Waiting game
It was the summer of 2013, and only a few months earlier the ruling male and female Tigers of Telia lake area were thrown out of their long held territory. The female was the well known Madhuri who had raised 4 cubs to adulthood and the cubs had just separated from their mother. The male, known commonly as Waghdoh, needs no introduction. He was the only Tiger I knew to have sired cubs with two females simultaneously; he not only did a great job protecting them from rival males but also spent quality time with them playing and sharing many a meal. Owing to the popularity of these Tigers, everyone was keen to know how they were doing in their new home which was in the buffer area of the forest. This patch of land was pristine, with a large lake and plenty of prey. I too set out on one hot summer afternoon in search of the huge male Tiger with whom I had spent many hours over the course of the past few years, hoping to see him thrive in his new territory. The temperature had soared to over 48 degrees celsius and we were having a tough time coping with the heat. Adding to our woes was the fact that we learned about the Tiger moving to the other side of the lake earlier in the day and so we were left to wait for him to return to our end of the shore. It was going to be a long wait. With the scorching sun falling directly on us, we waited. As minutes turned into hours, and hope turned into despair, our driver spotted something move into our angle of view from our far left and looking through my binoculars I immediately recognized the moving figure to be the Tiger I had come here for. It was a treat to watch him swim the length and breadth of the lake, and then walk through the beautiful lush green grasslands of the jungle.
Tadoba, India.
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