2getherness & the joy of it

inseparable almost like a shadow

Hey All,

InFocus is back again. Nature’s canvas transported you to serene misty mornings at Bharatpur. Thank you for loving it, embracing it, and admiring it. This week it is “….” times again. What “….” time? you got it right “tiger times”.

Let me take you to this summer evening at Bandhavgarh—the summer of 22. Hot summer with temperatures in the mid-40s (degree centigrade) it was not easy for us on our safaris. As we scouted around the park unsuccessfully the whole afternoon, visiting waterhole after waterhole as well as all potential spots to spot the elusive tiger, a bit of despondency set in as the clock ticked to closing time.

Bandhavgarh in Central India is among India’s top-rated tiger national parks with the highest density of tiger population. Its topography being so distinct and unique provides a wonderful opportunity to make pictures of its most famous inhabitant against gorgeous backdrops. The saying goes that “in any other national park you are lucky if you see a tiger, in Bandhavgarh you are unlucky if you do not see at least 1”. Against this backdrop, that afternoon our luck and patience were getting tested.

With hardly any minutes left on the clock, we converged on a watering hole and saw this peacock dancing at its other end.

The summer had dried up the grass outside of the water body and against this brown/yellow backdrop, it was easy to spot the peacock with all its resplendent colors. But a tiger? Next to impossible. The master of camouflage needed someone as experienced as our guide to be spotted as he scoured the area. Our guide spotted those ears as the head bobbed up and the ears cocked up, far away on the other side of the water body.

There are at least 9-10 safari vehicles that had arrived at the watering hole to take a last chance, but none spotted him, our guide did. He was far away, only my Nikon Z 9 and the Nikkor 400 mm f 2.8 helped me get this image.

It was park closing time. For ALL. Not US. We were on a Full Day permit which allowed us an additional 15 minutes in the park. As the safaris started moving out, we were left behind with just one other vehicle which too was on a full-day permit. The commotion of vehicles moving subsided soon. Even the tiger noticed it.

Patience was all that we needed, but we also had only 15 additional minutes on hand. 15 additional minutes, mean a lot in the Indian wild as we were soon to find out.

Will it MOVE? Will it Get Up? Would we be lucky? Thoughts engulfed my mind. There was silence around as both the vehicles had trained photographers who knew the importance of sitting still, breathing light. I looked up my camera settings: shutter speed, ISO, Exposure Compensation et al. Minutes ticked, and sweat beads appeared on my forehead. No sign yet. Stay calm, I told myself. Think positive.

And it got UP, not just Got Up, but Walked Down.

1-2-3 … it kept walking down. We were a fair distance away. The camera on my bean bag, shutters buzzing all around me, we made the most of its movement, as it walked. It was a young cub, it was Dotty’s cub. Dotty of the Dotty & Spotty fame (Spotty the Golden Girl)

The Golden Girl

It walked down and had options, to turn right and walk away from us or turn a bit left and walk straight at us. What would it do?

It turned left, spotted us, paused, and looked straight into my eyes, ears up. The waterbody on its left and close by the grass around it now had a tinge of green & yellow and it contrasted well against that. How good-looking was it? What do you say?

The shutter did not stop buzzing for the next 10 - 15 minutes at all.

It was evening and the sun was setting fast, throwing a golden hue at an acute angle, lighting up the grass on my right. The tiger had by now fixed its gaze on us and did not leave that once. It was alert. Dotty mamma had trained it well. On the soft grass turf, it walked and walked briskly.

There was a purpose in its walk.

1-2 … it walked fast … not stopping once

And then it turned left, straight towards us. It was close and its youthful frame filled my camera frame. Those piercing eyes were ruthless I thought. It was maturing fast into one of those deadly predators.

It was time for us to step back, move and give it its space. It commanded that respect. We reversed on that sandy dust track. The other safari vehicle had betted on it turning towards them and now were left ruing that call as it was now ahead of them with its back to them and we were head-on, reversing our safari and keeping space.

That is the advantage of having Sachin Rai with us as well as Saleem bhai with us at the wheel. Keep the distance, and do not let it feel threatened so that it walks the track and does not go into the woods. Experience and tiger behaviors understanding came to the fore and did it help? It sure did. It paused temporarily.

It then walked and paused again on the embankment of the road.

Then turned its back and fixed its gaze on that side.

Why? I wondered, on the track it came again.

Few steps, as we kept reversing and it paused and turned back again. At that moment there was hardly any time to think. As I was busy only making all the images shooting on burst mode. but my mind still wanted an answer.

And the answer ARRIVED., on the bend. Tiger no 2, arrived. Holy shit, I said, this is gonna be fun. We hit “Pay Dirt” on that dusty track.

Soon they were 2gether, in Unison. The elder one is in the front and the younger one is behind. Or was it so? Think & let me know, what you think.

They were like shadows or ghosts of each other. They were now walking at a fair clip and we were reversing. Saleem bhai at the wheel was brilliant and kept the vehicle on the track. The track was serpentine and the tigers ahead had raised the adrenaline high. Our sole intent was to keep them on track and have them Head On as long as possible. This was a Rare opportunity, with no disturbance and distraction around.

From 1 they became 2 again. Hanging from my side (I was on the first row, opposite the drive side), on the bean bag, keeping my focus intact, my camera was on overdrive, there was no opportunity to check the images and make any adjustments. All the training and experience and preparation were being put to use.

They walked long, but time flew fast. They were out of breath just as we were too.

They decided to pause and rest on a bend.

I made a few frames while they paused. One stood and the other sat. Guess who sat and who stood? Answers … let me know.

But the one who stood was the fiercer one as it now looked straight into my eyes, and boy was it fearsome. What do you feel? One leap and he would have been on my lap (powers of positive thinking, you can say)

The other tiger was more nonplussed. Cool Cat it was. Who is the more dangerous? The one who looks cooler or the one who looks fearsome?

Your answers, please.

You have both of them in 1 frame, so easy to make a decision.

Meanwhile, the coolest dude was Saleem bhai. The way he maneuvered the vehicle so expertly, never threatening the tigers, keeping a safe distance, yet allowing us an opportunity to make great images, was simply fantastic. Had never seen Sachin so excited as he shot a host of images too.

Was simply a gorgeous evening at Bandhavgarh.

2getherness and the joy of being together for the tigers as they clung to each other, inseparable like shadows of each other, was something to experience.

Hope you enjoyed InFocus. Do share your comments and observations and of course answers to all those questions which my mind threw up.

Also please do share ahead with friends and family and colleagues. These unique wonderful experiences may excite many to explore the wild and help grow and support tourism and appreciation of nature.

So long then, until next week.

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