Kanha National Park - An experience

It is a great feeling to write the experaince on my first visit to a national park in the northern part of India, the world renowned Kanha national park, in Madhya Pradash. It was the first All India tour organized by the Photographic Society of Madras.

Twelve enthusiastic photographers met at the Central Railway Station, Chennai on the 5th April 2009 to catch the Sangamitra express to Nagpur and the fun filled photography action packed trip started in the train in the evening, It was great fun in the train as all were discussing about photography, their experience and the new trends and techniques on photography. The excitement was high and the energy level was on top notch even after an overnight journey in the train when we reached on the next day at Nagpur, the group got ready after a well spread breakfast and jumped in to the vehicle and head towards Kanha National Park (one of the first nine tiger reserves brought under project tiger) and reached the Kisli Gate in the evening.

The society has arranged a simple but comfortable accommodation inside the park, as we felt the jungle as herd of chitals gracing right in front of the Kisli lodge. The members of the group quickly settled down after a refreshment and make themselves ready with the equipments for the next day's early morning shoot. Every one hit the bed after a good dinner in the jungle canteen with some unique alarm calls of the Sambar and Spotted Deer. Straight away we have realized the fact that we are in the middle of the tiger territory, it was confirmed when the lodge keeper said they have seen a tiger walking right next to the accommodation few months ago.

Our first safari started on the next day at 5.30 a.m. when we all jumped into the jeep at the Kisli gate. Being the first day our safari jeep paperwork for the guide allotment was delayed. And when you are at the last jeep which enters the forest means lots of dust on you and on the equipments.

We were welcome by the big herd of chitals and Sambars, and the first sighting of the largest wild cattle , the Indian Gaur was sighted just few meters off the jeep. As soon as we enter the park there was a mad rush to see the Tigers and we cannot blame them that Kanha is known for its rich tiger population and the high possibility of tiger sighting than any other tiger reserve in India. And we were also of no difference that we too reached at the meadow area on the search for Tigers.

We have photographed Langurs, Sambar, and Spotted Deers on the way. The bird life in Kanha is great but it is perceptible that 99% of the people there concentrate on mammals, if any one goes there with a 500mm+ lens I am sure they can come with some amazing shots of the birds. We got very excited when we saw the Rocket Drango’s flying across the safari road often between the trees and unfortunately that I couldn’t take any decent pictures as I was holding only a 200mm lens and the birds were very active and sitting on a thick bush.

The guide has asked us that if we were interested in the Tiger show that we need to go and check at the center point for the location of Tiger and to get the token for the Elephant safari for the Tiger show. On the way we have spotted the elephant safari trial and elephants were taking the tourist from the jeep to the thick bush off the road as a male tiger was lying there. And we got curious and asked the driver to go to the center point to get the token and all of a sudden elephants were returning with the ladder as the sign of the tiger show has been called off due to the tiger movement. And there was a mad rush to see the tiger as people moving their jeeps in all directions of the meadow to predict the tigers exit from the thick woods. And all of a sudden a boy was screaming at the back in a jeep ‘see tiger, tiger’ and this majestic animal started walking in the meadow and all the pray animals started to flee. There was a big sand storm started drizzling and it was too late that we reached the road in which the tiger was crossing and nearly 20 jeeps were in front of us.

One of our groups was the first and the members got some great shots of it. It just crossed the road and didn’t care of any body and disappeared into the thick bush on the other side. More than photographing this magnificent animal it was great experience and pleasure to watch and enjoy the animal itself. The day safari was called off due to bad weather and we have started rupturing to the camp. There was great chat on every bodies experience in the room and took a nap after a good meal and got ready for the next safari in the evening.

