The Queen Mother's Heirs

It has been almost two years, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.

- Ashish Thakare

The sizzling summer temperatures did not wither our commitment as we patrolled the Kosambi beat, Awadgaon round of the South Bramhapuri Range. I was the first to spot the large tiger on the other side of the Ghosikhurd canal. On my instructions, the driver eased the engine and gradually made his way down as unobtrusively as possible. Not surprisingly, the alert tigress noticed and kept an eye on us as she slowly moved away. I identified her as T-8 and knew her three cubs would be nearby. The set-up camera-trap in that beat had regularly captured this tigress and her family hunting cattle.

I picked up my DSLR, placed my bean bag on the window, and began photographing her. As we approached a bridge we momentarily lost sight of her, but on crossing over, spotted her again, near a water tank. She then began walking confidently toward us in the direction of the canal. We reversed to allow her to cross the bridge constructed across the Ghosikhurd canal by the Forest Department for the safe passage of wild animals. Having crossed, the cat disappeared into the forest. Nothing could have demonstrated the need for well-designed passages across canals better. We hung around for a while, listening to the mother call out to her cubs, and then left the family in peace.

I followed T-8’s movements regularly, often through the camera trap images shown to me by the ever active Kosambi beat guard Zade, who had made it his mission to keep track of and protect the cat family.

Occasionally, I would receive a call from him confirming a sighting and one such revealed the three cubs gambolling near the Ghosikhurd canal. On our arrival, the mother peeked out from a nearby bush as if to let us know she was around and warning us to keep our distance. This was special, as it was my first sighting of a tigress with cubs.

NIGHT ENCOUNTERS