Adios B2!

B2, a name that does not need any introduction. A name that will never fade with time. He will always be remembered as one of the friendliest tigers of India. A tiger who reigned for more than a decade in Bandhavgarh will always be missed by all wildlife lovers. It is not because he reigned for more than a decade but for the greatness of tiger himself. I waited hours and hours for 10 years to get a glimpse of him. But I consider myself more than lucky to have seen him and photograph him.

It was until April 2010 when B2 for the first time faced a rival who was able to push him back from his own kingdom. He was lucky to have survived as age was catching up and B2 was a soft target for all the males trying to establish their territories.
With time B2 realized that it was for his own good not to fight for territory and move. He moved to the outer parts of tala where there was no or very less competition. His own cubs (mirchehi) were too small to put a fight against him so as B2 decided this was the best place for him. After settling for a smaller territory near Damna, which is one of the most sensitive areas of Bandhavgarh B2 made regular cattle kills. The security of B2 was of prime importance to the forest department here. But he survived. Until one day when he was attacked by another male where B2 was seriously injured. B2 was again pushed back and was found 22 kms away from his regular territory.

With wounds all over his body, B2 wasn't able to move. B2 was tranquilized and was being shifted to his normal territory where on the way he took his last breath. The post-mortem report suggested that he had not eaten since 15 days and was very weak after the mishap. It is still not clear as to which tiger had a fight with B2. But it is the simplest rule of the wild “Survival of the fittest”. B2 will always be remembered as a ruler, a king, a true Maharaja of Bandhavgarh.

The hunting grounds of Bandhavgarh will never see him roam again! Here are few pictures I could manage to click of the Maharaja. The best way I can pay a tribute to my favorite tiger, who once ruled Bandhavgarh!!

B2 crossing the road near Damnar river. Photograph December 2010.

B2 near Badi Gufa. Photograph May 2010.

B2's pug. Photograph May 2011.

B2 resting under a tree on a summer afternoon. Photograph May 2011.

B2.. The Maharaja.. !!!!

B2, born to Mohini (Bachchi) in April 1997, was one of the 3 males born in the litter. With rivals like “Charger”, the then king of Bandhavgarh, and his own brother “B1”, the road to the top was not easy. But with the death of Charger in 2000, B2 started to take over the kingdom of Bandhavgarh from his nearest rival B1. B1 was reported to be poached somewhere around 2002. B2 was the new king.

B2 marched the jungle of Bandhavgarh like a maharaja now. His mere presence would send an alarm in the whole kingdom that the king was on the prowl. But the Rajbehra male (BOKHA) had different plans. He was the only tiger to have challenged B2 in Bandhavgarh and survived with his share. No other male could even dream of stepping in the maharaja’s kingdom. B2 still was the dominant male tiger with more than half of the kingdom under his belt.. Bokha, on the other hand was happy with what he got.

2009, B2 turned 12. With age catching up, B2 was an easy target. Kalua, one of the Mirchani cubs and his own son took on B2. But the wounds on the face and body of Kalua were a straight message.. DO NOT MESS WITH ME.. !!!! Bokha again tried to push B2 in 2009. With Bokha walking upto Chakradhara, again it was a challenge for B2. But this time B2 backed off. Bokha still visits the meadows of Chakradhara but on no occasion has any fight taken place. B2 still is the maharaja.. !!!!

Being one of the largest recorded male tiger in the country and undoubtedly the most photographed tiger of his times, B2 has ruled Bandhavgarh for a decade now. B2 lived fearlessly throughout the years until the NEW TALA MALE (BAMERA MALE) stepped in his father’s territory to start his own kingdom. He was in no hurry. He walked from the Bamera Range till the Tala range, but would never cross Siddhbaba. He was moving in with a plan in mind.

12^th April 2010, Bandhavgarh: News of B2 injured in a territorial fight with Bamera male. B2’s got wounds in his paws and was seen limping in the Mirchani area. Every social networking website was full with the news of B2 being injured. “Prayers for B2” was the status message of millions of fans of B2. This was not the first time when B2 was injured but this surely was the first time when the MAHARAJA was BADLY INJURED.

I have so many wildlife lovers, photographers, journalist on my list. And everyone knows the primary law “Survival of the fittest”. But no one ever said so in the case of B2. Their love for B2 made them selfish. Nobody.. Nobody asked how the Bamera male was..?? Was he also injured.. ?? Had it been the other way round and the Bamera male would have been injured in the fight. It would not have gained so much publicity……

I myself love B2. I have waited for him for hours. I have never waited outside a girls’ school or a college for so long. But I have never seen B2 in my life. Never.. !!!! Came close many times but missed him by seconds.. I have been following him since the last 10 years now.. I have sighted almost all the males and females in the tourism zone. I have witnessed territorial fights, courtships, kills and all. But I could not manage even a glimpse of the Maharaja. Seen thousands of photographs of B2, but have never been able to click a single photograph of the maharaja.

