-Rajani Pothineni
Who wouldn’t want to see a tiger at a range of 10 feet away from us? The majestic animal is as gracious in its languorous walk as it is in its growl.
Tadoba, spread over 120 sqKms in Maharashtra is also called the “Jewel of VIdharba”. It is also the oldest National Forest of Maharashtra and comes under the Project Tigerumbrella.The Tadoba National Park and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary together form the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The park gets its name from “Taru” the local deity and the andheri river which meanders itself through the forest which gives it the name. The forest is rich in flora and fauna and a delight for wildlife photographers and naturalists.
A trip to Tadoba is worth its while in Summer. The nearest railway station isChandrapur, 25 kmsaway or Nagpur is the nearest airport, 120 kms from Tadoba. The Wildlife sanctuary is open from November to June 15th only. Then it is closed for the rainy season and opened to the public only after the roads are repaired.
It is also the most non-commercial wildlife sanctuaries we have in India. Tadoba is very well known among the jungle safaris lovers, wildlife photographers and nature lovers. Only 28 safari jeeps are allowed through the TadobaAndhari Tiger Reserve gate in one session. There are two safaris per day. One in the morning at 6.00am and the afternoon one is at 3. Both safaris last 3.30hours. All the safaris are accompanied by trained local guides who have the unique knack of tracing and pointing out the flora and fauna of the forest.
The demand for the safaris is such that during the peak season, the safaris need to be booked 28 days in advance!!. The waterholes and the serene jungle are a treasure cove for bird watchers and there are said to be upto 108 varieties of birds here. One can watch the Black drongo, the night jar, kingfisher, owls, jungle fowl. The other animals we can watch are the spotted deer, neelgai, sambar, Indian bison, lots of monkeys.If one is lucky, they may get to watch the sloth bear, wild dogs, leopard, and wild boars.
There is also the elephant safari which will give a majestic view of the serene jungle from a height.
However, the most attractive feature of the safari is the sighting of TIGERS – the majestic animal and also the king of the jungle. Since the density of the tigers is the highest in India here, the probability of watching one is more. With the temperatures soaring at 44-45degrees in April to nearly 55 degrees in May, the chances of sighting a tiger near the water holes is doubled.
There is not much of a choice in the terms of hotels. There are 4-5 resorts which also serve the 3 times meals at extra cost. The resorts are all within the walking distance of the gate. Happy summer safari and a place worth a visit!
