Like leafing through the pages of "Man-Eaters of Kumaon" – Jim Corbett’s memoir of his experiences hunting man-eating Bengal tigers in India’s Kumaon region, I found Chinmay’s tales of these wild beasts’ sightings very engrossing. Unlike Corbett’s experiences, fortunately today in this part of India, humans had learned better than to prevent these animals from roaming freely.
Pursuing Wildlife in India with Pugdundee Safari
Chinmay Deshpande was the resident ‘naturalist’ of Pench Tree Lodge, the place where we were billeted. He was briefing us on what to expect at the next day’s adventure with Pugdundee Safari at the Pench Tiger Reserve National Park in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Sipping my Masala tea, my mind wandered at the possibility of seeing my first tiger in the wild as different species of birds flew over us. While the sun glistened in golden hues and reflected beautifully over the glasslike pond, I muttered to myself that this was the great outdoors.
I then directed my eyes toward the tree line in the far distance which encompassed the buffer zone of the national park. I imagined that somewhere in that dense forest roamed the kings of the jungle: the Bengal tigers and their nemesis, the Indian leopards, along with other wild animals.
Tiger-Spotting at Pench National Park
We started very early the next day. By four thirty AM, my friend Karla and I were already seated at the back of Chinmay’s jeep. The cool wind and my anticipation of my first safari experience gave me shudders all throughout our ride. We passed by cornfields stretching at the edge where the landscape met the slowly glowing skies, and rolled into pockets of small villages.
We arrived at the gate of the 758-square-kilometer Pench National Park before six AM. The park was closed every monsoon season from July to September and opened again from October until June. It was the first of October and Chinmay told us, "You are the very first guests of this year's Safari season."
The chances of seeing the evasive Bengal tigers could go both ways. "Tigers love to walk along the vehicle's path where we always see them but since rain season just passed, they might still be deep in the forest. November to February and the summer months starting March to May are the best time to spot the Tigers," Chinmay added.
While I was looking forward to spotting many different animals, I admitted that seeing a Bengal tiger would be the highlight of our safari. I was measuring our odds of seeing tigers and leopards the moment our vehicle rolled inside the national park. A few minutes into it, we were greeted by a group of Chital or spotted deer huddled at the side of the road.
A few moments later our driver stepped on the brake and pointed something out to us. My heart skipped a beat expecting him to echo the words “Bengal Tiger,” but instead he said “Bison.” Looking like a cross between a buffalo and a bull, the bison appeared menacing seeing it a few meters away.
The rest of the morning took us along every narrow trail around approximately one-tenth of the national park’s area where safaris were allowed, in search of the elusive Bengal tigers and Indian leopards. We saw bunches of Langurs and Rhesus macaques, Sambar deer, gigantic spiders crawled up in giant webs, wild boars, elephants, hyenas, jungle cats, porcupines, different birds (there were two hundred ten bird species in the park), and a jackal. The whole enchilada except the tigers and leopards.
We ended the safari without catching a glimpse of the feared hunters of the jungles, but I wasn’t disappointed even for a bit. The reason was mainly due to the informative lecture from Chinmay about the habits of each wild animal and its surrounding habitat.
During our time inside the Pench National Park, I came to regard his role as a naturalist as highly laudable. If given the chance, I certainly aspired to become one. Doing so would allow me to further understand each animal and plant species.
Retiring to Pench Tree Lodge
Pench Tree Lodge is a property owned by Pugdundee Safaris and sits just outside the buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve National Park. It features sixteen hectares of private forest with six spacious cottages and six tree houses built on stilts atop towering Mahua trees.
Staying here felt like being inside the National Park, as sightings of wild boars, civets, spotted deer, jungle cats, and a multitude of birds and butterflies became a common occurrence. The overall tranquil vibe and surrounding nature setting really made me fall in love with wildlife more.
On our last day here, as I stared at the trees, I saw vultures and other bird species gliding gracefully against the pre-dusk skies. I heard myself think about how anyone could go mad at this beautiful world. A world where even the creatures described by Jim Corbett as “man-eaters” brought so much excitement just at the mere idea of laying eyes on them. Grateful for my first safari experience, I vowed to join the fight against any act of violence and form of hunting against these animals of the wild.
(Writer’s note: A week after our trip, our friend Chinmay sent us a photograph of a Tiger sighting inside Pench National Park)
