Nigel and Debbie Picknell reports on a private tour, arranged by Naturetrek, to Kanha Tiger Reserve.
Day 1 - Outbound
Our journey to Heathrow airport coincided with the worst storm of the winter. A normal drive of 1½ hours turned into a nail biting 3 hours and we arrived at the check in desk as it was closing. It was a mad rush to get to the gate in time but we made it with the doors closing behind us. We settled back for what turned out to be a delightful Jet Airways flight to Mombai.
Day 2 – Mombai, Nagpur and Kanha
We landed at Mombai airport at 40 minutes past midnight local time. We navigated our way to the domestic airport for our connecting flight after a long wait. On arrival at Nagpur we were taken to the Tuli International hotel for breakfast.
After breakfast we were plunged into the chaotic and tumultuous life of India. We witnessed bustling village markets and some very interesting driving! There were plenty of birds to be seen including Indian roller, bee-eaters and hoopoe. Rhesus macaques complete with babies lined the road in places and after seven hours we arrived at the Tuli Tiger resort in the late afternoon. We were quickly booked in and some much needed sandwiches and drinks were brought to our room.
In the evening we had a lovely dinner and met Devendra our guide for the duration of our stay. He was very attentive and understanding as we discussed and agreed the arrangements for the coming days.
Day 3 – Kanha
We left the resort at 5am and our driver Shail navigated through cattle lying in the road in order that we could be first in line at the outer park gate. Over the next 40 minutes the line of jeeps behind us grew increasingly longer.
We led the way to Kisli gate and an Indian hare was caught in the headlights as it scurried across the road. Moments later a brown fish owl swooped low over us. Our game drive had started early!
Good news at the Kisli gate as we discovered there was no longer a charge for taking a video camera into the park. We did though have to take a park guide with us on each occasion. These guides operate on a rota basis and are usually different for each game drive.
The first two hours passed quickly and we saw spotted deer, langur, peacocks, red-wattled lapwings, little egrets, Indian rollers and a brown fish owl. At Kanha village Shail set out a lovely breakfast for us. During breakfast Devendra appeared with a token for a tiger show that had just started. Breakfast was finished with hurried excitement and we left the car park full of anticipation.
At the appointed area we waited our turn before boarding an elephant and lumbering off into the jungle. News arrived that the tiger was on the move and our mahout changed direction and took a short cut through some dense and rather thorny undergrowth. Suddenly he pointed and said ‘tiger’. Moving through the bushes the stripped cat showed no sign of stopping. We took some brief pictures but despite the efforts of the mahouts on several elephants the tiger disappeared into the dense undergrowth. Our first tiger show was over oh so quickly but the thrill of the sighting lingered with us for the rest of the day.
The afternoon game drive showed chital (spotted deer), sambar and barasingha (swamp deer). A jackal was seen running across the meadowlands carrying dinner in its mouth. A large group of gaur (Indian bison) complete with cattle egrets were encountered as were two dhole (wild dog) playing in long grass. Mating Indian rollers completed our views for the day.
Dhole by Nigel Picknell
Day 4 – Kanha
We had another early start as we looked to build on the success of yesterday. Entering the Kisli gate the dawn chorus was in good voice as we passed wild boar and chital in the early light. As the sun rose we sat by a waterhole and watched red-wattled lapwing, snipe, little egrets and kingfishers.
All was eerily quiet on the trails and Devendra suggested an early breakfast at Kanha village. On the way we saw displaying peacocks and further groups of chital. We were starting to think it was going to be a slow day.
As we approached the village the mahouts on elephants were just setting out to try and find a tiger. It was a bizarre sight seeing a large TV aerial held by a mahout on top of an elephant. Our guide explained that tigers of eleven years or more are often tagged with a collar for research purposes and that the mahouts could use the aerial to track them.
We pulled into the car park alongside another jeep and saw a familiar face. Jonathan Scott (BBC Big cat and elephant diaries) chatted to us amiably before we all went for our breakfast. We then went to explore the interesting museum close by and afterwards Jonathan and his wife Angela kindly posed for some photos with Debbie.
Suddenly there was a buzz of excitement and were urged to board our jeep. An official with a clipboard and another one carrying a ladder joined us. We had token number two, the man in charge and the ladder for the tiger show. We soon found ourselves admiring a female tiger from elephant back.
The afternoon game drive produced plenty of deer and birds of prey including two vultures and a shikra. At a riverbed we observed several samba stags practicing the locking of their antlers as well as various ducks, egrets and a pond heron.
Day 5 – Kanha
Our early morning starts had become second nature and today Devendra told us that a tiger had already been spotted in the Kisli area. We elected to stay in that area in the hope of an early tiger show. Most of the other jeeps headed off to other parts of the park. We got early sightings of common kingfishers and both rufous and yellow crowned woodpeckers. A large male gaur also presented well.
