Janmashtami in Bandhavgarh.

As usual like all other years we thought to visit park on Janmashatmi along with all other pilgrims. This year they stopped people going with camera so we went up till the gate and didn't see any point in going in the park without camera.

Why Janmashatmi the birth day of Lord Krishna is celebrated here at the fort is beyond my imagination. Why people goes all the way to Fort temple when there is no statue of Lord Krishna there? It has become a routine now.
We don't see many pilgrims here in this crowd. Majority of them are below 35 yrs of age and not carrying any kind of Puja material. remark of a forest official.
Just to make a check on litter last year they stopped people carrying any Puja material in the park saying there is no Statue of Lord Krishna there so if you have to offer it do it here in this temple. Same tradition carried on this year. According to forest deptt record 9491 people went till 1000 AM later they had to allow some without pass. So even if we count 9491 figure that many people did not visit any of the temple in the park and nor out side.
A lady forest employee in her dress was collecting polythene and other litter thrown by these pilgrims and believe it or not she worked for half the day collecting litter only in 100 mtr long area. People were watching her collecting litter and even than they were throwing it on ground. It looks as we have lost the respect for workers?  

Janmashatmi celebration has become more like a fair in the village. Shops are pitched on both side of park road selling toys, artificial jewellary, bangles and fruits. Now everyone is offering their prayers outside of the park then department should try to stop these things slowly slowly. 

  
 We were told that camera's are not allowed in the park and later in the evening I saw all sorts of photographs of the park on internet. Why make such rules that are not going to be obeyed by everyone. My major interest yesterday was to look for some new grasses or flowers in the park. 

Tiger fighting ID Confirmed.

First I thought to correct the last blog then I found this as easier solution to say only a line. It's ID is confirmed. It's Jobi male who fought with Blue Eye. No shoulder stripe and no stripe on right foreleg is one easy identification of Jobi in field. So P11 is absent from the area.

Tiger fight in Bandhavgarh

I am extremely sorry for not writing here since last 50 days. There was nothing much happening either. I been to Laddakh. A very simple trip. Nothing extraordinary except one or two landscape shots and few of Himalayan Marmot.
Bandhavgarh also looks very calm in monsoon but it is not. Many activities takes place in the night where no one to witness. 
Monsoon is the season for rain and for rumours. Rumour, that report of unverified or doubtful truth. But rumour often dont have any truth here. Since last few days I am hearing that a Tiger is being hit by some vehicle in the park even a newspaper report suggests that.

News paper says that Blue Eye is not being seen since last 4 days. The condition in which Blue Eye presently have, he should not be seen for few more weeks. According to Forest deptt he had a fight with another Tiger and in that fight he got injured on his face. He lost a chunk of meat from his face above his right eye. If that is the case than there must be some more canine marks on his face and those canine marks can not heal easily. He must be sitting in some dark hole away from flies, licking his wounds. The other Tiger who fought with him is either P11, Shashi's brother or Jobi male. He also got few marks on face. What people talk about Lakshmi's male cub as new male is rubbish. People just dont have any record of these Tigers and they say anything just to be over smart. Lakshmi's male is no where in Tala range. Kim Sullivan saw this Tiger In April and her pictures do not match with Lakshmi's male cub.
Now other thing happening is Tigress killing cow in Kachhaua village. A heavily pregnant cow wandering in jungle close to village delivers a calf. Some Jackal saw this. Their, Jackal, presence and noise in the area attracted the attention of Tigress. Tigress killed the cow and walked away with newly born calf in his mouth. First night she finished the calf then she protected her other kill of mother cow. This was a great loss for the villager and at the same time a great gain for tigress. Yesterday there were more than 5 thousand people making noise in the village and today only ten. Tigress was not seen today around the village but at about 0730 PM her growling were heard again.
Why tigers incline more towards cattle lifting in monsoon?    

Tiger Mating.

Tiger mating. This picture is similar to any other Tiger mating picture but major difference here is that they both are male and brothers..
It's a habit in animals to prove their dominance on others they do indulge in this kind of act although this is just a simple show off no actual sex is involved in this case.
When I saw this from elephant back in Bandhavgarh my guest who is a Doctor by profession put up this story with pictures for publication in BNHS journal. But he could not answer all those questions to prove it so I think this story never got published their either.
I never tried to do that only because he told me that he will try.
These two tigers are about 26 months old and their ID is that they are B3 and B1. 

A female cub killed by a male Tiger.

