Tigers fighting in Bandhavgarh

Since last few days we are hearing about the fight between two tigers in Chorbehra. One is Shashi and other one could be Shardul??
Five days back a blood spot was seen in Chorbehra. Mahavat's presumed that one of the Tiger must be very seriously injured. Elephants were brought in, a male Tiger was seen opposite Siddh Baba temple. Before disappearing in cave this tiger even tried a mock charge on elephants. His identity could not be fixed. Later in day time Shashi appeared near Siddh Baba and remain sitting in water for whole afternoon.
We heard / read different stories. Someone commented on internet that Shashi had a wound on his neck and Shoulder. Pictures posted by Lala guide on facebook did not prove this story. He looked fine and vet saw him limping with right foreleg but he did not mention any injury.
If other Tiger is Shardul than he must have some injury but no one saw him since that day. Last night again they were heard fighting but none of the Tiger were seen in the morning.
Identity of second Tiger in this is still a mystery.

Photography Tour to Kaziranga for One Horned Rhino.

Wildlife Photography Tour to Kaziranga For

One Horned Indian Rhino.

Maximum group size : 8 Pax.

Total Days : 10

Accommodation : Twin Bed Room with attach toilet with hot and running cold water.

Food : Indian with continental breakfast. Veg. and Non Veg. meals served at lodge.

Transport : 3 pax in each car from Guwahaty to Kaziranga and back.

Season : Winter, warm clothes are necessary with warm cap and gloves.

Booking Date : End of September 2013.

Booking deposit : $700 Non Refundable.

Tour Cost : $1950 per person in twin sharing accommodation.

Single Supplement : $250

Insurance : Travel Insurance compulsory.

Medical : Please check with your GP about all the anti dots needed for India.

Includes : Accommodation, all meals in Kaziranga, all transport and air fare to guwahaty and back.

Extra's : - All drinks and beverages, Laundry, camera fee and all expenditures of personal nature.      

Itinerary: 

Day 1 . 24th January 2014 - Arrive at Delhi transfer to Hotel in Connaught Place. O/N stay.

Day 2 . 25th January 2014 - Fly to Guwahati and car to Kaziranga. O/N stay at Kaziranga.

Day 3 - 9. 26th Jan to 1st Feb - Morning and afternoon safari to the park in open jeep. 3 pax per jeep. Elephant ride on first morning (subject to availability)     O/N stay at Kaziranga 

Day  10 . 2nd February 2014  Car to Guwahati fly to Delhi Tour ends

20 minutes at Waterhole.

Since the route system is applied in Magadhi zone has become a real pain. That 12 km road journey breaks the back and rest of the journey in Magadhi is full of dust. Entering late is always a bad idea because one is always rushing to cover the route. 
Most relaxing spot we found in Magadhi was stopping at Dabadol waterhole.
On a crisp winter morning cricket comes to live slowly slowly. This action of coming to live turns out to be the moment of death for them. It is not only the Lapwing scanning the area for food but a pair of White Eyed Buzzard finds it more interesting to perch 3 feet above the ground than on tree top.
We saw a major food competition between waders and these buzzard. They wont let anyone come close to this grassland of about 1500 sq feet. One Indian Roller tried to join them but he was  chased away immediately. 

Lone Little Ring Plover wading through the shore was a real surprise. Different Sandpipers kept us busy. Mary told us the great joke about Sandpiper in Kanha, where person accompanied them from lodge spent about 30 minutes watching and learning about common sandpiper. A prime time of the morning was wasted on most common bird of Norwich.     

Vultures

I still dont believe that Vulture population is on rise in Bandhavgarh,
My opinion is based on field observation. Sighting of Vultures in Bandhavgarh Ntl Park and around Tala village on cattle carcasses.
Jaya killed a Sambhar in an open meadow on Kadipaani road. Since then she had another two kills so this carcass is about a week old. Vultures found this carcass today afternoon and total what we could count were not more than forty vultures sitting on ground and trees. We saw 35+ vultures on a cattle carcass in Tala village last month.
So these two sightings of Vultures on carcass shows the similar figures. This makes me feel that Vulture nos that were 80 + last year has come down to 40+. 