We checked at two separate ranger stations but neither had any reports of tigers. We again decided to have an early breakfast but this time at the Kisli gate. On the way there we stopped to talk to some park officials in a jeep heading the other way and they confirmed that the mahouts had indeed started to track a tiger. At the Kisli gate there was only one other jeep there and we soon heading back for a tiger show. We climbed aboard an elephant at a dry riverbed and headed up an embankment. A slow steady climb took us to the top of the hill and as the ground levelled out we saw a beautiful large male tiger lying out in the open.
The viewing of the tiger was superb. The rising sun was projecting a warm orange glow that gave the perfect setting for taking photographs. The tiger co-operated throughout the encounter seemingly unconcerned with all of the attention. All too soon though we were being taken back down to our jeep.
It became clear on the way back to the Kisli gate that most of the other jeeps were too far away to join the tiger show. Our gamble had paid off and we now had the opportunity to capitalise on our good fortune. On reaching the gate we took the decision to buy another token for viewing the tiger for a second time. Just ahead of us Angie Scott and her friend had come to the same decision. After a quick breakfast we returned to the appointed spot to start our second tiger show of the day. The tiger was still slumbering out in the open in the warm sun and the photo opportunities were just as good as before.
In the afternoon we saw some fruit bats and a pack of dhole. The dhole were conveniently walking down the road toward us for several minutes and gave us some more great photos to help end a perfect day.
Gaur by Nigel Picknell
Day 6 – Kanha
We went straight to the Kisli area of the park. We had an early sighting of an Indian hare and a brief viewing of a rather shy muntjac. In the cool morning air we saw further gaur and peacocks. An early check at a ranger station confirmed that the mahouts had found a tiger. On reaching Kisli gate permission for a tiger show had been granted and soon afterwards we found ourselves on the back of an elephant journeying through the jungle. We came across the tiger heading towards us along a dry riverbed. Two other elephants were following him closely with mahouts and passengers aboard. The tiger proved to be more than a match for us as he suddenly changed direction and leapt up a bank and up a hill. We all gave chase trying to avoid low branches and flying leaves and twigs as we went. We had glimpses of the tiger through the dense undergrowth but just as he appeared to be cornered he showed his agility once more as he darted up a rocky outcrop to get away. At the top he stopped and looked down at us knowingly. Was that a smile we saw? Try as they might the elephants found the lose stones and the high rocks too much to safely climb. The head mahout decided that further pursuit would be too dangerous for all concerned and the tiger show was at an end.
Later that day our guide suddenly shouted ‘bees!’ and Shail sped forward to escape them. Our guide was just explaining how dangerous they could be when we came across a stationary jeep with a passenger nursing four nasty stings to the head. After that we saw gaur, deer, wild boar and numerous birds including Indian pond heron, shikra, jungle fowl, yellow bittern and lesser adjutant.
Day 7 – Kanha
Although it was quiet early on we had good sightings of wild boar, samba and gaur. Soon though we were heading for a tiger show.
Once again Devendra had excelled and we were fourth in line for the tiger show. As we waited in line the sky grew dark and ominous and a sudden flash of lightening and clap of thunder made us all jump. Soon after the mahouts returned saying that the tiger was on the move. A chance for an extended ride on an elephant presented itself but such thoughts were quickly dashed when the heavy skies finally opened with a downpour of rain. The tiger show was cancelled and with it our chances of seeing a tiger for the day.
We headed for the plateau area of the park and the weather improved quickly. A little while later we were enjoying our breakfast with a splendid panoramic view of the park. Only langurs were encountered for the remainder of the morning.
The afternoon entertainment came courtesy of a broken down jeep. As we pulled up alongside the five occupants of the jeep were leaning against it seemingly very relaxed about their plight. We soon realised that they were rather drunk and had in fact run out of petrol. The danger they were in had clearly escaped them! Not long after several other jeeps stopped and between all of the jeeps enough petrol was siphoned off to get the other jeep going again. We came across the same jeep late in the afternoon parked up with the occupants blissfully unaware that the park was closing! Our guide did eventually get them to understand that they needed to head for the exit straight away.
Tiger by Nigel Picknell
Day 8 – Kanha
Today we drove up and down the now familiar tracks several times listening to warning calls. Our guide was sure that a tiger was in the area. Every now and again we stopped to listen intently and our patience was put to the test. A call of a tiger echoed out and shortly afterwards a reply was heard. Our guide whispered that a mother and cub were close by. The excitement grew and then suddenly further along the road a young tiger bounded into view. Only time for a quick photo before we gave chase. We had another quick photo opportunity before the cub shot into the undergrowth and disappeared. An exhilarating moment and on examining the photos the cub was identified as being seven months old having only previously been seen once before at the age of three months. Nobody had seen it since and we were the only jeep to have seen it today as well.
No tiger shows at the Kisli or Kanha areas today. We opted to go to the Mukki area instead. We managed another brief view of a muntjac on the way and the long drive passed quickly. As we neared the area we passed the appointed spot of a tiger show with people boarding an elephant. Lady luck was again smiling on us it seemed. Life is full of surprises and today was to be no exception.
