The Hawk Who Dared the Crocs

It can be rewarding to not be totally obsessed with tigers. Dentist Rohan Sharma is one such exception. While traversing the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), Uttar Pradesh, Sharma did not let his childhood passion for birds be overwhelmed by the tiger chase. Chance played a role in his favour and he bagged the first Indian record of crocodile predation or feeding on a dead one by the changeable hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus limnaeetus).

- Vikram Jit Singh

In Sharma's narrative, the encounter that led to exceptional photographs and a vigorous interest evinced in them by researchers and raptor enthusiasts: "On a chilly afternoon during the course of my fifth safari at the PTR, I was captivated by the forest's charm once again, having fallen in love with it during my first visit in June 2024. Despite the frenzy over tiger sightings, I remained focused on bird watching. While traversing the 'Pakki Patri' track in Zone II, I spotted a hawk-eagle perched on a fig tree with prey hanging from its talons. Although the driver initially passed it by, I urged him to reverse, allowing us to get a closer look and a few pictures.

I initially thought it was a monitor lizard (Goh). Upon reviewing the images back home in Pune, I was stunned to discover that the hawk-eagle's catch was a Mugger crocodile hatchling. Just 50 m from the fig tree runs a stream through the PTR. The photographic capture underlines the astonishingly unpredictable nature of the wilderness."