Tracking Tigers in India
Tiger is one of the largest cats found in the world, and the most magnificent creature on earth. Its beautiful coat, powerful and strong character, and photogenic features makes it top of bucket list of all Wildlife photographers and visitors. But finding this illusive and solitary animal requires some techniques, knowledge and decoding some jungle mantras.
How Naturalist and Park guides Track Tigers on Safaris
Have you ever wondered how do naturalist and park guides track this elusive cat?
Well, here are a few ways of tracking the Tiger in the wild:
1. Tracks and Sign:
Tigers are highly territorial and they use different ways of keeping the rivals out of their territory. On an average a male requires 100 sq Kms of territory and females 15 to 20 Sq. kms.
They mark their territories by spray marking the trees with urine, or scratching the tree with their claws. They will also defecate in the middle or side of pathway and later scrape the ground, so the scat is visible to other rival tigers. These signs help in tracking the tiger.
Naturalists and park guides usually look for scat, or spray markings on the tree. If it’s fresh and wet it is easy to know that the animal might have passed few minutes ago. A fresh tiger spray-mark will smell like boiled basmati rice! I personally sometimes check the wet patches on trees by touching it.
2. Pugmarks:
Tigers do like to walk on roads or on pugdundees (Pug means foot and Dundee means Trail or Jungle Trail). Tigers have soft padded paws which aids it in walking silently through the jungle.
To avoid getting injured by thorns on the forest floor, tigers like to walk on open trails. These leaves behind their pugmarks. So we recommend guests to be the first in line for the morning tiger safari because it’s easy for naturalists and guides to check and follow the fresh pugmarks on the jungle roads, leading to a tiger sighting.
If you are thinking of a tiger safari in India, then morning trails would be the best experience for you, as there are high chances of tiger insight.
3. Alarm Calls:
Even if the tiger walks silently through the jungle there are always other prey animals keeping a watch. As the jungle is dense, most of the time you spot the animals by hearing them. So the naturalists and guides are always on an alert, tuned to the sounds of jungle.
Once the tiger is spotted the Langur monkeys and Deers start giving alarm calls. Langurs are like watchmen of the jungle, sitting atop trees and keeping an eye on their surroundings. If you feel nothing is happening in the jungle, it’s better to watch langurs and deers, as their chances of spotting the predators are high.
Every animal has different alarms calls: For instance the “Ackkk …Ackkk… Aaaoouu..Ackk” is that of the Langurs, “Aaoonn ………Aaoonn” of Spotted deer, “Pheeunk……. Pheeunk” like a honking sound is that of Sambars.
Even ground dwelling birds, like Peacock and Red Jungle fowl alert other animals by their alarm calls. These alarm calls move with the predator and it’s easy to pin point the direction in which it is going.
With the help of the alarm calls one has to wait patiently at the right place. And then when the King or Queen of the jungle appears, you have a chance to finally able to see their majestic beauty and capture them on candid camera.
4. Local Information:
Another way of tracking tiger is by communication with local guides. Though not so educated, but they are definitely armed with good practical knowledge of wildlife.
Before the tiger safari begins and one enters the park, naturalist and guides discuss sightings of previous safaris and then a plan is made to go and check the particular area first. Even inside the park when we meet each other in our jeeps, we share the sightings, so that all guests can go back with happy faces and lovely memories.
5. Luck:
It goes without saying that park guides and naturalist put in a lot efforts in tracking tiger and wish to fulfil the guest’s dream of spotting the elusive cat. But sometimes, despite a lot of efforts, patience and waiting time the Tiger doesn’t show up.
But having said that you end up seeing other beautiful things in the jungle. And sometimes vice versa. When all the hopes are lost, suddenly you spot a tiger walking right in front of the vehicle, or the silent jungle becomes active with alarm calls. These things happen mostly when guests plans to go to the breakfast point, or while they are exiting the park.
I have been working at Pench Tiger Reserve for the past 6 years and never seen tigers fighting. One of the lady naturalist who works with us for past two-years now was lucky to witness the fight and aggressive interaction between two male tigers, for almost a 10 minutes duration. That too on her first ever safari in the park! This is what we call Beginners Luck.
6. Tigress with Cubs:
Above were the Top 5 ways of tracking tigers in the wild, but if you wish to increase your chances of sighting the tiger further, then it helps to find out if there is any tigress with her cubs, in that particular reserve you are visiting.
Tiger are solitary and highly territorial, finding them becomes difficult. But many a times when a Tigress has cubs, chances of sighting go up as the movement of tigress is restricted near her cubs. Even if the tigress has gone hunting or marking her territory, she will leave her cubs or sub-adults in one particular area. So it becomes easy to scan that particular area as cubs don’t go far when their mother is not around.
Sometimes the Sub-Adult Tigers like the company of vehicles. Due to their curious nature they like to observe vehicles from a distance, giving lot of opportunities to observe and photograph them.
Chances of sighting also go up when we know that the mother might return to cubs. Therefore it is a good idea to stay in that area. All it requires is patience!
These are six sure shot ways of tracking tigers in the wild. A lot hinges on your luck as well, but having said that it really counts to be patient. Some of the best tiger sightings also happen after a prolonged wait.
I hope you will use these tracking signs to the best of your abilities and keep me posted next time you sight a tiger in the dense forests.
I wish you tiger luck!
Written by: Gaurav Dhotre, Naturalist, Pench Tree Lodge
Image Credits also Gaurav Dhotre
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