The creatures that inhabit this earth – be they human beings or animals – are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.
Fo r e w o r d b y H is H o l in e ss t h e Da l ai La m a
his holiness the Dalai Lama
Bina Kak in an Indian politician, actress and social activist. She served as Cabinet Minister in the Government of Rajasthan between 1985 and 2013, holding various portfolios of Tourism, Art and Culture, Archaeology, Forests and Environment, Woman and Child Development, and General Administration.
ISBN: 978-93-5194-124-8
Silent Sentinels of Ranthambhore
R
anthambhore is a dry, deciduous, thorn forest that sits at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hills, Rajasthan. Known for its amazing and uplifting combination of heritage – natural and historical – which intermingles with its forests, Ranthambhore is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Within its nearly 1400-square kilometre area, Ranthambhore National Park and its critical tiger habitat provide for one of the finest areas for viewing wildlife in the world. This book is a first-hand account of Ranthambhore and some of the tigers that inhabit it. Through her incredible photographs, Bina Kak narrates her experiences and encounters with one of the most magnificent creatures in the world, in one of the most magical settings imaginable. She introduces you to some of the well-known tigers of Ranthambhore, each with unique characteristics and forms – from large territorial males like Bahadur who give a helping hand in bringing up their cubs, to the resident tigress Machli, who was possibly the oldest living tiger in the wild world. This book is a tribute to the tiger families of Ranthambhore.
BINA KAK
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Contents Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama / 13 Acknowledgements / 15 Introduction by Mike Pandey / 19 Forests, Wildlife & People / 25 Noor and Sultan: The Huntress and her Young Prince / 37 Machli: The Grand Old Tigress / 75 Sundari: The Beautiful One / 89 Husn-ara and her Family / 123 Krishna: The Wanderer / 133 Tiger Mothers and Others / 165
Two sub-adult tigers in cover
Contents Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama / 13 Acknowledgements / 15 Introduction by Mike Pandey / 19 Forests, Wildlife & People / 25 Noor and Sultan: The Huntress and her Young Prince / 37 Machli: The Grand Old Tigress / 75 Sundari: The Beautiful One / 89 Husn-ara and her Family / 123 Krishna: The Wanderer / 133 Tiger Mothers and Others / 165
Two sub-adult tigers in cover
Introduction M I K E
S Facing page: The tiger Sultan strolls past the author’s jeep. Ranthambhore is one of the best places in the world to observe wild tigers.
ome of the moments frozen in time by Bina Kak’s cameras are not only magical and powerful, but thought provoking. The Sentinels of Ranthambhore – Tigers – are what ecosystems are all about. I followed Bina’s journey closely and feel that this book has come like a breath of fresh air, not only for the denizens of wilderness, but for all of us. The Earth, our only home, is passing through difficult and turbulent times; perhaps one of the most devastating in its history of four-and-ahalf billion years. Human activity has changed the Earth’s face forever. Mindless ‘progress’ has disrupted the delicate equilibrium that nurtured and sustained life on Earth for millions of years. There is an urgent need to restore and heal it, and we are the only species on the planet with the intelligence to reverse the damage. Bina Kak’s Silent Sentinels of Ranthambhore comes like a ray of hope
P A N D E Y
in this gloomy despair that has engulfed many of us concerned with the future of our wildlife, nature and environment. I remember meeting Bina in the early days, when she had just taken up the new responsibility as Forest Minister of Rajasthan. It was her speech that touched the hearts and minds of many, in which she spoke of her vision and aspirations for Rajasthan’s wildlife. The tigers of Ranthambhore were the main focus. The book reflects the dedication and perseverance with which Bina captured the private lives of tiger families in the wilderness. The photographs reflect the passion and power of the amazing encounters that are both inspiring and motivational. Bina’s natural flair for detail and capturing that ‘magical moment’ makes her photographs special. Equipped with a unique instinct and ‘the devil’s luck’ she was always close
Introduction M I K E
S Facing page: The tiger Sultan strolls past the author’s jeep. Ranthambhore is one of the best places in the world to observe wild tigers.
