Every day at Red Earth Tadoba, the isolation of our property and the proximity to the Zari Kolsa gate give us wildlife sightings that are nothing short of breathtaking. With such unhindered access to the true wild, it made sense to us that these stories deserve sharing. With that in mind, we decided to start a series called Forest Feature!
November has been an absolute blast for us at Red Earth with consistent sightings of the king of these jungles, but also so much more. Our top story comes from Swethakumar Bobbili, a veteran wildlife lover who decided to share his experience at the Zari Gate that’s practically next to our wildlife resort in Tadoba. Together with fellow wildlife veteran Manoj Kumar Reddy, they shared an experience that cannot be felt elsewhere!
Mr. Swethakumar Ranga Rao says…
“After a gap of more than 9 months, I managed to go to the Jungle. It was more of a personal visit where I squeezed in a few safaris. As Tatkal or Spot booking was not available on the 21 st of November we booked Pangdi gate in the morning and evening on the 21 st of November. Kolsa range is one of my favorite parts of the forest in Tadoba. As there were newcomers to Kolsa I told them, don’t expect tigers here and just enjoy the forests. If a tiger sighting does happen it’s going to be a jackpot and a huge bonus.
We checked the areas frequented by a female presumed to be with cubs, checking all the areas possible. There were pug marks but were helter-skelter and confusing. There was only one road left to check before moving away from the area. As we were ambling along the road a gypsy was on the road, as it grabbed our attention we saw a movement further off. It was none other than the legendary Queen of Raiba popularly called the Kuwaiti female. She was walking along alone when we heard a cat-like gurgle and from the grass close to the road a cute little cub followed suit. It was her cub. What a show she put up for us!!
Here I am sharing one of the pictures from 1000 odd I clicked of the mother and cub that day.
People going to Tadoba please book safaris from Pangdi gate or the Zari gate, it’s a beautiful part of the forest and the experience itself is very endearing. Go to enjoy the forest there and if you are lucky you’ll be blessed with mother nature with unforgettable memories. Special thanks to the Shalik guide from Pangdi gate and Prafful driver for the wonderful tracking. This was the type of Sighting we longed for so many years in Kolsa and our perseverance paid off thanks to Mother nature.”
Kavya Vilwanathan Reports
Our next sightings come from our very own in-house naturalist, Kavya Vilwanathan. Kavya is the go-to person for anything wild at Red Earth Tadoba, our wildlife lodge in Tadoba. Kavya shares stories of multiple sightings on her visits to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
“Choti Madhu walked straight towards our jeep followed by her cubs. But as the cubs decided to take a detour to avoid the jeeps, the mother just sat there looking out for her cubs. Once the cubs crossed to reach a safe place, she got up and walked back to go about her business. Between all this we got really lucky to get good eye contact with her twice, giving us goosebumps.”
Kavya also spotted a heartwarming sight of a baby Chital drinking its mother’s milk.
“Spotted Deer or the Chital produce young every year with females giving birth to 1 or 2 fawns at once. During the first 2 weeks after birth, the young live-in hiding spots, where they are visited by their mother. The mother nurses its fawns until they are six months old.”
Every so often, we’ll be publishing a post that shows you just what you’re missing out on at our wildlife lodge in Tadoba and the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. For the best wildlife lodge experience, book your next stay at our wildlife lodge in Tadoba.
