Approximately 1,700 tigers roam our forests but a sighting still eludes many. On a recent visit to the Bandipur National Park, Shalini Saksena was told how this park is booming with 112 tigers, 150 leopards & 3,500 elephants with no poaching incident in the last three years. All this, thanks to a synergy between committed forest officials and well-meaning watchdog NGOs
It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures — Article 51A Fundamental Duties
Place: Bandipur National Park, Karnataka. Year: 2012. The canter with 18 occupants was on its way to a jungle safari. The vehicle had just entered the park when it came to an abrupt halt. The driver quickly switched off the engine and gestured to the visitors to be absolutely quiet. Right in front a majestic tiger was sleeping in the middle of the dirt track. For the next two hours nothing happened, The tiger continued his siesta unperturbed by human presence. By the end of it, the driver turned around and drove out of the park.
Such tiger sightings are folklore but not many are lucky to actually see a tiger in the wild. Such sightings depend on a number of factors, conservationists say — time of the year, size of the park and, of course, the tiger population.
According to naturalist Imran Ali Khan, spotting a tiger is sheer luck by chance. “He is a loner. The reason why people can spot a tiger in the wild is only because he will be either roaming his territory to defend it or is on his way to a watering hole, or he might be out in the open preparing for a kill,” Khan, who has been working with Serai Bandipur, a luxury resort on the periphery of the Bandipur National Park Project Tiger, explains.
He probably one of the few in this region who has seen a tiger on a hunt. “I saw a herd of deers on high alert and I knew the big cat was somewhere around. But I was not prepared for what happened next. From nowhere, it came out charging. The deer ran helter-skelter as the tiger made its kill. It immediately dragged the kill into the bushes and disappeared,” Khan recounts.
Khan, who has been in Bandipur National Park for eight months now, has many tales to narrate, one among them being the fact that though the animal is shy and shuns humans, the sightings at Bandipur are frequent. “On an average, there are 10 tiger sightings a month,” he says. Bandipore boasts of a handsome tiger population of 112 tigers, according to the 2011 census.
So what makes the park so different from the others in the countryIJ According to HC Kantharaju, director, Project Tiger Bandipur National Park, it is the rigid rules that the State Government has enforced that has given a boost to its tiger population. “We have 38 anti-poaching camps in the 1,012 sq km area, of which 890 sq km is the core area and the rest, the buffer zone. Every camp has seven rangers who comb the park daily. The fact that there are no settlements inside the park ensures that the flora and fauna are well-protected,” Kantharaju says.
The locals, however, say that the reason why tigers at Bandipore have prospered is due to the former presence of sandalwood don Veerappan in the region. “Veerappan used to roam these forests. His fear kept even poachers away. Though it meant total destruction of the flora, the fauna thrived,” a villager says.
However, wildlife and conservation filmmaker Shekhar Dattatri has a different take on this. “The increase in the tiger population in Karnataka is due to excellent work done by the Karnataka Forest Department and several committed NGOs. Veerappan had nothing to do with it. He was no hero or conservationist. His gang slaughtered elephants for ivory. Had they discovered the market for tiger skin, bones and body parts, they would have finished off the tigers too. However, the presence of this ruthless gang, and the police on their trail, might have made others fearful of going into the forest to poach deer and other tiger prey species in the Sathyamangalam forests of Tamil Nadu where this gang was primarily active. This could have indirectly led to an increase in the tiger population here,” Dattatri explains.
Seconds Kantharaju. “Bandipur was never Veerappan’s domain. He has nothing to do with the rise in the number of tigers. His gang never operated here,” Kantharaju says.
“That zone where Veerappan’s gang was most active has been recently declared as a Tiger Reserve. Provided that good officers are posted in the area and it receives good protection, this Tiger Reserve has the potential to be one of the best in the country,” Dattatri tells you. But his documentary, The Truth About Tigers is alarming. It talks about how poaching remains a huge threat, as the overseas demand for tiger skin, bones and body parts is still high.
“The protection procedures in most of our Tiger Reserves are still lax and Intelligence gathering, which is necessary for stopping poachers, is woefully inadequate. The continued rampant poaching of prey species by localites is an important factor in keeping the tiger numbers down,” the Chennai-based filmmaker states.
