The Sal trees were towering up on one side, and the other side opened to huge grasslands. These kinds of grassland clearings are a common sight in the Tiger reserves. These could have been former agricultural lands or village settlements that have been relocated outside the forest as part of conservation. It is such grasslands that give a clear view of the tiger if we have the luck of seeing it. 

The jeep came to a halt near a watering hole, hoping for the tiger to turn up. The forest guides and jeep drivers are very knowledgeable. This being one of the usual spots to see a tiger, and being early morning, there was a chance for the tiger to come for a drink. A herd of deer came by to have a drink. 

The last thing I want to see in a forest is a calm and composed deer. If there is a tiger movement nearby, the deer would bark and alert the other deer to be cautious. However, these were like at a pool party, drinking water and locking horns. There was no sign of a tiger.

Further Exploring Bandhavgarh In Search Of Spotty

Further down, it was now a thick jungle, with tall trees the sun rays were trying hard to penetrate through the branches. The jeep came to a halt, and the driver pointed out the pug marks on the ground. 

Not just one! 

Little scurry pug marks all over the place with a giant pug mark here and there! 

A tigress with her cubs. “This has to be Spotty,” exclaimed the forest guide. 

He stood on the jeep seat to have a good look past the bushes. However, the bushes were thick, and unless the tiger decides to walk on the mud path, it isn’t easy to spot. We drove back and forth a little and noticed that the little paw marks disappeared at a short distance, and only the big paw mark continued. 

This means the mother has hidden her cubs among the bushes and has gone for a drink or could be for a hunt. The cubs were just a few months old, and they will not come out unless their mother gives a call. 

I have never seen tiger cubs before, and my previous tiger sightings at Tadoba were all from a distance. 

So, the craving to see the tiger cubs were now high, and I wished they would come out to play for a while. We drove around the patch of bushes for a time, but the cubs were nowhere to be seen nor their mother. We arrived at a T junction and decided to wait with the anticipation that the mother will eventually come to her kids this way.  

The silence of the forest was broken by the chirpy parakeets and the sweet sound of a cuckoo. I decided to sink in my seat and listen to the musical concert. Half an hour I was passed. I was still looking through the canopy of trees. The place was teeming with birds. 

Indian roller, woodpecker, rose-ringed parakeet, crested serpent eagle, so many birds were putting up a show. 

Half an hour turned into one hour, and we were still at the same spot, wondering if we should wait for the tigress or go in search of some other tiger. 

But patience is the key to spot wildlife in the jungle, so we decided to give some more time.

The jeep driver immediately steered the vehicle in the direction of the bark. One more deer joined the single deer bark. 

My heart was pounding now, and I was desperately praying to get a glimpse of the tiger. The driver stopped the vehicle again at the T junction with hopes of seeing the tiger. 

The bark intensifies, there is a ruffle of bushes, and then a figure moves in a distance. A couple of more jeeps joined, and others were trying their best to get a view. She walked slowly through the bushes towards us. 

The Yellow and Orange tinge came closer and closer. There she is! 

I was now standing on top of my seat with excitement. 

What was it dangling from her mouth? 

I tried to look harder, and my guide was satisfied. 

She has a kill in her mouth, exclaimed the driver. We could see a dead fawn in her mouth. She walked closer and closer. 

That majestic walk, gentle yet felt thunderous, least bothered about the presence of the human, with the fawn swaying from her mouth. 

She was spotty. 

She was taking the kill to feed her cubs. I could feel a lump in my throat and go numb. Never have I seen a tiger before from such proximity. Her sheer size made me feel so puny, and I was amazed by her beauty. 

She was huge. One way of her paw was enough to put me down. 

The guide asked me to take a video, and all I did was just froze! 

She gave eye contact and moved past our jeep. She walked past the path and disappeared into the thick bushes walking towards her kids.  

I froze into my seat with what I had just witnessed. The forest guide and the driver were elated too. That is how the jungle is, and it is filled with stories. It is the same forest, the same zones, the same trees, and the same inmates, but every safari has a different story to tell. 

It’s new every time you go on a safari, and a bond gets slowly developed with the wildlife. I will never hesitate to make another trip to Bandhavgarh. 

This sighting was in December 2016, and by now, the cubs would have grown into sub-adults and will be on their journey. I hope I get to meet them soon. 

If you would like to visit Bandhavgarh National Park, here are some tips:

How to reach Bandhavgarh National Park:

The nearest airport is Jabalpur and Khajuraho, from where another 5hrs drive or so is Bandhavgarh. 

It is better to have your vehicle from any of these places as the roads are not so great, there are no direct buses, and more importantly, these buses consume a lot of time. 

If planning to go by bus, Umaria is the place you should hop to before taking a bus to Bandhavgarh

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Best time to visit:

The park is open from October to June. And as a thumb rule, summers being the best time to spot wildlife. 

How to book wildlife safari at Bandhavgarh:

You can book safaris through the Madhya Pradesh Tourism National Park Website – Forest department of Madhya Pradesh. Input your dates and look for available slots and book the same.

A valid ID card needs to be presented at the counter in the park. 

Jeep and guide charges are extra from the safari ticket charges which you are paying online. 

You can take an entire jeep for yourself or look out for other travellers and join along. 

You can also book tickets across the counter, and I am not sure if a few tickets are reserved for off-the-counter sales. 

But, I read that you need to be early at the counter and be in the queue. 

Tip – The morning safaris are longer than the evening safaris. 

Where to stay?

I stayed at the Tiger’s Den Resort, which is very close to the Tala gate. The resort is one of the oldest in the region they know very well about the park, Bandhavgarh town, local places to visit and help you with arranging jeep pick up from the garden. 

They have few furnished spacious cottages with room heater provision and some newly constructed rooms and a swimming pool. 

During the leisure time, when you are not off to safari, there is a library, a souvenir shop, and also a fireplace to sit around, sip tea and meet fellow travellers. 

The food here was another highlight. 

I Got to taste some Madhya Pradesh specialities, and it was a great spread of buffet. 

Having an experienced manager who tells you interesting stories from the jungle was another highlight. If you are in Bandhavgarh, I would recommend a stay here.

Book your stay at Tiger’s Den here – Click here 

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

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