Indrajeet elephant and his Master Sabir Mahavat

Another story of Indrajeet Elephant in Bandhavgarh.
Indrajeet elephant was bought by M.P. Forest department from Sonpur mela in early 1980's. He was kept in Kisli and temporarily the Shabir mahavat was asked to look after him. Shabir already had his Master Elephant Shivaji with him so he took Indrajeet under his wings.
Vinod Ramachandran use to call him langdi haathi. I hope he remembers that.
Indrajeet grown and turned in to a beautiful elephant and later moved to Bandhavgarh.
After twenty or more years so one day Shabir came to Bandhavgarh and went to Jungle with us.
A Tiger show was going on at Bathan Tiraha in chakradhara.
We went in queue. Shabir was watching elephants going. Suddenly Shabir asked - Saab is he apna Indrajeet?
I said Yes indeed that's Indrajeet.
Shall I call him?
I said no harm in calling.
Shabir called him twice. Mantu was a Mahavat on Indajeet and had 4 foreign tourist sitting on him.
Suddenly Indrajit stopped. Shabir called him again. This was his third call only. When Shabir called Indrajeet he was about 200 meters away from Shabir.
Indrajeet turned back. Mantu could not control him. Tourists couldn't understand what's happening.
Me and Kay were amazed to see the permanant

 bond between an animal and man.
Indrajeet came straight to Shabir. Sniffed him all over. Indrajeet trunk and Shabir's body were seen holding each other and so the their hearts.
We saw them both crying.
Meeting of two old friends unexpectedly surprised every one on the spot.
Copyright Satyendra Kumar Tiwari.

Spotted Owelet.

Have you realised that it's past mid April and not a single nightjar is seen in the park. There use to be minimum 10 different spots where nightjars use to nest. Some guides said that some photographers got off the jeep to photograph their close up and that disturbed them. But this happeed in last few years.
We remember one nightjar who use to nest about 5 feet off the road on Ghodademon road is not there and so the one of Ghodademon, Banbehi patpar, kila road junction etc.
A very similar picture of owl use to come from Kanha where some photographer stoned the nest to get them out for a picture (this case is few years old. on my request the nest was cleaned and owelets started using it again).
I hope this owl will not face the same problem as one of Kanha but still I will request people to refrain themselves from walking under the nest for a photo.

Bandhavgarh Park visit today morning in Tala zone.

When you are not in good hands you gets misguided or you dont get sufficient information or you get the information about the tiger which can be completely wrong.
Today we were told that some full day safari people saw a tigress with her three full grown cubs walking on road.
Infact the information turned in to crossing the road, that otherone said that we saw the pugmarks of crossing the road and deer alarm call in the distance so news was that mother and three cubs were seen.
We did not see them and we were late to enter the park as usual as we do when not with tourists.
When we reached to these three cubs, who were sitting behind Bathan hill we did not see mother with them but did got the news that a female was seen on bathan junction.
Mahavats said that they found only three cubs and these cubs some times find other females too. Like other day they were following Xena and today they were following Crumb.
We saw Xena crossing the road and three cubs of jaya sitting 30 mtrs behind her in the jungle. 
Other sightings were of a beautiful male Peacock trying his best to impress the female, a male deer chewing bone, Langoor with an unusual coloured baby, meeting of two old friends (Langoor) and Painted Storks. And learnt how tiger swallow the grass.
In all it was a good morning.