Tigress Mundi Dadar Hunts Down a Fawn

It was one of those great mornings, and we were cruising along link seven road at Kanha National Park in Central India. Margeret Norah and her husband from France were with me hoping to see their first tiger. Link Seven drive is one of the most picturesque in the tourism zone of the park. 

The road is situated at the last leg of the tourism zone in Kanha Range neighboring some forest-clad ranges, a group of tabletop mountains that form a ridge in this erstwhile crater we call Kanha National Park in Maikal Hills of Satpura Mountain Range. The Satpura Range transects Madhya Pradesh giving rise to some of most exotic terrains in the World loaded with amazing natural formations. These fantastic biodiversity heavens are also known as Tigerland. 

It was Capt. James Forsyth a geologist in British India who has best described hilly regions of Central India in his book "Highlands of Central Indian".     

That morning we had decided to cut off from the crowd which always heads towards areas where the probability of tiger sightings is the highest. And as happened for much of a distance we did not encounter any big cat nor an exciting sight of creatures that dominate the wilderness. We were heading towards the Kanha Meadow and then we had planned to visit the recreation center a place to visit the toilet and then have breakfast on the jeep bonnet in the open.  Jungle drives without any impactful sightings can be boring and silence often prevails. That was what was going on in our minds not knowing that will witness a sight of a lifetime.         

It was at Badi Gansh or Tall Grass that we encountered the tigress Mundi Dadar at that time she was dominating the link 7 area and probably had cubs.  All we could see was her head popping out of the thick grass. We had come to a stop and were keenly observing her whence I noticed here avid glance in the direction of a deer herd far away. She was repeating the act well hidden in the bush.  

"She is planning to hunt", I whispered confidently to my guests. And then we changed our plans to visit the center and decided to wait. The guests were cooperative, and an expectancy in the air loomed over us. After some time, the deer began to inch closer to the meadow and the tigress decided to come out in the open and then she quickly receded into the back of the bush. She was completely hidden now.  We could not see her. By this time two more jeeps that had just arrived, they could not see her either.  The guides of Kanha are smart people, and they knew instantly that we had located a tiger. They parked the jeep behind us and sat quietly.  

                                                          Tigeress Hunting Fawn

Unfortunately for them a spotted deer female and her fawn were strolling down the road that connects  Kanha Meadow grazing frequently as they came towards us. Our hearts had begun to beat faster in expectancy by this time. And as we had hoped for...the deer and the buck veered around and went straight to the spot where the tigress was hiding.   This is it, I said to myself and readied my mobile phone camera, Margeret had her camera rolled out in expectancy too. 

There was a big rush shrill and alarm cry as the tigress charged. Completely surprised the female dived into the nearby bush. All we could see was the big cat chasing the desperate bewildered fawn. The fawn ran in our direction with the cat chasing behind. Very close to the jeep perhaps at a distance of 10 feet, the tigress pounced on the fawn as it let out a heart rendering cry. That was it. I stood in a trance as the big cat turned in the opposite direction and scampered away with the dead baby hanging between her canines. I was close to death standing on the stationery jeep well exposed. She could have chosen me instead of the fawn. But tigers are disciplined predators and they kill only for food and we humans are not included.     

The video enumerates the last scene well but is of poor quality having filmed using a small mobile phone. 

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Uday Freelances as Naturalist in Central India. He is an avid birder and tiger enthusiast. He blogs on tigers, wildlife and birds. He also writes on the environment and conservation.

Uday also provides SEO Services and Website Contents in English. He teaches Digital Marketing in Jabalpur in Summer Holidays.
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Contact: pateluday90@hotmail.com
09755089323 

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Canids: Indian Wild Dog or Dhole

Hardly known as the Indian wild dog because its spread is Pan Asiatic right up to Russia. In the food chain, I would place it among the tertiary carnivores along with the leopard and the tiger in the tropical jungles. 

Classification

After much work, the animal was finally placed among the canids in the genus cuon and species alpinus. Dhole does have an affinity with African wild dogs but the latter is placed in a different genus due to some morphological differences.