Interestingly, there has not been a single incidence of poaching in the Bandipur National Park in the past three years. “It is all about how strict the State Government is, how much funds are available and what is the level of commitment of forest rangers,” Kantharaju says. He attributes poaching in parks in the north to the Naxalite movement and insurgency in places like the North-East which, he says, makes patrolling difficult. It leaves the field open for poachers, Kantharaju explains.
Does this mean the tiger will be extinctIJ “Committed and knowledgeable citizen watchdog groups around every Tiger Reserve can make a huge difference, as they can monitor what goes on, and both help the tiger reserve authorities and also hold them accountable. The single most important thing that the Government can do to improve the situation of our forests and wildlife is ensure that only upright and committed officials are posted in wildlife areas and given the support they require,” Dattatri says.
But why not have a single policy across the country to save the tigerIJ Why do different States have to have different policiesIJ “It is not just a policy issue but an issue of priority for the State Government. Karnataka has had a fairly good forest department. The State also has good watchdog NGOs that keep the Government on its toes and an active Wildlife Board that meets regularly and takes decisions. These factors are lacking in other States,” the 49-year-old whose lifelong fascination with wildlife began at age 13 when he joined the Madras Snake Park as a student-volunteer, says.
Round-the-clock foot patrolling holds the key to tiger preservation. “Encourage a participatory approach with NGOs and locals. Implement just voluntary resettlement from tiger reserves, beef up Intelligence-gathering to nab poachers before they strike and ensure connectivity between reserves wherever possible,” Dattatri concludes.
luxury in wilderness
Nestled where the Deccan Plateau meets the Western Ghats, The Serai Bandipur is on the periphery of The Bandipur National Park (Project Tiger) and a part of the Nilgiri biosphere. The 16-km drive that takes you into the luxury resort is a kuchcha road that cuts through the fringes of the jungle. With small settlements at regular distance, the drive has a charm one doesn’t experience elsewhere. The blue mountains, (the colour comes from the blue algae), arid land with small trees and shrubs lend a surreal charm to the place.
In the centre of this arid zone, the resort is an oasis of green — lush green bamboo trees and grass that covers 35 acres of this eco-friendly property. The chirping of birds and absence of traffic makes one want to stay here forever. “The idea behind our group of hotels and resorts is to provide not just the luxury that one will find in a place like this, but to give an overall experience of the place itself. We want the guests to enjoy the many facilities that we have. There is nature walk with our naturalist, a swimming pool, ride on cycles within the property and a billiards table. With a jungle safari added to this, we aim to provide an experience that people will remember forever,” Ventakesh, director, Coffee Day Hotels & Resorts, says.
It is definitely an experience that even a diehard city person will love to have. With local dishes like beetroot playa, semiya payasam, hagalkkai huli (bitter gourd patchadi), beans playa, soppu playa and baindakai gojju (brinjal dal) at the buffet in the restaurant overlooking the jungle adds to the wow factor. “Every guest who comes here is bowled over by the beauty of the location. It is unfortunate that many still don’t know how happily situated we are,” Sanjeev Kumar, the operations manager at The Serai, says, adding that the resort is a two-hour drive from Mysore and a five-hour drive from Bengaluru.
He also tells you that Ooty is only 79 km away. “We recommend that people stop over for a couple of days and enjoy all the pampering on way to Ooty. One can do a weekend get-away too. A visit to the spa after a jungle safari is there to unwind. Enjoy a drink while looking into the night, bright stars above and the animal sounds from the jungle have no rival,” Kumar tells you.
The fact that the resort is situated on the leeward side means there is very little rain. This makes it possible for the safari to be available round the year. However, there is an advisory. One should wear earthy dull colours, whites, yellows, pinks and reds are a no-no. No talking, use of perfume or mobiles and iPads inside the forest. One must carry sneakers or walking shoes. While the animals are used to the loud noise of the canters and jeeps, what they are not used to is the smell of humans in their habitat. One needs to mask human presence as much as possible.
Kumar is quick to point out that guests coming to the resort need not book the safari in advance. “It is advisable to book the stay. Once at the resort, the safari can follow. This is because it has been our experience that most guests who book the safari in advance end up not going. They prefer staying in and enjoying the facilities. Mostly getting a slot is no problem — just book and confirm by 7:30 pm the previous night. For the evening trip, confirm by 2 pm,” Kumar concludes.
SAFARI RATES: Indian: Rs 1,250 per person per trip, Foreigner: Rs 2,000 per
Children (below 10): Rs 750
Video camera: Rs 1,000