Let's wait for few more months and see what we see.    

Another Tiger died of electrocution in Katni division.

I was planning to leave for Bhopal on 25th Feb. I booked my ticket only a day before so I was all set to leave in afternoon. Every concerned person was informed to accommodate me for next three days. All these plans failed after a phone call. Somebody told me that there is a rumour that a Tiger is found dead near Barhi. I asked him to confirm the news and within minutes he confirms his own statement. I pass on the news to few concerned people and they were all unaware of. All those people should have had the news well before me but they all failed.
By one o clock in afternoon I was on my way to Barhi. This Tiger was lying in an open field hardly 100 mtrs away from Kua to Machmacha village road. Morning was very foggy around Katni and Barhi. People got up late and even they took their cattle to the jungle late. One of these cattle man saw cattles running away without any reason at this spot. When he looked up he saw a Tiger lying in open field. He rushed back to village to inform forest guard. Same case again. A trap of G.I. wire from 11KV line was laid on the ground. They meant to kill Sambar or Wild Boar but this male Tiger stepped on it. After seeing the Tiger they collected the wire and ran away leaving dead Tiger behind.
This was 4th Tiger death around Bandhavgarh through electrocution since Nov 2012. All were male. It was funny that how they declared Khitauli Tiger female while we photographed his charred testicles.
When Kay saw these photos and started matching with Tigers of Bandhavgarh she found it to be male cub of Khitauli female.
Here are pictures for you to see.

He was photographed by me following his mother in April 2012 near Damdama and now lying dead near Machmacha village.
    

Two destructive things in Bandhavgarh

What are the two most destructive things for wildlife and their habitat in Bandhavgarh?? 
I will say chain link fencing and Elephants.
Chain link fencing has not served any purpose in this park and in fact the present management has proved it by putting a Cattle Protection Trench around Gohni and Mahaman villages where 
Bandhavgarh faces maximum cattle pressure.

 Picture Copyright Natasha Broemling.

So why this was not done by other people. What benefit they saw in Chain Link fencing?
Sighting of Wild Dog, Wolf, Jackal, Porcupine and some other small mammals has gone down since the chain link fencing has come in Bandhavgarh. We don't see any other reason for their disappearance from in side the park because all of them shows their presence outside of the park where they are facing difficulties in their survival.
Second one is Elephant.
I don't see their use and viability of that many elephants in the park. Their use in patrolling the park has proved worthless.They are good for monitoring the Tigers but for that purpose park doesn't need that many elephants.    

Agra, Kumbh and Varanasi

I was travelling for two weeks in Agra, Kumbh and in Varanasi. I spent only three days in Agra and rest of the time in Kumbh and Varanasi. Had good time in Agra and in Kumbh but Varanasi was worst experience.
I booked rooms in Varanasi Palace on Steps hotel and paid them advance too but when our group reached there we found that only two rooms were available for ten pax.
In this situation one can shout to a limit or threaten them up to a limit because you have to see the guests and their comforts first.
Believe it or not we did not had any meal that day apart from breakfast at Lakshmi Kutir and dinner at this place was waste of money.
Agra was smoggy. Throat started crackling in a day. I was happy to leave Agra as early as possible but I had to suffer it for 3 days. 
Lakshmi Kutir at Kumbh Allahabad was a bliss. Those 106 steps to reach mela ground from Lakshmi Kutir kept many of the campers fit. I had a bad knee but never felt any pain after first day. In-fact after seeing the impact of those steps on my body I decided to go down and up 5 times a day. When I came home for a day on 11th first comment Kay, my wife made that I lost weight just in 13 days. Are you eating enough?? was her second question. I am not a greedy eater. I eat what I eat no matter how good the food is.
Poverty and greediness was an eye opener for me. Perfectly healthy people were drying Roti and Poori on road side. They were covered in thick layer of dust. I rate them as rodent and feel they should be eliminated. 

Other eye opener in Kumbh was cleaniless. Never expected Mela area that clean. Streets in Allahabad Kumbh fair were much cleaner than any street in Delhi apart from President house road. 
My this visit to Kumbh took me more far away from my religion. Surely I will visit next Kumbh, Sinhasth in Ujjain 2016.