In the evening safari we have spotted a Shikra sitting in a branch very close to us and in the enroute we have spotted a herd of Sambars moving towards the nearby waterhole. So we have asked the driver to back up and waited there for the Sambars to enter the waterhole. It was a great fun watching them and all of a sudden two Sambars stood on the two legs facing each other
and it was well captured by all in that jeep. Some wild boar sighting happened on our return to the camp. and we have spotted a tiger sitting in the bush just few feets away fron the road. Due to poor lighting a chance of capturing was impossible.

we hit the bed after freshening up and good meal was served at the Madhya Pradesh tourism canteen. This routine was continued for the next three days. As each session was an eventful one with some good sightings of birds and mammals, The birds we have spotted includes Indian Roller, Shikra, Rocket Drango, Vultures, Serpent Eagle, Changeable hawk Eagle, Black shouldered kite, Indian tree pie, Gray horn bill, Jungle fowl, plenty of Peacocks, Wood pigeon, Jungle owlet, Yellow spotted pigeon, Golden leaf bird red lap wing, Wood picker, Paradise flycatcher, blossom headed parakeet, White Breasted kingfisher, Coppersmith, Cormorants etc

On the third day morning safari, we experienced some dramatic morning lighting at the meadow area. And made some interesting backlit shots of Spotted Deer, Languor and Barasingha etc., Took the elephant safari for the tiger spotting and captured with some bird photographs as well. On our way back at the badrinath section we have spotted a leopard sitting on a tree with a Sambar kill and feeding, it was way too far for a 200mm lens. I have met a photographic enthusiast from Pune, shooting with his 400 Prime lens and enjoyed some outstanding pictures through his LCD in which he has captured the leopard feeding .

The evening safari we have decided to go to Bamni Dadar famously known as sunset point of Kanha. It was a 2 hrs drive through the forest and enjoyed photographing the wildlife on the way, we have reached the top spot just before 6 p.m. In the route we took, everyone could feel that birds and animals were very shy than the prime tourist zone. It clearly gives the answers to many nature photographer’s usual question of , whether the core forest area is the better place to make picture? On our way we have seen a gaur with a 3 day old calf and the mother was not happy with our presense and we had to move out quickly once we have taken some pictures of it.

I have decided to make some different pictures so I set my tripod and started making some panorama and sunset pictures. It was a bit tough to give exposure for the panorama as one end of the work space facing the towards the sun and the other end facing the shadow, it was one of the toughest panorama exposure I have tried so far and my light meter was handy and on top of that I made some guess and captured the image. The full bigger version of the panorama can be seen here.

Some members of the team took some very interesting silhouette pictures and we left as soon as the sun fully set by keeping the 2 hrs return travel back to the base camp in mind. It was a good sign when we reached the Mukki gate as the road seems to be fine and then started the roller coaster ride and we were driving through the National Park boundary and it was a truly a night safari experience . Many places the road were cut we had to take a detour to avoid empty rivers and it was a bumpy and only 4WD can handle kind of road. We have spotted a pack of wolfs crossing the road as told as very rare sighting by the guide, nightjar, wild boar were among a few other species we have spotted. It was 9 p.m. when we reached the base camp and hit the bed straight after the dinner.

The forth and the final day was very special as we have witnessed many unique sightings on the whole day. Again at the Kisli gate we struck for a few minutes due to guide allotment issue and we were at the 7th position on the road. And all of a sudden all the front running jeeps came to a halt with their tyres were screaming on the ground and a male tiger was lying in the bush just off the safari track. Again we were not on the vantage spot to capture the tiger which was sleeping on the ground and he has started rolling, got up then crossed the road and disappeared in the bush, it was hardly a few minutes and it was over. One of our group was on the best vantage point and the best of the tiger shots were taken by the members of the jeep. On our journey towards the meadows our driver stopped on the alarm calls of the birds. He has given two chances to us , either to go to center point for the elephant safari token or wait here for a possible tiger crossing. We have decided to stay and try our luck. The topography of the spot we were waiting was a typical South Indian kind of jungle with thick and dense tropical green jungle patch as the visibility of the bush and the woods were hardly few feet. There was a pin drop silence on the road except some birds call and all of a sudden we could feel the alarm calls of the small birds and peacocks were rapid and was getting closer. It was a clear sign that tiger is somewhere close by. Again there was a pin drop silence and all of a sudden rapid alarm calls of the Sambar deer from the thick wood patch, it was a 40 minutes agonizing wait and by the time the information spread and there was a mad rush of safari jeeps from the other direction of the road. All the jeeps has been signaled to switch off and wait, the Sambar alarm call was getting intense and there was a first roar of a tiger from inside the wood patch. And it increased rapidly and closed towards the road. All of a sudden our driver sensed the crossing spot and he backed off the vehicle and stopped it. There you see the power of the animal which is on top of the food chain of the Indian jungle. Every living creature was reacting for the Tiger's arrival and we felt that the whole jungle was vibrating with its roar. It was a hair raising the experience. Finally it enters from the lush green push into the road; I forgot to photograph and was just watching it. We were the only jeep on the other side. I realized myself and started to fire my camera and took a few shots. It disappeared on the other side of the bush. In my point of view all the possible tiger pictures were taken already by people but this one experience was a ultimate prize of the trip.

