Kabini has always been regarded as a Tiger haven, but they remained elusive. Although Kabini is more of the land of leopards, a good number of leopards were sighted in the park in the, but now sighting the tigers of Kabini is now a very good possibility which is not just a glimpse. The glorious tigers of Kabini are now used to the jungle safari vehicles and don’t shy away from walking towards the jeeps as they did previously.
The Backwater Male, the VK Tank Male, or the Mastigudi Male are some of the high-profile tigers that ruled Kabini. There are some star tigers of Kabini that have their areas in Kabini now, which we would want you to know about. Stay at Red Earth, our resort in Kabini, and watch the wildlife closer than ever.
The Tiger Tank Family:
The Tigress is called the Tiger Tank Female and her litter of 3 cubs, who were probably born in July 2015. The legendary Tiger Tank family lineage rules a large part of Kabini. They were first sighted by the Forest Department in October 2015, in a small part of the forest called Burning Place. Just 3 months old, they were the hopes for the future of Tiger sightings in Kabini Jungle Safari.
The seasons flew by and the three chubby cubs had grown to be gorgeous, majestic tigers who are now a visual delight by every tourist. Now the three tigers of Kabini have taken over the range previously supervised by their mother. It was extremely unfortunate when one of the female tigers died from electrocution near the Backwaters in 2018.
The Backwater Family:
The original Backwater Female tigress gave birth to two female cubs, around the same time around mid-2014. The cubs probably parted ways a year or so later, with one of the female cubs rumored to have crossed the Kabini River, over to the Bandipur side to establish a home of her own, while her sibling took over the areas previously under her mother.
The most dominant tigress of Kabini, Backwater Female holds the reputation for being the boldest of them all. Often seen walking across the road like a queen, very comfortable to pose for the cameras every time she’s seen. Raising two cubs, probably fathered by the dominant Tiger Tank Male, the first litter of three males, and the second of two females and a male, who as of 2020, are looking to grow into strong tigers of Kabini, who will eventually establish territories of their own through the same hallowed paths walked by their mother and grandmother
The Russell Line Family:
While Tiger sightings in Kabini Jungle Safari became more and more common in 2015-2016, Russell Line tigress, who was barely sighted because she has been shying away from jungle safari vehicles, but later became bolder.
The oldest tigress in Kabini, and often called the Tiger Godmother of Kabini, has raised three cubs of her own. Each one of the cubs has grown into tigers that control significant territory in the park, perhaps no other tiger is more known than the tigress called the Temple Female, who has been sighted, and is raising two cubs of her own.
Some tigers who were thought to have hopes for future sightings went missing, either into the deep forest, away from the tourism areas, or have been rumored to have died, like the fierce Balle Female who disappeared in late 2018, and her cubs were never seen either.
The thriving number of Kabini Tiger population coupled with the frequency of their sightings and their increasingly bold nature has made Kabini a veritable haven for the animals, washing away decades of the stereotype that one must make a trip to Central India to spot the country’s national animal.
You can read our blog Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary to read about Asiatic Elephants and Leopards of the mystical Kabini forest. Know more about the various wildlife species of the forest. Red Earth, our resort in Kabini is fortunate to be established in this land and ensures that the native fauna is never disturbed by our actions.
