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Update from Ranthambhore
It’s been a long time since I posted on the blog. I was on a long vacation and got back to Ranthambhore about 3 weeks ago and since then I have been busy trying to make a living. Yes some of us have to do that. Here are some updates from Ranthambhore:
1. The Park reopened to visitors on the 1st of October after being shut for three moths of monsoons. This year the monsoon rains were spectacular. The best that I have seen and all the waterholes in the park are overflowing. The park is lush green and there should be no major water shortages in the dry summer months.
2. The cubs of the Guda tigress that was found dead in September are still alive and kicking. They have been killing deer fawns and are apparently doing well. A true miracle. They are just about 10 months old – one male and one female – and have been taking care of each other. More about this in a later post.
3. In the Sultanpur area of the park (southern part of the national park) a tigress has given birth to two cubs. They were probably born somewhere in the late summers and have been seen by a number of visitors in the last three weeks.
4. The Forest Department has come out with a new policy to govern tourism, which is a total disaster. This policy is neither good for tourism nor for conservation and has ended up making Ranthambhore the “most visitor unfriendly park in India.” Basically it has made life extremely tough for people like me who make a living out of the visitors who come to see the park.
5. I learnt something really amazing yesterday. The Rajasthan Forest Department has started an “official inquiry” into my blog. A senior Forest Officer who is based in Jaipur is the enquiry officer. Apparently some people took some print out of this blog (mainly of some stuff that I had posted when tiger poaching was at its peak in Ranthambhore – 2004 or so) and sent them as a “complaint” to the Forest Department in Jaipur. The Forest Department, for obvious reason went ballistic and have now launched an enquiry on how I could post such stuff. . What really upset me is that they took three years to know about something that is so public. Just goes to show that no one really reads what I write. 
Water security in Ranthambhore
For the last two years the tiger numbers in Ranthambhore National Park have been going up and soon there will be more tigers than the park can accommodate. A few sub adult tigers are already drifting out of the park, where the protection levels are not as high as they are in the Park. Recently a male sub adult was killed outside the boundary of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. One short-term solution for increasing the number of tigers in Ranthambhore is to improve the habitat within the Reserve so that more tigers can establish their territories inside the Reserve.
The Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve consists of the following Protected Areas:
1. Ranthambhore National Park.
2. Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary.
3. Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary.
4. Kela Devi Sanctuary.
5. Certain other Forested Areas.
Out of the entire Tiger Reserve, the National Park constitutes only about 22% of the area of the Reserve and tigers are found only with the boundaries of the National Park and the Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary. A few tigers do stray to Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary and to the southeastern fringe of the Kela Devi Sanctuary but they do not establish their territories in these areas. For the last few years the officials of the Ranthambhore Tiger Project (Core Division) have been making great efforts to improve the habitat with the Reserve. As a result areas such as Balas and Chidi Kho in Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary, Kundal in Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary and Ghateshwar in Kela Devi Sanctuary have been added as potential tiger habitat.
Indala ki Dang
Within the Ranthambhore national Park there are areas that are right now not suitable tiger habitats. The three essentials that make a tiger habitat are vegetation cover (wooded areas and ground cover), presence of prey species in sufficient numbers and the presence of permanent waterholes. Most of the areas that are not suitable as tiger habitats with in the National Park are devoid of permanent Water holes. One such area is the Indala ki Dang (highlighted in the map above).
Indala ki Dang (or Indala plateau) has an area of almost 90 square kilometers, which is almost 30% of the area of the National Park. There is a small village called Indala at the southern edge of this plateau. Till a few years ago this plateau was seriously over grazed and there was little or no ground cover. Grazers from the villages that lie along the southern and eastern edge of the Park used to graze their cattle in this plateau. There was very little woodcutting in the area because the villages were too far to carry wood. As a result while there was no ground cover there were enough trees in the plateau. Due to the loss of ground cover the plateau could not retain much rainwater and barely a month after the end of monsoons almost all the water holes in the plateau used to dry out. In the last few years the Forest Department managed to drastically reduce the grazing pressure in the plateau and gradually the under growth regenerated. (see picture below)
On the 24th of December 2007 I visited the Indala ki dang, after a gap of three years, with the Deputy Field Director of Ranthambhore National Park and I was pleasantly surprised. The plateau had almost totally regenerated and was now in a shape to support tigers. There were enough wooded areas, undergrowth and prey species. The only thing that was lacking was permanent water holes. We found evidence (pugmarks and scat) of the presence of 7 different tigers. The feedback from the Forest Guards who are manning the different Forest Chowkis in Indala was that there is a lot of tiger movement in the area, however very few tigers stay permanently in the plateau and this is mainly due to the absence of permanent water holes in the area.