As we pulled into the car park at Mukki standing next to another jeep was Debbie’s uncle from Epsom! Now it is true to say that we knew he was going to be in India at the same time as us and that he might visit Kanha but to come across him in such a fashion was quite extraordinary. The other good news is that our guide secured token 22 out of 24 for the tiger show. The tiger in question turned out to be 14 months old and put in a rather cute performance peering out in a coy fashion from behind some bushes.
We enjoyed a sumptuous lunch back at Tuli Tiger resort where we were joined by uncle and his friend. Later that day we were privileged to witness the mahouts washing the elephants. Particularly enchanting was seeing a mahout playing with and chasing a baby elephant.
Day 9 – Kanha
Within minutes of entering the park we stopped to talk to a mahout on a motorbike on his way to report for work. He told our guide that he had come across and disturbed a tiger lying in the road only minutes before. Further along the road we did indeed come across fresh pugmarks but the tiger was nowhere to be seen. This was to be reinforced by the fact there were no tiger shows anywhere in the park today.
For the rest of morning and during the afternoon we admired the newly hatched butterflies in particular the clouds of common crows. There were plenty of deer to see and we were kept enthralled by the sheer variety of birds. These included parakeets, jungle crows feasting on a carcass, greater racket tailed drongos, rufous-bellied eagle and yellow wagtail. A late sighting of a jackal was also pleasing and we ended the day looking into a beautiful orange sunset.
Tiger by Nigel Picknell
Day 10 – Kanha, Nagpur and Mombai
For our last game drive we were again first in line at the park gates. With the school exams over vehicle numbers today were high with 80 jeeps entering the park. The soft morning light revealed pugmarks and Devendra decided to stay in the same area. As the light grew brighter none of the ranger stations were reporting any tiger sightings. We left one such station and as we turned a corner in the road there walking toward us was a nine-foot long male tiger. There was a chorus of ‘tiger!’ Shail expertly manoeuvred the jeep so that he could drive away from the tiger allowing us to take pictures from the rear seats. Two other jeeps were following the tiger closely. Too closely as far as one of them was concerned.
The minutes ticked by. Every time the tiger started to get too close the jeep would move forward and stop again. The tiger put on quite a display. Firstly he stopped to spray his scent on some bushes then a little later he lay down and tasted the ground with his tongue to identify any other tiger in his territory. He continued to walk down the road for the next 40 minutes and the photo opportunities kept coming. The guides were as excited as we were.
The jeep that had been following the tiger too closely finally lost patience and forced the animal off the road to get in front. The tiger set off down the road again but this time our photo opportunities were restricted due to the other jeep. Then in a moment of complete madness the front passenger of the other jeep got out and walked around the vehicle to get a close up picture of the tiger. He then climbed into the back of the jeep leaving us all open mouthed in disbelief. This was an act of great danger and stupidity and the man was lucky to escape unharmed. The guides in our vehicle took pictures of this act of folly and said that they would report the incident. The same jeep continued to harass the tiger and despite our plea to keep its distance it finally upset the tiger and the animal headed off into the jungle.
We exited via the Kisli gate and stopped to have the breakfast that we had all forgotten about in our excitement. The head mahout stopped to talk to our guide and listened intently to his tale of our morning adventure. He smiled when he told us that no other tigers had been seen that morning anywhere else in the park and on looking at our pictures advised that the mahouts had not seen the tiger that had been walking down the road for over two months. We returned to the Tuli Tiger resort in triumph counting our good fortune every inch of the way.
In the afternoon we headed back to Nagpur by car still in an excited mood. Somehow the drive didn’t seem as long this time!
Day 11 – Mombai to London
An early morning flight from Mombai left on time. Another excellent flight by Jet Airways to Heathrow gave us time to reflect on what had been a truly magical adventure.
Acknowledgement
This trip will always remain memorable because of the warmth and friendliness that we encountered along the way.
The dedication and professionalism of our driver Shail as well as our guide Devendra followed the helpfulness and kindness of Rajan Jolly of Naturetrek. Nothing was too much trouble for Devendra who also looked after us at the Tuli Tiger resort. The resort staff should also be commended for their helpful and friendly attitude during our stay. Finally, we are grateful to Jonathan and Angela Scott for being so friendly and for taking the time and trouble to stop and talk to us.
From start to finish the whole trip was one of enormous pleasure.
Interested in Private Group Travel?
Over the years we have organised many private group tours for schools, clubs, societies and private parties. These have included tours for the Friends of Kew, the Hampshire Ornithological Society, the Environmental Investigation Agency, local RSPB groups, as well as many smaller private groups of friends. Most importantly, because such groups come ready-made and are organised but not marketed by us, substantial savings are inevitably made, either for the benefit of group members, or for the benefit of your club or society, being a means of fund-raising. So, if your RSPB group, wildlife club, or group of friends might be interested in a privately organised group tour which might also raise club funds, please call David Mills or Andy Tucker on 01962 733051.