Strange behaviour

[Pralay Lahiry]

This tigress behaved in a very strange way. I was coming down from Bandhavgarh fort and just after taking the bend from the old fort door she jumped down on the road from an adjacent boulder. This was at a distance of about 30 feet when I took this snap. However things changed quite rapidly. She turned around and came towards my Gypsy. It was not a charge but rather a determined sort of walk. At 20 feet the ears flattened and the tail started twitching but still no charge. She just kept on coming. The driver revved the engines and moved forward a couple of feet. This had absolutely no effect. She did not slow down or charge. Just kept coming. At abot 10 feet we strated backing up but at the bend inside the fort the gypsy got wedged at the narrow turning. The guide peeped out and saw the tigress still coming. That’s when the driver (he has been driving in the park for 20 yrs) lost his cool and asked the guide to shut the fort door. Now, the door had not been touched for a few hundred or thousand yrs. It would have taken a number of men to budge that behemoth. However at the last moment the gypsy jumped over a rock on back gear and we climbed back. The tigress waited in the middle of the road for another half an hour before departing. I have no explanation why it did not charge or bolt.
P.S. After this first shot I had forgotten all about photography and lost my camera (I found it under my seat when I got back to safety). I feel humbled in front of such majesty.

Canon Powershot A550
1/125s
f/9.0
ISO 80

[Mrudul Godbole]

That was a very interesting experience. I can understand, why you lost the camera . I have been to Bandhavgarh or had quite close tiger sightings at other places, but have never experienced such behaviour. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Certainly a humbling experience. I have seen people, especially photographers with long tele lenses shaking with fear due to the proximity of a tiger.

In the normal times, a tiger will move a few feet to the side and will pass by the tourist vehicle. If it wanted to move up towards the fort, the vehicle blocking the road is certainly a hindrance, as there wont be enough space for the tiger to get down the road.

However, I don't expect tail to be twitching from side to side, unless it is just the movement due to the tigress walking.

When was it? Which month?

The interesting thing is the behaviour of the driver. He tries to move ahead to scare the tiger. Till date tigers have been killed by reckless driving. I wont be surprised if a tourist gets felled by a tiger trying to force its way through a road blockade.

As far as this incident is concerned, I am not very sure. We should remember that we are the intruders in their territory. It is always better to be careful.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Wow! Sighting a tiger in any form is simply exciting and a thrilling experience, your story reminds me of the a similar experience I had during Aug'10 at Bandipur.
tfs

[Pralay Lahiry]

Thanks for the comments.
Mr.Patra, this was at the end of March this year. I, personally would not blame the driver, because he is one of the oldest and experienced drivers in Bandhavgarh and he advanced just about 2-3 feet. It was a totally unexpected behaviour and the manager of Bandhavgarh MPTDC confirmed that he had not seen such behaviour during his tenure. Well, it was an experience which I shall remember for the rest of my life, not as a frightening experience but a really humbling one.
Anyway, I shall be departing day after tomorrow to join my ship. Wish you and all others on this wonderful site to keep up the excellent work. I shall certainly rejoin you when I come back from the sea.
Bon voyage to Indiawilds.

Pralay Lahiry

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Dear Pralay,
Were you driven by Rama Shankar Yadav of MPTDC? If so, he is a good guy.

All the best for your trip. Be safe. I am sure when you are back we will have many more interesting experiences to share.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[A.S.Chandrashekaran]

Hello Pralay Lahiri,
A Fantasmogoric exoerience indeed. Nearest I ever got to one in the open was perhaps about half to a Km, listening to a mating call coming closer & going past one in the foliage by the roadside at about 200 mts. Both instances that I often recall todate.
Now that you are back safe & sound, you have indeed profound thoughts to fall back on, for the rest of your life. It's all Jim Corbettian kinda stuff.
The tigress's behaviour? What can one say? Maybe just cussedness? Maybe a 'want' to show their Power over us human critters who have been a regular bally nuisance in their territory - as Sabyasachi Patra says?
Despite all that, I believe its a great picture. I'll have it on my desktop for quite some time.
A S Chandrashekaran