The Terai Tiger

[Pckts]

Soumyajit Nandy

4th sighting of the tour, Day 2 from Sambar Road watch tower

As it was immensely fruitful on Day 1, we decided to spend the noon time in-between safaris again on the watch tower on Day 2 too. Hardly half an hour into the break and this huge male came from the "paar", crossed Ramganga river and climbed the 2nd high bank on Sambar Road.

March 2016
Canon 7D and Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM + 2TC III — at Jim Corbett National Park.

*This image is copyright of its original author

KING!
February 2016
Canon 7D and Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM
f2.8, 1/2500sec, ISO-200, handheld

*This image is copyright of its original author

7th sighting of the tour, Day 4 from Sambar Road watch tower
It had been raining on and off since the previous night which is not a good sign for wildlife watching. It rained in the morning safari too and as expected there were no sightings. After the safari we decided to sit at the watch tower. As it was our last day in Dhikala, our plan was to spend starting couple of hours in the afternoon safari and then head towards the Dhangari gate.
It was quite gloomy and at the watch tower too we were not expecting much to happen. I decided not to put the 2X tele-converter and try my luck if any action happens near by. Almost an hour into the break and a Sambar calls, followed by Spotted Deer. We could judge that some action is happening on the Sambar Road itself and in the close proximity. Hence, I decided to go down to the 1st tier as I was anticipating the predator to come towards the waterhole.
The calls came closer and then suddenly I saw 2 Spotted Deer jump across the small path leading to the waterhole, along with their fawn. Few moments later, more deer ran and inside the bushes and tall grasses I saw the big cat behind them. The Grassland Female stopped momentarily near the watch tower to have a look at us, before carrying on with her hunt. But that one glance was good enough to give me goosebumps, as she stood just 20 feet away from the tower, and myself being all alone on that deck!
March 2016
Canon 7D and Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM

*This image is copyright of its original author

5th sighting of the tour, Day 2 from Sambar Road watch tower
Few minutes after the male vanished into the forest, we saw this female (most likely the Chuwapani Female) approach Ramganga river from the old Sambar Road. She drank water and went back to the Sambar Road, scent marking on the trees. She also came close to the watch tower but didn't pay visit to the near by waterhole as there were too many people making noise. It would be interesting to note that there were no alarm calls today for both the sightings from tower, though deer were present in plenty all around!
March 2016
Canon 7D and Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM + 2TC III

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

3rd sighting of the tour, Day 2 at Tungbhoji
We missed this female on Day 1. She came out minutes after we crossed Mota Saal and sat on the track for almost an hour. Few other people saw and photographed her. So we decided to spend some time in the grassland on Day 2 morning. We saw some pugmarks at Amla Tiraha and were waiting there when the forest came alive with Cheetal alarm calls. We anticipated some action to happen near the Thandi Sadak watch tower as the calls came from that side itself. So we went to Tungbhoji and after a few minutes wait she emerged out of the thickets. She crossed the track thrice before vanishing towards Bichhubhoji.
March 2016
Canon 7D and Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM

*This image is copyright of its original author

2nd sighting, Day 1, from Sambar Road watch tower
As we were trying to figure out where did Thandi Maa hide herself in the grasses, a sambar deer quite far away started bellowing alarm calls gazing towards the 1st high bank on Sambar Road. And then emerged this female from the bend, walked all along the river bank and climbed on to the 1st new track branching off the Sambar Road, spray marked on a tree and walked off to the dense foliage. We could not adjudge the proper identity of this tiger; however, she looked like the Chuwapani Female.
March 2016
Canon 7D and Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM

*This image is copyright of its original author

Thandi Maa looking back at us!
This was the 1st sighting which happened on Day 1 from the Sambar Road watch tower in Dhikala. We got a tip-off at Dhikala campus that a tiger has charged at the tourist elephant in the grassland near the watch tower. So we decided to spend the time, when safari remains closed, at the tower.
Half an hour in the tower and there were Cheetal alarm calls in the grassland below. She emerged out of the tall grasses after an unsuccessful hunting attempt. After some hide-&-seek game she went to the Ramganga to cool her off. For nearly 20 minutes she was in the water and then moved back to the grassland to relax. This sighting lasted for almost an hour.
She was seen again by the tourist elephant and also from the watch tower during the evening safari.
For this particular image, I climbed down to a lower tier to position the tiger inbetween the tree branches and create a little different frame!
March 2016
Canon 7D and Canon 300mm f2.8L IS USM

*This image is copyright of its original author

Ringora-wali Female

Let me start the series with my 9th (last) sighting of the March 2016 tour. This sighting will remain etched in my memory for the lifetime as this is one of those shy tigers of Corbett which avoids Gypsys. My target in Bijrani this time was this particular female and for that I spent all my time in Ringora area. It was a tough hunt which included a lot of patience and sacrifices (sighting of Sharmili and her grown up cubs are relatively easier, but I didn't go for them). I missed this female during my first safari itself and finally on my last safari I managed to get her. Icing on the cake was her head-on walk on the track towards my Gypsy!

*This image is copyright of its original author

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