ome of the moments frozen in time by Bina Kak’s cameras are not only magical and powerful, but thought provoking. The Sentinels of Ranthambhore – Tigers – are what ecosystems are all about. I followed Bina’s journey closely and feel that this book has come like a breath of fresh air, not only for the denizens of wilderness, but for all of us. The Earth, our only home, is passing through difficult and turbulent times; perhaps one of the most devastating in its history of four-and-ahalf billion years. Human activity has changed the Earth’s face forever. Mindless ‘progress’ has disrupted the delicate equilibrium that nurtured and sustained life on Earth for millions of years. There is an urgent need to restore and heal it, and we are the only species on the planet with the intelligence to reverse the damage. Bina Kak’s Silent Sentinels of Ranthambhore comes like a ray of hope
P A N D E Y
in this gloomy despair that has engulfed many of us concerned with the future of our wildlife, nature and environment. I remember meeting Bina in the early days, when she had just taken up the new responsibility as Forest Minister of Rajasthan. It was her speech that touched the hearts and minds of many, in which she spoke of her vision and aspirations for Rajasthan’s wildlife. The tigers of Ranthambhore were the main focus. The book reflects the dedication and perseverance with which Bina captured the private lives of tiger families in the wilderness. The photographs reflect the passion and power of the amazing encounters that are both inspiring and motivational. Bina’s natural flair for detail and capturing that ‘magical moment’ makes her photographs special. Equipped with a unique instinct and ‘the devil’s luck’ she was always close
Jungle cats are common in Ranthambhore but rarely as relaxed as this one
32
The Northern Plains Langur is the main primate of Ranthambhore’s forests
33
Jungle cats are common in Ranthambhore but rarely as relaxed as this one
32
The Northern Plains Langur is the main primate of Ranthambhore’s forests
33
THREE
Machli: The Grand Old Tigress
Facing page: For many, Ranthambhore is synonymous with Machli – the oldest known tigress living in the wild, in the world, and Ranthambhore’s longest reigning matriarch – who passed away in August 2016, aged over nineteen years.
W
hen T-16, better known as Machli went ‘missing’ a few years ago, for over three weeks, everyone connected to Ranthambhore and the larger world of tigers was alarmed, or preoccupied with her. Rumours abounded that she may have been killed or poached; others feared she may have succumbed to old age. Everyone was concerned. The name of Machli is synonymous with Ranthambhore, so much so that some visitors to the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve would especially come for a glimpse or ‘darshan’ of this matriarch of the National Park. The tigress, possibly the oldest living member of her
species in the wild on the planet, until her death in 2016, was believed to have brought up no less than nine tigers to adulthood, and her progeny live on not just in Ranthambhore, but Sariska Tiger Reserve too. It is not easy to add something new to the existing literature and documentation about one of the world’s most written about, filmed, and choreographed mammal; however, this is my personal tribute to the Mother of Ranthambhore. Machli belonged to the family of Lake Tigers which have dominated life around the lakes of Padam Talao, Rajbagh, and Malik Talao for decades. In her prime, her territory included a vast chunk of the areas people most recognize as Ranthambhore –
THREE
Machli: The Grand Old Tigress
Facing page: For many, Ranthambhore is synonymous with Machli – the oldest known tigress living in the wild, in the world, and Ranthambhore’s longest reigning matriarch – who passed away in August 2016, aged over nineteen years.