The natural water sources that existed in the plateau were almost totally destroyed due to cattle grazing and these may take a long time to recover. The Deputy Field Director is of the opinion that this plateau, along with its neighboring areas, has the potential to accommodate between 8 and 10 tigers and that most of the cubs and sub adult tigers of Lahpur valley, Sakri valley and Thumka valley could establish their territories in Indala, provided there were enough water sources in the area. He plans to dig 5 wells in the plateau in strategic locations and use each one of these wells to support two water holes. The cost of digging each well is about Rs. 125,000 and the cost of creating two water holes (for each well) would be a further Rs. 50,000.
The Deputy Field Director is looking for all the financial help that he can get to provide permanent water sources on Indala so that tigers form their permanent territories in the plateau and not just use it as a transitional zone. We, the people at The Ranthambhore Bagh have committed to provide the funds required for one well and two water holes that will go with this one well and work has already started. We are looking for partners who can help us dig the other 4 wells. We feel that if a mere Rs. 1,000,000 can add an area of almost 90 square kilometers of tiger habitat to the Ranthambhore National Park; it is a very small price to pay.
Number 5
Machali - Ranthambhore’s most photographed tigress - Need I say more.
Number 4
I have seen tigers kill a few times but have only managed to shoot it twice. This Spotted deer was still alive when I took this picture - look at his eyes.
Number 3
“Jhumru” just before he charged (see Numer 2 below) on the same day, same slide roll and the same bloody scanner.
Number 2
“Jhumru” - now a big mature male who stays in an area called Lahpur in the heart of the Ranthambhore National Park. I had taken this one on a Slide film and scanned it very poorly. Dated 24th April 2002 - when he was not so big and mature.
My most viewed pictures on Flickr
Here are 5 of my most “viewed” (though not necessarily the best) pictures on flickr.
This one is actually one of my all time favorites. Its a picture of “Machali” and her latest litter. She is one of the most photographed wild tigers in the world. She is super cool, super model and just does not give a thought to vehicles surrounding her. Got this picture on the 17th of January 2007.
Persian Dwarf Sand Gecko
In the end of September 2007 Doctor Dharmendra Khandal - the Field Biologist of Tiger Watch - went on a tour of the Thar desert in Rajasthan with a few of his friends. I could not join them because that is the time we have to start getting out Lodge in Ranthambore - The Ranthambhore Bagh- ready for the tourist season, that starts on the 1st of October.
The most interesting find was this little Persian or Sindh Dwarf Sand Gecko that they found in the Barmer district of Western Rajasthan. This is the first time that this gecko has been reported from anywhere in India. Keep it up Dharmendra.
October 2007
On the 1st of October 2007 the Ranthambhore national park re opened after three months. All the Project Tiger Reserves are shut during the monsoons and likewise Ranthambhore closes on the 1st of July every year. These three monsoons months are “tough” ones for the managers of the park because this is when illegal cattle grazers storm the park with their cattle and literally camp inside the park. This year, however, like the last year, the Park management managed to keep the grazers out of the national park. There were some instances of grazing but compared to what used to go on a few years ago, such instances were insignificant. Hats off to Mr. R. S. Shekhawat and his team.
I was busy trying to set up our Lodge for the new season and did not get a chance to go to the park till the 7th of October. Between the 7th and the 12th of October, I managed to go for every safari (and there are two in a day) and boy did I have a good time.
Water availability: Ranthambhore had some great rains in the last few months and all the water holes inside the park are full to the brim. I have not seen the water in the lakes rise to this level since 2001. The park is lush green and the undergrowth nice and thick. The ungulates have had a good time for the last few months and it shows very obviously.
Tiger sightings: Till a few days before the park reopened we believed that October would not have many great tiger sightings. Mainly because we thought that since there is water everywhere in the park, the ungulates would be spread out all over the park and so would the predators. We also believed that the thick undergrowth would make tiger sightings even tougher. But this was not to be. I personally saw 10 different tigers – two families of a 4 tigers each (one in Kachida and the other in the area of the lakes) and two males.
Cubs: the forest officials have told us that at least two tigresses have small cubs (below three months of age) – one in Guda and the other in Berda. Ranthambhore is rocking again – after a span of 5 years. I just hope that the good times are here to stay for some time.
All these pictures have been taken between the 7th and 12th of October 2007.
Tips for Tiger Photography in Ranthambore
I wrote a short article for some friends who are planning a photography trip to Ranthambhore and I liked it so much that I decided to put it up on the website of our lodge The Ranthambhore Bagh
It goes like this…
Ranthambhore is one of the best places in the world to photograph tigers in their wild, natural habitat. Some of the best wild tiger photos in the world have been taken in Ranthambore. There are a number of reasons for this and the most mportant ones are:
1. It is relatively easy to find tigers in a wildlife safari in Ranthambhore national park, thanks to the dry nature of the reserve. On an average a photographers should be able to get at least a few good tiger photography opportunities in a 3-4 days. When I say good opportunities, I mean great sightings in good light for at least 15 minutes and a good photographer can get a lot done in that time.
