Transfixed

The night had enveloped our log huts in an inky black shroud of darkness. I shivered slightly in my bed and pulled the blanket closer. The night was alive with sounds. So many different sounds! The sky was rent in between with the shrill shrieks of the langur. Slowly, the inky blackness of the sky turned mauve and the first inkling of light on the horizon was visible. It was beginning to dawn. I came out of our log hut and stood on the wooden veranda, a shawl pulled over my shoulders. The entire stretch of forest and grassland between our log hut and the large pond ahead was filled with dozens of grazing deer. There were young calves, just months old - with their soft feet and dewy black noses - sniffing and nibbling at the grass below. There were also large stag horn deer – the group leaders – grazing away to their heart’s content. The gentle rays of the sun glided through the tree leaves on to their golden yellow skin, making it glow and shine. All was quiet. There were no man-made sounds. In the distance, the water in the pond glistened as if molten gold were sprinkled on its surface. What a sight it was!

We were at “Kanha,” the largest wildlife sanctuary in Central India. Kanha is spread over 1068 sq. kms. The core area is 903 sq. kms. It has a rich wildlife and abundant diverse natural foliage. It has grasslands, tropical evergreen forests, lakes, waterfalls, and gurgling streams. Dense jungles, totally untouched by human presence are preserved and safeguarded for the benefit of wildlife.

After we were ready, we began our jungle safari in an open-top Gypsy. The safari moves along mud trails, which crisscross Kanha. We were all very excited at the possibility of spotting a tiger, that magnificent and ferocious beast in its own heartland! As we moved in to the wildlife park, we saw a large number of deer and monkeys around our vehicle. Occasionally, we spotted a Chital or the stag horn deer. The Gypsy moved ahead at steady pace along a long-winding trail, moving upward towards hilltops. From there, we could see a breathtaking spread of the jungle. There were so many shades of green that I saw for the first time. Then we trundled downhill on to tall grasslands with large watering holes where we saw deer taking in their quota of water. They turned and watched us as if surprised at the intrusion.

Deep in the jungle, the driver slowed the vehicle. There was a herd of bison grazing there at some distance ahead. What a magnificent beast. The male bison looked as if he could easily tumble over our vehicle with just a slight effort! He looked enormous. We quietly and slowly moved to a different direction. The driver told us that a tiger or leopard sighting is most rare. The landscape changed in hue and color now that the sun was up. We moved from dense jungle to tall grasslands to rivers, streams, ponds and hilltops.

And suddenly again, we were down deep in the valley. As we crossed a large tree whose branch overhung our path, I spotted a large python sinuously curled on that branch! It was almost the size of scooter tire at its center. High up in the treetops, we saw a variety of monkeys, easily swaying from branch to branch with the help of their arms and tail. There was also the very rarely seen lion-tailed macaque. On a large boulder over a hilltop, we saw a silver crested eagle.

The Gypsy now entered a dense patch of jungle. The trees were huge and formidable. They were also very close- some branches almost intertwining with each other. Between two such trees, we saw a giant spider web with a large spider at the center. How craftily the spider traps its prey- the flies and small insects!

The guide told us that a wild boar or a hyena was difficult to spot. Foxes quickly hid in their foxholes. But the high point of the jungle safari, undoubtedly, is the spotting of a tiger!

And I almost overwhelmed to say that on that beautiful day, as our Gypsy turned a corner on the mud trail – from the thick bushes – out jumped a large male tiger right in front of out Gypsy!! It was almost 10-15 feet away. It was crossing the mud trail and moving towards the bushes on the other side of the mud trail. We stared at it transfixed and in utter silence! The driver shut off the engine.

For a moment, the tiger turned towards our vehicle. His golden skin shone with dark black stripes. The stomach moved rhythmically as he breathed. The large tiger opened its jaws and moved a long red tongue over its incisors as if licking away the remains of a recent kill. Its eyes were like ignited coal. It watched the Gypsy intently. We all froze! One woman could barely contain herself and cried out in fright. The tiger suddenly turned away its head disinterestedly and in a flash, he disappeared in the thick vegetation ahead.

Everybody, including the driver could hear the rapid pounding in their hearts! It took a while to realize that it was all over. The driver started the engine and everybody in the vehicle suddenly started talking to one another as if talking itself was now a release from the tension we all felt a little while ago!

My father though, managed to take a few snaps of the Lord of the Jungle up ahead of us. I still cherish those photos as a fond and exciting memory of that day spent in the jungle!