I also wish B2 a long life. I pray that he recovers from his injuries soon. So that I may be able to see him and photograph him once in my life. That still remains a dream.. a dream…. !!!!

Habit.. !! We still have it.. !!!!

Planning a holiday to Kanha, Bandhavgarh or Pench National Park .. ?? Drop your plans. Book your holiday at PANNA NATIONAL PARK because in sometime all the tigers of Madhya Pradesh will be sent to Panna. And it won’t be a bolt from the blue if we start re locating them from other states too. After all everything is doable in India !

Panna has a lot to offer. Two tigresses flown recently(though they are missing), A full grown male(Only seen, spotted and recorded by the hard working staff at Panna), and now two male tigers that are to be sent soon to Panna from Pench. Where do you get to see so much?

I am not against re locating tigers. But I feel sad when tigers go missing due to the inefficiency and laziness of the staff. For once when Panna lost all its tigers, they should have taken it as a warning and should have worked day and night to save them. After all what are they posted there for?

Panna has lost all its tigers in the last decade. And trans locating tigers has become a habit here in Madhya Pradesh it seems.

Is the forest staff trained and equipped just to re locate tigers from one reserve to another?
Are they not there to save them from intruders and poachers?
Is the government only spending money to send them from one place to another?
Is relocation some kind of a joke to the officials?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

संता : साहब कहाँ जाने की तय्यारी है ? बंता : छुट्टियाँ है, सोचा कहीं घूम आये, तो पन्ना टाईगर रिजर्व घूमने जा रहे है. संता : क्या आप फॉरेस्ट डिपार्टमेंट में काम करते है ? बंता : नहीं.. संता : तो फिर न जाइये, क्यूकि टाईगर तो सिर्फ वहां सिर्फ और सिर्फ फॉरेस्ट वालो को ही दिखा करता है....







अरे ! अब तो संता को भी पता है की वहां टाईगर नहीं है ..

The Missing Stripes.. !!!!

Friday, June 26th, 2009: Living in Jabalpur, which is surrounded by the most popular and famous TIGER RESERVES in the country, I feel being far away from the magical stripes. Not more than a decade ago, Tigers could be easily spotted on the way to the Dumna Airport, Jabalpur. But the development, construction and opening of numerous colleges here has led to the fading away of the stripes, and the animals are forced to a few square kilometer FENCED JUNGLE. The pakki sadak clearly tells the story of the diminishing pugmarks. Everyone here has a story to tell about the tiger, but no one has seen him since years. The King is gone………… Where.. ??

When the news channels and newspapers reported that the last living Male Tiger in Panna has moved in to some nearby jungle in search of a soul mate, I had an intuition that there was no tiger left in Panna. Then came the relocation process, Tigresses from Bandhavgarh and Kanha were airlifted and Tran located to Panna. They were radio collared and were followed for a few weeks. And since the last week, the radio collars are not answering. Both the tigresses of Panna are now missing. The Panna’s forest officials have been boasting about the Tiger number being 30, five years back. NOT EVEN A SINGLE TIGER IS PRESENT IN PANNA TODAY. The report sent to the Chief Minister of the State clearly confirms the inability of the staff at Panna. If we are to believe that Forest people, then Panna has lost over 30 Tigers in the last five years. Panna has even lost the two BORROWED Tigresses. The sweep was the last alarm for Panna. Does it have any hope now.. ??

This is not the story of only one park in our country. Everywhere it’s the same. A Tiger goes missing, the local forest officials report the matter and send their report about the missing tiger, the govt. constitutes a team for the investigation, Investigations are held, but none of the poachers are arrested or no staff is penalized or punished for the lazy behavior.

Stories about the Tigers being electrocuted, shot and even poisoned are very common these days. And that does not even make a difference to the general public today. We have our own lives and we are busy fighting for our own needs. Nobody cares for the national animal. The decline in the number is so swift that in and around the next decade we shall be forced to choose a new national animal for the country. Tiger would then appear in magazines, postcards, stamp, documentaries and pictures. We are killing ourselves……..


A HUMBLE REQUEST TO ALL THE READERS,
A CAUSE DEDICATED TO SAVE THE TIGER ON FACEBOOK.
EVERYONE IS REQUESTED TO JOIN IN AND HELP.
YOU CAN ALSO MAKE YOUR DONATIONS HERE.

THE DONATIONS GOES TO

TIGER MISSING LINK FOUNDATION,
Official Information
Full Name: Tiger Missing Link Foundation
EIN: 34-1827209
Tax Status: 501(c)(3)
Website: http://www.tigerlink.org
Address: 17552 Fm 14
Tyler, TX 75706

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CAUSE ON FACEBOOK.

