I am visiting a tiger focused national park in India - Taboda.

Since I normally do my photo safaris in hunting areas. I was suprised at how docile the animals were.

These are wild animals with high predator count and plenty of predation.

None of the animals save a few very small antelope were jittery. These are damn noisy and loud tourist vechicles with very few wildlife enthusiasts.

I assume it is the same at Norongoro Crater or Krueger.

Tigers have no fear or apprehension of vechicles or any noise, smell or movements in them. Same with a Wild boars.

This seemed like the exact opposite of a highly poached area where all game is super jittery. Here game is so exposed to human activity they just view it as moveable rocks.

If people visit these kind of areas they will be under the damn impression hunting is just shooting an animal that stands still or may even walk towards a truck.

Mike

You are 100% correct. I joined my husband after he did Kilimanjaro and we went to Ngorongoro and then went to the Serengeti. The animals just stood there. When the lions or a leopard was on a kill, all the "safari vehicles" converged on the animal. The scene looked like a traffic accident on the Chicago expressways with all the gawkers.

Then in Nepal it was the same thing at the Chitwan National Park. Animals were very tolerant of the tourists taking photos right next to them.

Spot on.

The national parks were not always like this 30 years ago in India.

Strict patrol and very severe penalties have changed the scenario. Local village poachers are just caught and flogged by the rangers while even very influential top movie stars have been jailed.

The explanation is that Man is no longer seen as the apex predator in such situations.

See this tiger using the jeep as cover - hardly 3 feet from the woman in the jeep & she is wearing white and moving about so much.

Also in Gir sanctuary in Gujarat - the Asiatic lions just stand on the roads and people drive past and even walk past.

https://youtu.be/d2byjoAjazE

I have never been to Tadoba and it is on my bucket list. How many tiger sightings did you have?

A friend went last season & saw 5 tigers in a day and had multiple sightings almost every day.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
I am visiting a tiger focused national park in India - Taboda.

Since I normally do my photo safaris in hunting areas. I was suprised at how docile the animals were.

These are wild animals with high predator count and plenty of predation.

None of the animals save a few very small antelope were jittery. These are damn noisy and loud tourist vechicles with very few wildlife enthusiasts.

I assume it is the same at Norongoro Crater or Krueger.

Tigers have no fear or apprehension of vechicles or any noise, smell or movements in them. Same with a Wild boars.

This seemed like the exact opposite of a highly poached area where all game is super jittery. Here game is so exposed to human activity they just view it as moveable rocks.

If people visit these kind of areas they will be under the damn impression hunting is just shooting an animal that stands still or may even walk towards a truck.

Mike

6

1 female 3 clubs

1 male

1 female

1.5 days

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
I have never been to Tadoba and it is on my bucket list. How many tiger sightings did you have?

A friend went last season & saw 5 tigers in a day and had multiple sightings almost every day.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
I am visiting a tiger focused national park in India - Taboda.

Since I normally do my photo safaris in hunting areas. I was suprised at how docile the animals were.

These are wild animals with high predator count and plenty of predation.

None of the animals save a few very small antelope were jittery. These are damn noisy and loud tourist vechicles with very few wildlife enthusiasts.

I assume it is the same at Norongoro Crater or Krueger.

Tigers have no fear or apprehension of vechicles or any noise, smell or movements in them. Same with a Wild boars.

This seemed like the exact opposite of a highly poached area where all game is super jittery. Here game is so exposed to human activity they just view it as moveable rocks.

If people visit these kind of areas they will be under the damn impression hunting is just shooting an animal that stands still or may even walk towards a truck.

Mike

I think this is the future of wild tigers. Living with humans as moveable rocks in loud jeeps.

The Indian tiger population has been saved and reserves set.

The reserves will be utilized to the full given India’s economic boom. There were only 3 non Indian tourist when I was there. Few hundred Indian tourist.

Everything is digital - permits, paper work ect.

Lots of guiding operation that provide lodging and bring one to the gate. AFter that all is handled by the govt.

Guides and driver were terrified into following rules. No one stepped out of vechicles and not a speck of garbage was left anywhere in the park.

The whole tourism activity serves as a layer of protection as the tourist guides act as sentry in the am and evening. Forest guards take over in afternoon and night.

Plenty of cameras ect to insure local population does not poach. I think anyone poaching tigers would be shot and killed extra judicially.

I did see a blue bull outside the park (way to far to be from park area) and I am pretty sure there is a fair bit of game (non tigers) around the park area.

The forest department which historically has been joke in the 1980s is now turned around 180 degrees.

I think tourism keeps poachers out. The whole selling of a tiger as a ultimate trophy is as realistic as doing the same for a unicorn. India has changed.

I will be visiting other Indian game parks. It’s good bang for the buck - my trip expenses were around $200-$250 per day for two people. If one tips the guide and driver well and explains that I have seen my tiger let’s go spend time looking at other stuff away from the crowd one can get a good trip away from people. Problem is you will never step on ground in the park outside on a small designated restroom area.


I will post some pictures over the next few weeks.

Mike

Wow. Good assessment sir.

Yes the wildlife & forestry department has changed at least in the big sanctuaries where social media attention is too risky.

In Nagarhole a top official of the state was caught violating the rules by intimidating staff to open the gate after curfew time of 6 pm! It became a big issue last year.

Nilgai, black buck, chinkara gazelle and chital are commonly found in agricultural properties around much of north & central India. In some areas they are treated as sacred reincarnations of Hindu gods and in others the locals just leave them alone. They do cause a lot of damage to crops along with wild boars at night. Leopards are also widespread but rarely seen. Recent thermal camera studies have proved that leopards are common near big cities all over India.