W
hen T-16, better known as Machli went ‘missing’ a few years ago, for over three weeks, everyone connected to Ranthambhore and the larger world of tigers was alarmed, or preoccupied with her. Rumours abounded that she may have been killed or poached; others feared she may have succumbed to old age. Everyone was concerned. The name of Machli is synonymous with Ranthambhore, so much so that some visitors to the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve would especially come for a glimpse or ‘darshan’ of this matriarch of the National Park. The tigress, possibly the oldest living member of her
species in the wild on the planet, until her death in 2016, was believed to have brought up no less than nine tigers to adulthood, and her progeny live on not just in Ranthambhore, but Sariska Tiger Reserve too. It is not easy to add something new to the existing literature and documentation about one of the world’s most written about, filmed, and choreographed mammal; however, this is my personal tribute to the Mother of Ranthambhore. Machli belonged to the family of Lake Tigers which have dominated life around the lakes of Padam Talao, Rajbagh, and Malik Talao for decades. In her prime, her territory included a vast chunk of the areas people most recognize as Ranthambhore –
FOUR
Sundari: The Beautiful One
B One of Ranthambhore’s prettiest tigers, Sundari appeared to be a promising successor to her mother Machli’s domain
efore her disappearance in the spring of 2013, Sundari or T-17 was one of Ranthambhore’s most visible and popular tigresses. Whatever people may say, I believe Sundari is still alive, if nowhere else then in my mind, and her memory will never fade away. Towards the end of my last tenure as minister, I would often expect her to appear in one of Ranthambhore’s satellite forests I was visiting, which Ranthambhore’s tigers sometimes make their way to: Karauli, Bundi, Jhalawar. Sundari, meaning the ‘beautiful one’, had always been a special tigress. One of three sisters,
born to Machli in her last litter in 2006, Sundari was the boldest of them all, even as a cub, and the prettiest tiger I have ever seen. From their youngest days, her sisters would follow where Sundari led, sometimes to the angst of their mother, who knew well the perils of the forest for a young tiger. On occasion, Sundari’s high energy movements would spoil the chance of a kill for Machli as the young one could make an untimely appearance just as her mother was stalking prey to feed the family. On all these occasions that I chanced upon Sundari, her actions offered me new insights into tiger habits, particularly the behavioural aspects of young tigers in the wild. As long as I was able to observe her,
FOUR
Sundari: The Beautiful One
B One of Ranthambhore’s prettiest tigers, Sundari appeared to be a promising successor to her mother Machli’s domain
efore her disappearance in the spring of 2013, Sundari or T-17 was one of Ranthambhore’s most visible and popular tigresses. Whatever people may say, I believe Sundari is still alive, if nowhere else then in my mind, and her memory will never fade away. Towards the end of my last tenure as minister, I would often expect her to appear in one of Ranthambhore’s satellite forests I was visiting, which Ranthambhore’s tigers sometimes make their way to: Karauli, Bundi, Jhalawar. Sundari, meaning the ‘beautiful one’, had always been a special tigress. One of three sisters,
born to Machli in her last litter in 2006, Sundari was the boldest of them all, even as a cub, and the prettiest tiger I have ever seen. From their youngest days, her sisters would follow where Sundari led, sometimes to the angst of their mother, who knew well the perils of the forest for a young tiger. On occasion, Sundari’s high energy movements would spoil the chance of a kill for Machli as the young one could make an untimely appearance just as her mother was stalking prey to feed the family. On all these occasions that I chanced upon Sundari, her actions offered me new insights into tiger habits, particularly the behavioural aspects of young tigers in the wild. As long as I was able to observe her,
Arrowhead is the dominant female from Krishna’s second litter. She will later claim the favourite lakes as her own territory from her mother.
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Arrowhead is the dominant female from Krishna’s second litter. She will later claim the favourite lakes as her own territory from her mother.
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157
Horseplay among siblings improves their hunting and fighting skills
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Horseplay among siblings improves their hunting and fighting skills
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Noor rests under a banyan while young Sultan yawns with boredom
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Noor rests under a banyan while young Sultan yawns with boredom
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How many tigers do you see? (see previous page)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. ISBN: 978-93-5194-124-8 Š Roli Books 2017 First published in India by Roli Books M-75, Greater Kailash-II Market, New Delhi-110048 Phone: 40682000, Website: www.rolibooks.com
Design: Sneha Pamneja, Anuj Malhotra Cover Design: Archna Singh Editor: Aditi Chopra Layout: Naresh L Mondal Pre-press: Jyoti Dey Production: Yuvraj Singh Printed and bound in Thomson Press India Ltd.