Iski Topi Uske Sirr.. !!!!

Panna, One of the five Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh, was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1994 is nestled in the Vidhya Hills of Bundelkhand region. Merely an hour away from one of the most favorite destination of foreign tourists, Khajuraho, Panna has just pugmarks to offer. Whatever may be the official figures, The State’s Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. H.S. Pabla, could also not get a glimpse of the National Animal.
(As per the Hindustan Times, 21st Feb, 2009 “Two days after the state’s Chief Conservator of Forests, H.S. Pabla, was not able to sight a tiger in the 540 sq km reserve, he told HT on Saturday that he was not adverse to the idea of relocating even a tiger. "If required we will even relocate a tiger to Panna," he said.”)

After the success of relocatranslocation of two tigresses from Bandhavgarh, Kanha/Pench to Panna have been called by the Field Director Panna Tiger Reserve.ting tigers in Sariska, now its Panna’s turn. Tender forms calling bidders for filming and photography rights of the But would it turn out to be a Success in Madhya Pradesh.. ?? I personally don’t think that this would work in M.P. How can we trust the same staff which was present when all the wild cats in Panna disappeared?

Relocating tigers may be answer to the ever declining population of tigers in the reserves. But this situation could have been avoided only if the officials would have worked when Dr Radhu Chandawat first alarmed the officials about the missing tigers in Panna long time back.

Why do we have to Relocate Tigers, when we can Save them.

Were the Panna officials not aware of the poaching done inside the restricted area? If not, why are they posted there?

What were they doing after the first tiger went missing?

What happened to the Tige

Who will be held responsible if the new tigers that are being relocated are poached?rs that were in Panna in the last census? What is the surety that illegal killing will not be done now?

-

-

-

-

For now, the relocation is to take place sometime in the last week of February. And all I can do is to pray that it turns out to be a success.

"LONG LIVE THE TIGER"

Some Good News.. !!!!

Every now and then we come across news reporting Poaching of Tigers, Arrests of Poachers and siezing skins and other body parts of the Tiger.. The census of 2007 made it very clear that poaching still is done on a large scale in the most protected forests of India.. This may be our last chance to Save the Last Surviving Royal Bengal Tigers in our Country.. The final figures of the census should not only be taken seriously but as a WARNING.. !!!!

It is never too late to start.. The result of the census came as a Shock to most in our Country.. With only 1411(The figure of 2007) Tigers left, It is high time when steps for Tiger Conservation be taken up more seriously..

I came across a news article from Reuters where the Indian Conservationists say that its too late to Save The Tiger now.. There is the video showing what different conservationists have to say about the last living Tigers in India.. Click Here to See The Video..

But the Tigers themselves have not lost hope.. There has been growth in the Tiger numbers in the last month.. On May 16, A Tigress in Pench Tiger Reserve gave birth to four cubs.. Five days later another Tigress gave birth to three cubs.. On May 25 another Tigress in Pench had a litter of three cubs.. Two more Tigresses are expected to litter in the coming days.. Official figures say that there are 22 cubs ( aged 15 days - 2 years old) in the Park.. There are a few Tigresses in Bandhavgarh National Park who are also expected to litter soon.. The Banbie Female in Bandhavgarh gave birth to cubs a few days back.. The Churbehra Queen is also expected soon.. When the Tigers have not lost hope.. Why should we.. Long Live the Tiger.. !!!!

The Elephant Show has also been stopped in Pench Tiger Reserve to provide security to the Cubs and their Mothers.. The Eleph

ants are being used for protecting Tigers.. Four camps have also been set up in the Park.. 30 Tiger Protection Force Personnel, 17 ex-servicemen and over 300 daily wagers are maintaining security of the Reserve..


Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies. -- Ann Landers

The Kings Share.. !!!!

The fall in number of Tigers in the census of 2007 was at last taken seriously

by the Government of India. The Finance Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram alloted a grant of Rs. 50 Crore for the Protection of Tigers following pressure from International conservationists to save the last tigers of the country.

While presenting the budget of 2008-09 Chidambaram told "The number 1,411 should ring the alarm bells.. The tiger is under grave threat." Further Chidambaram said that the National Tiger Conservation Authority would be granted Rs. 50 Crores to "raise, arm and deploy" a Tiger Protection Force.

The Project Tiger plans to create eight new Tiger Reserves across the country at a cost of $153 million. An estimated 2,00,000 people from across 250 villages will be relocated as the human interference in Tiger territories and encroachment are considered equally dangerous as Poaching.

THERE IS STILL SOME HOPE FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATION OF GOD.