First light; creeping through Indian jungle on the back of an open jeep; winding dirt tracks that weave through trees of teak, sal and banyan; knotted vines trailing down through a heavy morning mist. Hazy hues of pink and orange spill through the canopy, and the silence is pierced only by the unfamiliar dawn chorus, alongside staggered alarm calls from a spotted deer, sambar or langur. Before anything is even seen a primal response is triggered inside. Barely ten minutes later a shout behind my left ear: “Tiger!”

The Holy Grail for many wildlife enthusiasts comes into view, as it skulks through the grass in the dim light.

I felt exceptionally lucky to be going on my first educational trip for Reef and Rainforest, to Central India to familiarise myself with some of the primary tiger reserves of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. From the undulating landscapes of Satpura and Bori, to the dense bamboo forests of Tadoba-Andhari, I was eager to witness the very best this region has to offer our clients. This blog contains some of my thoughts on four reserves I visited.

Satpura

One of Satpura’s main attractions is its dramatic landscape. The topography here stands out head and shoulders above the other Central Indian Reserves. Upon reaching the Madhai gate jetty and beginning your crossing by boat to the park’s core, you are rewarded with breathtaking views across the Denwa Backwater, toward the hilly peaks of the Satpura Range, the word Satpura deriving from ‘seven folds’ in Sanskrit.
(The Satpura Range and Denwa Backwater)

Birding along the waterways is excellent, and other notable species include sloth bears and the Malabar giant squirrel. Additionally; In a coordinated effort to establish a second population of the hard ground barasingha (Kanha hosting the other), multiple relocations of this swamp deer species into Satpura have taken place over the last decade, resulting in a small population that can now be seen in the meadows of Bori and Churna – the western areas of Satpura Tiger Reserve. The huge gaur, or Indian bison, roam Satpura’s forests in their small herds also. While gaur are usually avoided as potential prey by tigers, hunts and successful kills have been witnessed in Satpura, particularly by mothers with the help of their large cubs.
(Gaur)

One such family making a lot of noise in the Madhai core zone includes tigress KT and her three male cubs; Shankara, Rudra, and Shiva – sired by legendary large male R2. These three up-and-comers have been frequently sighted as of late, and are growing in confidence. It’s highly likely they will reach independence at a relatively tender age for adolescent tigers. Within thirty minutes of my time in Satpura, we encountered a large sambar kill, made by the family the day before. I got to view the mother and these three male cubs, taking it in turns to feed.
(One of the three male cubs, Shankara, Rudra, or Shiva, taking their turn on the large sambar carcass killed by the family the day before)

Satpura has traditionally been known as a lesser destination for tiger encounters compared to other Central Indian reserves, but this seems to be changing. These strong, dominant young tigers are likely to maintain a presence in the area for years to come and may become increasingly habituated to the presence of tourists.
(‘R2’ – the large dominant male of Satpura)

Pench

To Satpura’s south-east, lies Pench, another picturesque, wildlife-rich and unique reserve. It consists of undulating small hills, covered in grasses and a wonderful teak forest that is not too dense, allowing for excellent views of wildlife through the trees. In winter, there is a species of Pennisetum (a prominent grass here) that is in full bloom, adding a stunning pink hue to the forest floor and throws in a wonderful element to your photographs.
(Heading off the track into the cover of the Pennisetum after picking up the scent of the sambar deer)

Chital (spotted deer) are abundant in Pench, and with the forest being more open here, witnessing a hunt is possible. I was fortunate enough to watch a stalking tigress locate a young sambar hiding low in the grass. She eventually made chase after the fawn broke its cover and ran, and delivered the lethal bite in a small stream. The mother sambar was barely 10 meters away, barking her alarm call throughout the event, in an attempt to lure the tiger’s attention away from her young.
(Moments before locating the young sambar deer)

Leopards are also a good bet in Pench. The rolling hills are topped by rocky outcrops that seem to be the preferred hiding and vantage points for the secretive cat. I had a clear sighting of a male crossing the track in front of us and retreating into the crevices of one of these outcrops. On another memorable occasion, I caught a glimpse through the foliage of a male and female courting, a very special sighting.
(Immediately after making the kill)

Kanha

To the northeast of Pench, connected by a thin but crucially important network of forested corridors, lies Kanha National Park and Tiger Reserve. Kanha has its own song to sing. For me, the highlight here is the aesthetic and feel of the forest itself, which I consider the best. The dominant species – sal – towers above you, with an understory of open grassy areas in places. It’s a stunning sight, particularly in the early and late parts of the day when the low sun shoots beams of golden light through the dark canopy, lighting up pockets of trees like stage lighting. It’s magnificent. The other notable habitat in Kanha are the open meadows, where the hard-ground barasingha exclusively reside. The tiger population is healthy here, and with just three days in the park you will have a good chance of encountering one of its resident tigers. In my case, it was the low repetitive roar of a mother locating her young male cub. To listen to this in Kanha’s remarkable forest was a phenomenal experience. As the volume increased, we concluded that she was headed our way. All we had to do was position ourselves on the track and wait for her to cross our path. We had a superb view as she walked in front of us, marking her territory and continuing her contact calls deep into Kanha’s mighty forest labyrinth.
(Kanha’s sal tree forest)

Tadoba

Leaving Madhya Pradesh and continuing south into the State of Maharashtra, you will find the increasingly popular Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. This option is probably your safest bet for ensuring a tiger sighting. Tigers are often spotted in the open areas where bodies of water sit – wildlife magnets in this densely wooded landscape. The extremely dominant presence of bamboo means sightings through the forest itself are very difficult. The bamboo can be so thick it lines either side of the track in places, forming a screen to the forest beyond. Park rules are firm here, with many routes strictly following a one-way system, and a long, straight tarmac road dissects the park. You are likely to find yourself driving in a long convoy at times, all headed to the next same location where the habitat opens up once again. For me, Kanha, Pench, and Satpura all provide a far more stimulating landscape an safari experience, but it must be said that I had my finest tiger sighting here, and you are likely to also, if choosing to visit.

Tadoba seems to be a great location for viewing mothers with young cubs. Guides usually know the rough location of at least one current crop of cubs. We waited at one of the open areas, consisting of a small lake and open meadow. This game-viewing tactic seems to be the go-to in Tadoba, with nearly every vehicle from the Kolara gate present in this same spot. The guides seemed confident the tigress would return to where they thought she had left her two young cubs before the end of the day. We started to hear her contact calls as she approached from afar, and then behind us in the opposite direction, the two young cubs reared their heads above the bank on the edge of the tree line. The tigress emerged into the open, and every tourist, guide, and naturalist enjoyed 20 minutes of tiger heaven.

Firstly, their delightful greeting, followed by the family of three walking past nearly every vehicle to the lake’s edge. Some of Tadoba’s tigers are incredibly habituated to the jeeps now and will happily lie down just a few meters away from you. There was a wonderful reminder, however, once every jeep headed off simultaneously to reach the park gate before the afternoon session finished, that these reserves are for the tigers, and we are exceptionally privileged visitors for just a few golden hours of their day. I took a lot of comfort knowing that this tiger family had the meadow and lake back to themselves, until the jeeps returned the next morning.