We reached our hotel, elated on having seen the biggest & the strongest, disappointed for not being able to see Machchli and personally angry at myself for having missed some wonderful shots while trying to change lenses.
I hope Sachin must've taken those pictures since he didn't have to change lenses. Those pictures should be visible as & when he writes his version of the travelogue.
Dinner was laid for Sachin & family at 7:45 pm and by 8:15 they were on their way to the station in the Hotel's Xylo to catch the 9:15 pm train. Received a message at 9:20 from Sachin after he boarded the train. We too had dinner and after transferring the pictures from the mem card to HDD, I too hit the sack.
25th June, 2012
Got up as usual, texted Sachin to find out if he had reached Delhi and started getting ready. We were ready & waiting for the jeep that I received a message from Sachin at 5:40 informing that he had reached and was on his way home.
Today the jeep came late - at 6:10. Since we were only two, this was a sharing jeep and I had already booked three seats for myself. A foreigner lady was already in the middle row so we took the last row. Two more guests were to be picked-up. I was fidgety as time was running out since by a stroke of luck Zone 4 was allotted again and I wanted to reach Berda at the earliest to catch Romeo since he had killed a big Sambhar the previous evening and would eat it over three days.
By the time we picked up the other two guests (two american young guys) and reached the entrance gate it was nearing 7 and I was a bit irritated. After completing the formalities at the entrance I exhorted the guide & the driver to race to Berda. Well, for a change, they too had the same agenda and since there were three foreigners in the jeep they expected a decent tip if they could show the Tiger.
I told the driver that we would first go to Berda and then on our way back would explore Lakkardah for Machchli and then scout Malik Talao for Sundari. They concurred and we proceeded to Berda on a fast pace keeping our eyes & ears open to the surroundings.
As we reached the Bakola area we could sense the buzz in the air. Some jeeps were parked and waiting and we too waited. I got to know that the kill was not there and had been dragged deeper. It was 7:50 am and nothing moved. A herd of spotted deer was grazing peacefully and this meant that no danger was around.
We decided to go and explore another water-hole nearby and on reaching there found a forest jeep waiting. The driver said that he was waiting for the last 15 minutes and nothing stirred. After waiting with him for some time we returned back to Berda and decided to wait. The day was getting warmer & warmer and after a full stomach the Tiger had to come to drink water and cool itself.
We were standing in a shade and further away from us three jeeps were waiting and they had a view of the water-hole. At 8:15 suddenly the engines of those three jeeps sprang to life simultaneously and rushed near the water-hole. The Big Cat had arrived. We too rushed and our driver parked at a vantage point giving us a clear view of the water-hole.
What a surprise...! I was expecting the Berda Male, instead it was a Tigress - T 41 cooling itself in water. How come she was in this area? Where had Romeo gone? He couldn't have possibly finished of the whole Sambhar overnight.
Well, shunning those thoughts away I started taking pictures. Then I noticed something that startled me more. T 41's whiskers & lower jaw were soaked in blood. Did she steal Romeo's kill? She wouldn't dare to. Or was she the Juliet to this Romeo and the male shared his dinner? So many questions but no answers.
T 41 cooling off
A perspective shot to show the distance from which I was shooting
T 41 suddenly gets alert with ears cocked-up and looks someplace intently
T 41 with ears flattened and ready to pounce
Aha, her consort the Berda Male arrives
Approaches T 41 cautiously
Boys will be boys. Full stomach or empty stomach they want to frolic with their GFs all the time. Romeo is no exception.
Mr. Romeo, you may be the biggest & the strongest but an angry female is too much to handle. With a heavy stomach T 41 is in no mood to frolic. Romeo gets a mouthful.
Rascala, go & cool off somewhere else
Sheepish look with tail firmly tucked between the legs..
Hey guys, what to do? Women are so difficult at times. I gave her the whole Sambhar, but still...
Facing opposite directions
T 41 gets up and moves towards the thicket
Look, she got up & went away
I shall also follow
Now don't you guys dare snigger
"Ummaaah" - calling for T 41
No response
Aah, cool cool
What's it?
Lemme follow her
Romeo too went into the thicket and laid down next to T 41. No way they were now going to come out. The show went on for 17 minutes. My camera didn't stop for those 17 minutes. I had my heart's fill.
A sore point that I must mention. By oversight I left behind at home my Extreme 16GB CF card. Fortunately was carrying two spare 4 GB cards. In those 17 minutes I filled up one card lost time changing cards. The need to have a second camera body was acutely felt.
We returned scouting the Lakkardah area for Machchli but there was no sign of her. Will I be able to see her when the park reopens and will she survive the monsoons?
Circled the Malik Talao and the foreigner guests were delighted to see various birds and took pictures. On the banks of Malik Talao we saw two female crocodiles digging nest to lay eggs. It was time to return.
Reached our room, ate breakfast, packed our stuff, paid the bills had a nice cool shower and left for home bidding good-bye to Guddu & his staff who took good care of us. The watch showed 1 pm. By 7:30 pm we were home.
This probably would be my last visit to any sanctuary this season. After a 3 month hiatus the roaming would start again. Thank you all for staying with me. Hope you enjoyed the narration and the pictures. Till then.....