2. All the wildlife pictures in Ranthambhore are taken from jeeps (or Canter “safari bus”). This means that one is taking wildlife pictures from a much lower angle and the end results are eye level photos, that are much more impressive. In most of the other Project Tiger reserves, the only tiger photo opportunities that one would get are from the top of an elephant, which is not only a poor angle but also a very unstable platform to shoot wildlife from.
3. Ranthambhore has some very interesting backgrounds to offer. The forest here changes it colors in every season. It varies from lush green in October, to yellows and reds in winters (from the end of November to February), to yellows and browns in the summers (March to June). The ancient ruins that are found all over the park add to this environment.
4. Ranthambore also has a lot to offer wildlife photographers, besides tigers. It is the best place in the world to take pictures of Sambar deer. One can get excellent pictures of ungulates, birds (particularly the ones that prefer drier habitats), landscapes, old monuments in the jungle etc. So when you can not find an obliging tiger to take pictures of, one can still get a lot of other very interesting subjects to shoot.
There are some downside of wildlife photography in Ranthambore too and the main ones are:
1. It is difficult to book jeeps in Ranthambhore. Only a limited number of jeeps are permitted to go inside the park and since there is a huge demand for them, they get booked well in advance. The Canter “safari bus” are not so good for photography. Not only do they offer a much higher angle than jeeps, there are other people in the Canter too and they may all be moving at the same time. However, the Canters are much more affordable than jeeps and if you are planning to spend a long time in Ranthambhore then Canters maybe easier on your pocket. John Isaac, a good friend of mine actually prefers the Canters over jeeps.
2. When you book a jeep in for safari, you are allotted a route and you have to stay on the allotted route during your jeep safari. This can be painful for photographers because it is important for them to get the right routes.
3. You could get stuck with the wrong team of drivers and guides. There are a few (only a handful - I would say) excellent guides and drivers in Ranthambhore, who understand the light, angles etc and can predict action with some degree of reliability. You could end up having a pretty lousy trip if you are not with one of them.
You can easily come over these drawbacks by keeping a few things in mind. Remember to book your trip well in advance. I would recommend booking at least 60-70 days in advance. If you do that you will end with with confirmed jeeps with good routes and look around for a good team.
Some tips for wildlife photography in Ranthambore
1. Equipment: I would recommend carrying at least three lenses - one wide (I use a 17-35 mm f
2.8), one normal (I use a 24-85 mm) and at least one tele (I use a Sigma 120 - 300 f 2.8). A super telephoto (500 or 600 mm) would be mind blowing and I use a 500 mm f 4.5 Sigma. I would also recommend carrying at least two camera bodies (I have
an EOS 1D Mark II, one EOS 20 D and one EOS 3) and carrying a dust proof bag to keep all this stuff in. Dust is a big problem here, so always carry all the things required to clean your gear.
2. Film: If you are still shooting film (or slides) and I am, carry 100 and 400 ISO films. I know that the Fuji Velvia 50 is great but you need to be a very brave person to shoot wildlife in India with a 50 ISO film. If you are shooting on digital carry all the cards, hard drives etc that you think you would need because you can not get any of those here. In our place you can download you images on our computer and back them up on CDs / DVDs but you can not do it everywhere.
3. Support: Tripods are great but they do not work on jeeps and canters unless you slightly modify the vehicle (if you are planning to stay here for a long time you could do that). However, I would still advise you to carry the tripod. Beanbags, on the other hand, are great in the vehicles. They are easy to carry and can be set up almost anywhere inside a jeep or a canter. Best of all, you can buy them here for a very low price. I have a tripod and a monopod but have shot most of my stuff inside the park on beanbags.
4. Light: The terrain in Ranthambore national park is hilly and so the lighting is totally different at different times of the day. The best lighting (the soft winter light) is between November and February, though this is not the best time to find tigers. April, May and June are the best time to find tigers but the summer light of these months can be pretty harsh. During all the months the light is nice and soft in the early mornings and in the late evenings.
5. Time duration: If you want to get some serious wildlife pictures, I would recommend coming here for at least 4-5 days (more if you are planning to come here in the winters). If you are planning to spend less than that then plan on getting lucky.
If you think that my pictures are good then you should check out some really good
pictures from Anup Shah , Theo Allofs and Andy Rouse . My stuff won’t look so good after you have seen the big guys of wildlife photography
.