This was a very typical case of killing a female cub by a male Tiger in Bandhavgarh.
B1 formed his territory in Rajbehra area and most of the area up till Sukhi Patiya was under his control. He was over lapping the territory of two females. 
One day a very eager third female looking for him entered in his territory. Soon they found each other to fulfill the need of each other.
This kept on going for another day. Second day the resident female happen to stumble upon them. She chased this intruder female. Male tried to stop her to save his mate but she was very furious. She charged on male too. When male got charged by her in revenge he charged on a softer target, her cub and killed her instantly. After this incident he left the dead body and started looking for his mate but she was chased away very far by the resident female.

  

Shivaji elephant in Kanha

In 1970's Bori presently in Satpura National Park was the only place in M.P. where elephants were used for logging. M.P.Forest had few elephants in British period but they were used for other purposes than logging. Forsyth used forest deptt. elephant from Bori to Pachmarhi. Bori is famous for its teak forest. So when forest deptt needed some elephants for logging they brought them from Kerala. 
As Nayar's (Mahavat of Gautam) wife aka Chachi told me that they reached Bori on 2nd August 1971 with Gautam and Shivaji. Gautam and Shivaji came from a place called Badaliyaar (spelling may be wrong) in Kerala. First thy were stationed at Dhai'n and later shifted to Bori.
According to Chachi Bori was a real difficult place to live. No market to buy any kind of food supply. We use to rely on forest deptt drivers to bring us some food supply from Hoshangabad. She remembers one C.F Mr S P Dubey who always brought Vegetables and other provisions for Mahavats. In those days Characutters, most of them batchlors, use to eat from Mahavat's kitchen. They were a part of the family like elephants.
Once the logging was stopped forest department shifted these elephants to Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Park to make good use of them for Tourism. This is when Tiger show started in M.P. Baiting was allowed so every saturday forest department use to tie a bat for Tiger show on sunday.  On Tiger show only 30 Rs were charged for four pax on Elephant back. No discrimination of Nationality. All were counted as human. Gautam was sent to Bandhavgarh after spending some time in Kanha. Even Mahavir was also transferred to Bandhavgarh but he could not cope with food supply here. He thought Tala is worst than Bori. He was sent back to Kanha where nearest market was Chiraidongri 35 km away.
Although Mocha and Sarekha were rated as lifeline to get regular vegetable supply of Potato and Onions. Daal Roti was routine meal and Sabji was feast.
All those Mahavat's did pretty good job in those days. I remember Sursingh in Kanha use to go in afternoon to look for Tigers so he know from where to start next morning. His son Dharam became a very good Mahavat. But I don't think the present generation of Mahavats is as sincere as of those days. Elephants use to get good bath in the river. I remember Lakhnu in Kanha shouting on his characutter only because he did not rubbed his Elephants tusk properly. Those were the days.
Gautam's master Nayar had very good rapport with his elephant and on other side in Kanha Shabir had even better rapport with Shivaji. Chachi had better command on Gautam than her husband Nayar. Best display of loyalty from Gautam I saw in 80's only. Later when other Mahavat got him he refused to obey the command. Once a Mahavat got off Gautam to pick up Ankush, Sharply pointed Iorn rod, and he refused to get him on on his back.
Shabir in Kanha mastered his Elephant Shivaji so well that once when he killed a forest guard and deptt was ready to shoot him, Shabir walked forward called him and brought him back home on foot like a pet dog.
Since we have lost all those old Mahavats who use to take care of their animals we are loosing obedient elephants too. Indrajeet in Bandhavgarh was a living example of this. Sundargaj and Vanraj are the two young elephants which are completely destroyed by Characutters. At one time these two elephants were the first choice of every photographer who use to use Elephant Tripod. 
I have asked forest department to do some Characutter training program in monsoon so let us see which Mahavat they call for training. My choice is Shabir for this job.

Spotted Deer suffering with bovine T.B. seen in Bandhavgarh.

This is not a new case but often animals suffering with T.B are seen in Bandhavgarh National Park. Most of the animals I saw were always around periphery of the park and so the this one. After visiting Chakradhara, ghodademon,  Rampur and Lakhumar when we reached Amanallah we saw this deer standing very close to road and did not moved when vehicle by passed him. I saw it very unusual so I asked Sanjay to reverse the jeep. Again he was standing so close to the road right in front of us that I could not photograph his whole body in a frame. He was about 5-6 yrs old male, antlers in perfect shape, no velvet, blackish neck and dark black line on his back were the sign of his maturity. He must have born with Bovine T.B. A deer born with bovine T.B. will survive for 5-6 years. Luckily disease is not passed on to predator.

  They gets Bovine T B from local cattle. Approximately 60% cattle in rural India is infected with Bovine T B .