The pack hunter is lightly built (ave 15 kg) and compact adapted through evolution for speed and rapacity that describes its phenomenal abilities as a carnivore. The black bushy tail, golden-red fur, and pointed dog-like head are the distinct features of this hunting animal. Another unusual characteristic feature is that it does not bark unlike our domestic breeds but rather whistles.  They usually live in a pack of around fifteen animals but large packs have been observed. The leaders are alfa male and female but several breeding females may be found in the pack. 

The mode of hunting is by the chase and not ambush like a tiger. A long chase leads to an ungulate being consumed midway this is gory but that is nature at work. In Indian tiger reserves, the main prey is the spotted deer or chital. Usually, the pack goes for mid-sized animals. Interesting tales have been told about conflicts with the tiger.....   

At Kanha, I have seen the pack sizes of fifteen animals in earlier times but it is difficult to gauge their present status since sometimes the pack size has not been observed. The population at Kanha seems to have slimmed down but research will extract the truth. The animal is subject to hunting and is usually considered vermin it is killed by locals due to livestock predation and threat perception associated with carnivores. A disease carried by pariah dogs may be another factor that could locally endanger the predator. Another aspect of this dog is that it is a wanderer and local migration is a regular activity. These animals at Kanha have been seen in and around human settlements but conflict with humans has not been noted.   

Wild Dog in Pictures

Leopards in Trouble

The worst news for nature lovers is the death of the big cats. Critically poised on brink of extinction the big cats are entirely at the mercy of the poachers, greedy and the developers. Habitat destruction and systemic hunting have been the major factors behind the endangerment of this species.   

The leopards survive in wider habitats as compared to the tiger. They are more likely to be found near human habitations even those devoid of forests. The enormous ability to survive should auger a good future but this is not so leopards are being killed at rapid pace in India. They are the greater victim of man animal conflict than the elder cousin.

Leopard Dharmagiri

Recently two leopard were found in the vicinity of Barhi Forests near Bandhavgarh National Park. The dead bodies were found in a spate of few days. This does not augur well since the pattern is suggestive of organized poaching. Though the post mortem reports and viscera analysis drown in the length of the time this repeated tragedy is suggestive of poaching gangs operating in and around the verdant forests of Bandhavgarh National Park.  

I have been visiting the Barhi Forests as a naturalist at Muchmucha Lodge since some time. The wildlife is impressive by all means though the forest face denudation near the villages in this area. 

Leopard Dharmagiri

Most of the tragedies are taking place due to callous attitude of those in charge, while some may be involved in the nexus. There have been cases of electrocution of animals including the tiger in Central Indian Tiger Reserves. These have been happening since a number of years but no substantial solution is in the place. All this points to total disregard  for our wild denizens and their habitats. Conserving wilderness in protected areas is not enough there should be concerted efforts to protect it irrespective of the status of land. 

         

Licensed Slaughter in Central India

I could just get a glimpse of this distressing news on a TV channel whence I reached home. The government of Madhya Pradesh is permitting the slaughter of wild boars 5 km away from the protected areas? This means if you are registered you could shoot a wild boar if it destroys crops. (Sic).     

Earlier there were rumors of permission given to shoot spotted deer to protect the crops. How far this is true this ignorant author does not know. Even a surmise is suggestive of a lack of understanding of problems that beset our society (wildlife included). One thing is an absolute fact, that we have forgotten the teachings of  Veda. Of respect for all life forms. Ahimsa Zindabad!

What does a politician always gain? Vote Dumbo? 

The overgrown human populations have usurped much of the habitat of other life forms...and there is no guilt! There is no desire to find a solution to human ingress everywhere. Who are these wild animals? Vermins, Pests, are dangerous to human society. Move aside! Can you smell human chauvinism? Right Wing...Left Wing? He! He!

That the World is a human-centric society is a fact. Draconian inhumanity steeped upon the voiceless. This slaughter of innocent wild boars will give license to kill other life forms under one pretext or another. Even if this does not work, a few bucks in the pocket will do. Since corruption is the mother of all solutions. And the politician with myopia and greed sketched on his continence is the worst enemy of Mother Earth.

Most of the agriculture yields in erstwhile forested areas or other habitats are pathetically poor and not worth a go. But who will provide alternative means of survival to endemic communities and use an innovative approach to pressing contingencies?

Just shoot men!