Debasis Bose
11-01-2017, 08:39 AM
It was 21st Dec 2016, we arrived Dhangari gate @ 2.45 pm and after completing the registration formalities at the gate we left @ 3.12 pm to be precise.
We started our Journey, with our driver narrating about the luck of one of his previous tourist, who was visiting the park for 1st time about a year or so back and said they were just one km from the gate when they ran into the Dhangari male, a huge shy tiger, who rules the area from the fringes of Sitabani to Mohaan to Dhangari upto and close to Sultan. They had the sighting for about 5 minutes and it was still etched to his mind. I believed him, because with the fluency he was narrating.
The minute he finished sharing his narration of the beautiful sighting, we saw a piece of paper lying on the side of the road, and at exactly one km from the gate. The driver stopped to pick up the littered paper, when we realized there is a fresh pug mark on the soft mud with sandy gravel.
At one look, realized that the gravels were still shifting and sliding from the cone of the tip of the huge pug mark. Adrenaline started pumping and in excitement, told everyone on the gypsy, there is a tiger within 25 m. My better half joked and said to control my excitement and enjoy the beautiful landscape and cool pleasant weather.
To our amazement, we were at the 1 km bend, told the driver to pick the paper and move quickly ahead........the minute we negotiated the bend.......there he was...the huge Dhangari male walking majestically......believe it or not.......the huge male walked in front of us for almost 15 minutes...displaying typical territorial male behaviour and posing for us to click about 500 shots, with about 50 shots either directly looking to us or giving us wonderful side view.
We had all opportunity to click him and make a fantastic video. And to our surprise, in those 15 minutes not a single vehicle turned up from either direction. The moment he melted into far side side of one of the sot after walking more than two km on the road, suddenly a barrage of vehicle came in and seeing us excited asked.....KYA HAI..... we told them that we just had sighting of Dhangari male for 15 minutes or so....the reaction of the other gypsy were to be observed...the one behind us...blaming each other...you should not have gone to toilet....the other gypsy blaming the driver for delaying at the gate...the one in front of us saying his partner....we should not have waited to take the image of the landscape and hear the sound of flowing water.
Sometimes, stories come true and that was the case with us, combined with our luck.
Nikon D4s, Nikor 300 FL, shot @ 300 F9, ISO 1425, 1/320s.
We started our Journey, with our driver narrating about the luck of one of his previous tourist, who was visiting the park for 1st time about a year or so back and said they were just one km from the gate when they ran into the Dhangari male, a huge shy tiger, who rules the area from the fringes of Sitabani to Mohaan to Dhangari upto and close to Sultan. They had the sighting for about 5 minutes and it was still etched to his mind. I believed him, because with the fluency he was narrating.
The minute he finished sharing his narration of the beautiful sighting, we saw a piece of paper lying on the side of the road, and at exactly one km from the gate. The driver stopped to pick up the littered paper, when we realized there is a fresh pug mark on the soft mud with sandy gravel.
At one look, realized that the gravels were still shifting and sliding from the cone of the tip of the huge pug mark. Adrenaline started pumping and in excitement, told everyone on the gypsy, there is a tiger within 25 m. My better half joked and said to control my excitement and enjoy the beautiful landscape and cool pleasant weather.
To our amazement, we were at the 1 km bend, told the driver to pick the paper and move quickly ahead........the minute we negotiated the bend.......there he was...the huge Dhangari male walking majestically......believe it or not.......the huge male walked in front of us for almost 15 minutes...displaying typical territorial male behaviour and posing for us to click about 500 shots, with about 50 shots either directly looking to us or giving us wonderful side view.
We had all opportunity to click him and make a fantastic video. And to our surprise, in those 15 minutes not a single vehicle turned up from either direction. The moment he melted into far side side of one of the sot after walking more than two km on the road, suddenly a barrage of vehicle came in and seeing us excited asked.....KYA HAI..... we told them that we just had sighting of Dhangari male for 15 minutes or so....the reaction of the other gypsy were to be observed...the one behind us...blaming each other...you should not have gone to toilet....the other gypsy blaming the driver for delaying at the gate...the one in front of us saying his partner....we should not have waited to take the image of the landscape and hear the sound of flowing water.
Sometimes, stories come true and that was the case with us, combined with our luck.
Nikon D4s, Nikor 300 FL, shot @ 300 F9, ISO 1425, 1/320s.