Worshipping Gods
Photographing wild tigers
The thought of spending time in a Madhya Pradesh jungle when the summer heat can reach 50 degrees Celsius isn’t everyone’s idea of a holiday. In fact, I'm not even a wildlife photographer. However, the opportunity to have unique access to photograph wild Royal Bengal tigers and to support my chosen charity was too good to pass up.
Introduction
Under a thick canopy that dims daylight, I hear a cacophony of forest sounds, feel the intense heat, taste dust, and smell the fragrance of flora that fills the air. Bandhavgarh, in Madya Pradesh, India, overwhelms Western human sensors.
Let me give some context to these two tiger photos. I am sat in an open Suzuki Gypsy, several miles into the thick forest, and see a 200kg male Royal Bengal tiger illuminated by a shaft of sunlight less than ten meters from our solitary jeep. His cold, direct stare is only one leap away!
With my adrenaline surging, his battle-scarred mother (named Birhuli) and 2 ½ years old brother appear from the bamboo shadows on his right flank. Each wild tiger filled the frame with a 200mm lens. Seeing three so close was a thrilling and profound experience that will live with me forever.
In India’s forests, noble tigers are at the top of the food chain and worshipped as gods. They are fearless, but our guide knows if we do not provoke or surprise them, there is no stimulus for conflict. Our brief presence may be inconvenient for the tiger, but humans are not on their menu.
By being calm and quiet observers, I gained several minutes to silently photograph these magnificent cats. Then, after losing interest, the ‘ambush’ of tigers moved into the thickets and continued their journey.
Unfortunately, an adult male killed the brother (seen behind Mum) a few days after this photograph. We suspect it was the same male who recently injured Birhuli while she bravely protected her cubs.
The backstory
I have supported Tigers4Ever since 2020, and as a Trustee from 2021. The charity delivers Bandhavgarh habitation projects, anti-poaching patrols, and human-wildlife conflict-reducing support for indigenous people.
Since Tigers4Ever began in 2010, the number of wild tigers in this region has increased by more than fourfold. Our tiger protection measures also contribute to the overall health of the forest ecosystem.
There is no electricity grid in the jungle, so, as trustees we are eager to witness the impact of our solar-powered bore-well pumps that provide life-sustaining water for wildlife deep in the forest.
The next photograph is of our Paljjha bore-well water hole, with one of the forest guards protecting the nature reserve. It was close to sunset, and we had special permits to visit this part of the forest, which is not accessible to regular tourists.
Forests convert carbon dioxide into the oxygen animals need through photosynthesis. Tigers play a vital role in India's forests. Without them, the number of herbivores increases dramatically, destroying young trees before they can mature and survive.
Beyond this life-giving foundation, forests make us feel good! They are a place to reconnect with nature, unwind, and tune into our senses. I am a member of Forest England and volunteered to warden an ancient forest at home. Yet, Bandhavgarh takes it to another spiritual level altogether.
Experiencing an ecosystem
While waiting for tiger sightings, I observed the langur monkeys. I watched them mutually groom, the Mums take turns on creche duties, and the troupe rotate their predator watch from the treetops.
These highly social groups live in the moment. They are mesmerising, comical and absorbing. To my safari guide and driver, they are ubiquitous and often ignored unless they sound a predator alarm.
In Bandhavgarh, you can often spot Wild Boar, Deer, Jackals, India Gaur, Elephants, and Birds in stunning plumage. Rare sightings are Sloth Bears, Leopards, and Tigers, which are a cause for celebration for visitors in this exceptional jungle.
Bandhavgarh is the size of Wales. Its topography is filled with rocky plateaus, meadows, hills and valleys covered with sal forest and bamboo. For a place where natural water sources often dry out in summer, it was remarkably green.
The next photograph is of a sub-adult tigress resting and cooling in the shade of a dry stream.
Building sustainability
Tourism is crucial for Bandhavgarh. The income from visitors helps alleviate poverty, which otherwise leads some local people to plunder forest resources for survival. Tigers4Ever buys all project supplies locally, fostering partnerships with people living near the National Park.
People visiting have no fences separating them from these magnificent cats. The tigers are well hidden by bamboo and grassland. They seem to appear out of thin air. This experience is unparalleled. It's not an exaggeration to say that a close encounter, looking into the eye of a wild tiger, is life changing.
My (self-funded) 2024 visit has been a profoundly moving experience. Next time you take an adventure holiday, think of Bandhavgarh. Immerse in a land of ‘Jungle Book’ tales and be richer for the spiritual experience. Through responsible tourism, you will be giving as much as you receive.
Join a tiger tribe
If you want to learn more about Bandhavgarh and the projects that ensure a sustainable future for wild tigers, please visit the Tigers4Ever website. If you love big cats, kindly consider donating. Your entire donation will go towards front-line projects that protect magnificent wild tigers.
Enquiries regarding book-length collaborations and extended narrative projects, including works developed in partnership with institutions or archive holders, are welcome.
Martin Urch Photography owns the copyright to all writing and images. All rights reserved.