Documenting the growth of 5 Tiger cubs in Pench Tiger Reserve : 2011-2013

Superb pictures KS [and SK & ors.] and congrats for seeing so many tigers.

I did not even know about this thread. Pench sounds very, very inviting, and I will ask you for info as and when a trip opportunity arrives.

KS, for inserting pictures, use "Insert Image" and select a suitable size from your Flickr or any other online photos. Insert Image gives flexibility with where you want your picture to appear. I have not been able to figure out how to place an attached picture exactly where I want it.

Do post some more from your Pench adventures.

@snonymous: Thanks for the Image Insert tip. Will try that out. I know you love flowers and orchids, but don't know if you are interested in Birds? if so there are numerous varieties in Pench and the Park Guides there (one is mandatory with each safari-Gypsy) can identify every bird species there and know their formal names too! They have such keen eyes that they can spot these birds on tree tops several feet up in the air. The park has some scenic streams and waterholes that are teeming with all kinds of animals and birds especially in this pre-monsoon summer heat!

Will upload some of those (non-Tiger) Birds & Other Animals pics here soon
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I love anything in nature KS. Even dry leaves on the forest floor!

Looking forward to those pics.

snonymous: Instead of posting just some pictures, I am thinking I should do "a story-outline with embedded pictures" copying your style from that Himachal Thread (that I liked so much!). I will start, maybe, from tomorrow.
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Thats a great idea KS sir. I suggest you start a new thread about your experiences and explorations here.

Here's what we experienced 2 days back


regards,
Dr. A Ghosh

Abheek: Nice shot by Varun. Who is this Tiger/ess?

Lovely, Abheekg

Took me a while to shortlist 144 pics from over 600 pics I had shot! Uploaded them on Flickr; yet to label all of them. Anyway here is the link:

Pench Tiger Reserve (144 pics):
http://flickriver.com/photos/ks_blue...7626648703065/
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Fantastic shots KS. I thought you were going to post them here with your report.

I love that owl of yours in particular.

Thanks snonymous. Its going to take some time to write that report and I will embed some of these Flickr pics in that. Probabaly will be in a New Thread as suggested by abheek. Will post that link here when that gets started.
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Great Pics.

Ronak.

This is one of the male cubs of collarwali.

Although this is a post on Collarwali and her cubs, I fell this post is turning into a comprehensive encyclopedia into Tiger families of Pench.

So let me enrich it further by adding the pics of another dominant Tigress with 2 cubs - The Baghin Nala Tigress with whom I had recently had a great encounter.

We spotted the Tigress in the water early in the course of the evening drive and we went back on the road and waited for her to come out of the water and walk her territory for patrolling. My lucky stars were properly aligned that day and I ended up having the best sighting of this elusive lady.

Here are a series of shots of her approaching.












We were driving in reverse gear all the while the Tigress was approaching us. But seeing her bearing down on us fast, we realised that she wanted to overtake us and get on with her patrolling so we slowed down and let here pass us. While crossing our vehicle she glanced and looked at me sideways to say as if " This is just the trailer buddy, I will be back for more"

And then giving me this final look, she asked us to go away and stop following her.


regards,
Dr. A Ghosh

Just back from Pench National Park post 2.5 days and 4 drives (2 Monring and 2 Evening)Firstly, thanks to Abheekg (Dr. Abheek Ghosh) to helped us guide and plan the trip and joining us from Nagpur- it was grt meeting a wild life enthusiast like you, Abheek - who keeps shuttling between the Operation table (Cardiology) and the Wildlife table at Pench... what a balancing act buddy !

Coming back to Pench.... firstly, the perception that Wild is sighted more often in the mornings as in the evenings was proven a myth, with most of our wildlife sightings happening in the Evenings....may be its summer and the heat brought the animals to the waterbodies... Saw a Huge male tiger swimming and strolling thereafter at Junewani, where Abheekg had news of action...And then at Baghinnaala - we saw Tigress and Cubs - quite matured ones... the next day had a sighting of a Male bu relaxing close to the Baghinnala...Besides, tigers, the forest is beautiful and has a lot to offer - like - Real big sized Sambars, Stags, deers, Bisons, Wild boars, Jackal (Saw 2 jackals trying to tear apart a male stag- very close- 20 m) and a plethora of birds the best being balck n white storks, neelkanth, serpentile eagles and many more...

