two day break. In order to pacify the locals the headquarters of this operation has been shifted to Pandharkwada itself. Giving T1 a new lease of life the tranquilising operations will restart on Monday.

ROVE REFLECTS

Is it morally right to shoot a tiger when we are the ones who have brought this unique situation upon it in the first place? The Man vs. Wild conflict has caught momentum in India with conservations leading to increase the number of big cats. Their numbers have increased but they have no where to go. When forests like Pandharwada are reduced just to fragments who is to blame, really? Isn’t T1 the real victim of human greed? Villagers illegally graze cattle in forest areas making themselves vulnerable to attack. Farmlands encroach into forest land pushing tigers to migrate & fight for survival.

Why is our forest department so ill-equipped to handle such cases? The case of T1 started in January 2018, the summer months are easiest to trap a tiger, why wasn’t she captured then? With proper education the locals can be roped in to successfully and safely capture tigers like T1.

An immense amount of hard work on the part of locals, conservationists & wildlife professionals has led to the revival of wildlife in India. Its unfair to simply cut short our support when a tiger goes rouge. Its more important now than ever to join hands & lead by example.

We would like to refrain from commenting on Nawab and his history as a hunter is lucky to even be mentioned in this blog.

What is your opinion on the Pandharwada tigress case? Let us know in the comments below.
#ConsrOve

Tiger Temple – Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

 Tigers are my one true love, and Tadoba is my greatest love affair (my husband is not going to like reading this). My husband and I have been here three times already and we’re not going to stop anytime soon. So, where else would he take me for a surprise impromptu road trip?
Though it wasn’t the most cohesive of plans it was memorable indeed. The four of us (two skilled drivers and two skilled snoozers) drove from Mumbai to Tadoba non-stop for 18 hours. Yes, we’re that crazy!

The Legal Black Buck- Velavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary

The Indian antelope or Blackbuck is mainly found in Gujarat, Rajasthan, USA & a small herd of 200 individuals in Nepal. It is extinct in Bangladesh & Pakistan.
This beautiful creature shot to fame by literally being shot by actor Salman Khan. Making the antelope a house hold name, the court ruling to convict the celebrity was massively celebrated across India & the world.

Yin & Yang- A Wildlife Lover’s Bedlam

My night ended with a very disturbing video but this morning I woke up to some fairly brilliant news.

To focus on the good first: Nepal has fulfilled the dream for every wildlife conservationist- five 365 day cycles without a single Rhino poaching case. A sweet concoction of awareness, effective communications strategies, and engaging the local community has lead to the overall success. Read the original article on this amazing feat here.

Winged Paradise – Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary

Nal Sarovar is the largest wet land bird sanctuary in Asia. As of 2005, it has been declared as a Ramsar site (see Ramsar Convention site – Wetland of International importance) If you’re a bird watcher, lover or just in the area you MUST visit this sanctuary.

Jungle Spirit

My first ever safari was to Jim Corbett National Park with my family. We didn’t see a tiger but,  my heart skipped a beat at every rustle of a leaf. Even though I didn’t see a big cat that was the start of a very serious love story with the jungle.

Fast forward a few years my husband did  the crazy thing of booking a safari for our first year anniversary. We saw it then- Narsimha, a tiger on a hunt. Though we caught just a glimpse of the tiger as he darted into the long grass of Tadoba, we were hooked.

Maya, the queen of Tadoba, was our first sighting of a tiger in close quarters. Since then, the jungle and us are inseparable.

We’ve been questioned, judged and even ridiculed at our shunning of the tourist part of the world. They ask, “Why?” And I say, “Why not?”

Are we conservationists? No, at least not in the beginning. Though, now that has developed into our collective goal but that wasn’t why we started.

Well, then it has to be love for nature, right? That holds true in more ways than one. However, for me, it is the only proof of something more existing in this universe.

The feeling you get when you look into the amber eyes of a beast that is more powerful and beautiful than I will ever be. That’s the feeling I chase every time.

The proof of something spiritual, something that deserves respect. The proof of God, even.

Some find it in temples, churches and prayer rooms. I find it in the smell & dust of the jungle and the eyes of a beast looking right back at me.

#consrove

Pride Of The Lions – Gir National Park.

I’m passionate about many things. Wildlife is one & writing is another. My last post on WordPress was four years ago. It’s been a long time and I’m not overly confident about starting again. But, here goes nothing! Hopefully, I can do justice to our experiences over the past few years.

Day 1:

Our most recent trip was to Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in November 2017. We drove from Mumbai (Bombay) to Gir which was a 17hr drive. We covered more than half the journey in the first leg as the Mumbai – Ahmedabad highway is one of the best highways in India. With the perfect scenery on both sides, clean and pothole-free roads and perfectly maintained hedges that divide the road this drive was buttery smooth. We stopped at a local dhaba on the highway, and had a wholesome meal for just Rs.200! Thick dal tadka, aromatic basmati rice, soft rotis (Indian flatbread) and eggplant (Bengan ki sabji) followed by spicy buttermilk a meal to remember in the most humble of surroundings. The restrooms on the highway are clean and decent but, ladies beware! Brace yourself for ‘open air’ restrooms.
Once in Ahmedabad we chose not to stay in the city but, took a detour of 30km to Nalsarovar, the world’s largest wetland bird sanctuary.

Prelude To The Jungle

Hello reader! I would like this to be the first thing that you read on my blog. Just a little note about who I am and why this blog is being written, you can also treat this post as a notice for all the information and suggestions that I hope to provide in this blog.