On our way towards the meadow we took the chhapar talab for the leopard. And by the time we reach there are a few jeeps already spotted the leopard in the bush literally 20 meters away from the road and the camouflage was fantastic I have spotted it only after scanning the ground with the help of the binocular. And the leopard started to tuck himself under the bush as a group of small chitals were approaching the bush from the other side. Our driver told there might be luck to witness a hunt but it gone in the air when the chitals spotted the predator and flee for their lives. The disappointed leopard walked off the ground and climbed on top of the rock as a vantage point to look for the pray and disappeared into the jungle. The morning safari ended with some great sightings and photographs. It was time we had to return to the base camp for lunch.

Our final and the 8th safari of the trip was even more eventful as we were traveling in the jeep all of a sudden my friend who was sitting on the back seat scrammed to stop the vehicle and jumped out of his seat and asked the driver to pull the jeep back A leopard was lying on a rock just 20 feet away from the road on the eye level. As you could guess we all went mad and fired our shutters and filled our CF cards. In 2 minutes with no prior warning it ran away and disappeared into the bush. We and one of the other jeep were present realized that we get some special pictures. And we started our safari once again and took the left crossing for a potential water hole for the range tiger and seen one jeep in front of us stopped in a hurry and there it was a male tiger sitting on the side of the road majestically just in front.. Luckily we got the space on the side of the road and we were on the front row finally. And it was a fun outing with the tiger for one and half hours and he has refused to move and gone back to sleep. As the sun was setting fast there was no sign for this guy to move from the very same spot. we captured nearly 100 images of this great beast from a close quarter and later it quickly disappeared in to the bush. It was a very thrilling 90 minutes as we have witnessed some wonderful tiger sleeping and yawning habits.

As the sun was seting fast and with the happy ending of the trip we returned to the base camp. There were some serious thoughts went through my mind on tiger conservation. Because of some disturbing news that Kanha has lost 6 tigers in the last 5 months on various reasons. Madhya Pradesh tourism is making good revenue on the tiger tourism and it is clear if the tiger disappear from these jungles it will lose 90% of their revenue. But they should seriously consider to stop the so called tiger show as it is more of a harassment for the animal end of the day.

And tigers are very important for the eco system to protect our forests from the deforestation by humans. At the beginning of the 20th century India is believed to have 20000 tigers in the wild and we have hardly 1500+ now. That too after the intiative of the project tiger. Sarisksha is a bad example for a poor tiger management. If we fail to protect this magnificent animals in the wild and giving the opportunity to our next generation to enjoy and experience its beauty we all who live in this century will be considered as failed nature lovers. The well known tiger conservationist and researcher Valmik Thapar told once in Nat geo that he is chasing the politicians and bureaucrats more than the tigers to protect them. Each one of us has the accountability to do our part that our voice to protect the nature and the tiger in the wild to be heard loud and clear. And it seems even if we need to maintain today’s tiger numbers in the wild it will be a long journey but a dream destination.

It will be only possible if the government to step up the diplomatic pressure on China, Tibet and Hong Kong for the tiger body parts trade and the illegal smuggling of the tiger body parts from India and in parallel indian government to spend more money and resources to run an effective job creation for the local villagers and the habitat restoration. The blame game between the forest officials and the local police has to be stopped and everyone has to put their acts together for a single agenda of tiger conservation in mind. Lets see if any Government has the guts to bring the tiger poaching under the capital punishment section. Kanha is on of the best managed parks and has a good history of the wild life conservation. The staffs of the park seems to be very focused on the betterment of the park.

Special thanks to the PSM member Mr. P Ramanan for his valuable assistance and advise to organize the trip and to Mr. Laxman for making all the arrangements. Thanks for reading and click on the pictures for a bigger view.