The park is beautiful and a must visit for the wildlifers....especially since its a 2 hrs simple drive from Nagpur (Any travel guy would charge 1500 for a drop) One from Mumbai can take an overnight train and reach Nagpur in the morn or an Flight and a drive is also doable (840 Kms- Gautam Basak, Abheeks Team BHP friend who was at Pench drove in a day with one break at Lonar)

Pluses :
(1)Beautiful Park & Good Wildlife.
(2)A very strong Tiger sighting opportunity - 3 Main tigresses - Baghinnala mother has 2 cubs, Junewaani Badee Mada tigress has 2 Cubs and Ali-patta Collarwaali has 5 Cubs...so more cubs and chances of them staying around the same place is strong. Also a few Male tigers, but they are shy than their Peers at BG and Kanha.
(3) Still not commercial as BG and Kanha and thats good - few good hotels in 2000-3000 Range (AC Rooms)- Bagheera Retreat, Pugmarks, Vulcan (Air Coolers), S.Kumar and Mughli land, Mahua Vann and Pench Jungle camp in 5k-7k range.

Minuses :
(1) The Forest department - you literally waste 1 hour in the morning to get in the park. Despite online safari bookings, one has to go around 4 counters (As someone rightly wrote- to give more jobs, they divided one mans work across 4) and you enter the park as late as 6 AM (Ideal is 5 AM)
(2) Tiger Shows did not happen for 2 days (Saturdays and Sundays) and the forest authorities were almost irresponsible and shameless to just smile, without any reason. Seems some new Forest officer, in his whims to prove his strictness is trying to play a spoiltsport.- We could not see the Collarwaali - the main star of Pench as there were no shows !
(3) Forest is monotonous unlike Kanha and Gir. So u might be full post 3-4 drives....But Pench Maharashtra is a lovely place for a diverse drive. ( can use ur car/car rental guys car)

Some must -
(1)Do carry your sunscreens, sunglasses, hats n caps and big scarfs to cover ur face and lots of water in the safaris as the heat is good...but not as bad as Tadoba. The heat is worth the great sighting and experience.
(2) Do Carry BINOCULARS (10X50 or plus) as the Tigers may not be as close as in BG or Tadoba (besides the Tiger shows on elephant, if they ever happen... So u may need them. (thank God I I bought one -Olympus 10X50 just a while back. Also carry High Zoom Cameras (100X300) and if videotaping High Zoom Handycams (I has 40X, wished had 100X)
(3) Do visit PENCH MAHARASHTRA for an hour on ur way back to Nagpur - Tiger sighting is Zero, but its a beautiful forest with amazing landscape and hills and plain and a huge Pench water body- We saw alomst 6-7 animal species - Neelgai, Sambhar, Deers, Jackal and a few Birds much closer than MP in just a 30 min drive in an AC Indica... A worth visit to see how ONE FOREST DIVIDED OVER 2 STATES has DIVERSE LOOKS & TOPOGRAPHY !

Do seek guidance and views from India Mike and keep following this thread by Dr. Abheek Ghosh who is there almost every week..More on my blog soon (www.thewildindia.blospot.com)

I have some fantastic Vidoes of the trip - Any suggestion guys on (1) how to covert DV Cassetes to CD/DVD Format ( I have some 10 DVs of all my wildlife experience) and (2) How and where to Upload to share them wih fellow wildlife enthusiasts ?

Cheers !
JM
www.thewildindia.blogspot.com

Fantastic write up and photos, Abheek and Jalpesh.

Link to my Picasa Album on Pench Tiger Reserve:

https://picasaweb.google.com/sadanan...eserveMay2011#