The first thing
you realize is that you seldom watch an animal satisfactorily just by luck.
This certainly applies to mammals. An animal detects your present long before
is there. In every case it is a contest of wits you are pitting your knowledge
against the instincts of self preservation of a wild animal, instincts that
are helped by acute senses, particularly those of smell and hearing.
wild animals are shy and elusive. Many times visitors to a national Park are disappointed
on not spotting any wild animals especially big game like the tiger and leopard.
or pugmarks provide important clues. Not only do they tell us of the presence
of wild animals but they can also indicate the size, sex, and sometimes even the
age of an animal.
The marks of animal feet on the roads of the Park reveal
their presence and the freshness of the tiger's pugmark reveals its whereabouts.
on the road can also reveal the presence of cubs with a tigress.
on the road can also trees where tigers leave territorial signals that demarcate
their home range.
These trees are also marked by their scent.
and scare calls of animals like sambar, chital, bluebull, chinkara, langur monkey
or even Peacock, provide clues to the exact location of the tiger.
and interpreting visual signs and sounds ins an art in itself. And one of the
most enjoyable to learn while you drive through the forest.
300 km of roads have been superbly planned and tigers that are soft padded animals
walk them frequently. As long as you don't get too close or intrude and disturb
them they will pad along the road and have even been known to block traffic for
long periods of time as hey did with president Clinton's convoy in 2000.
pause, listen and assess the clues that the forest provides about the tigers presence.
Remember that the edges of the roads will have scats (droppings )of tigers and
their scrape marks, which are also indicators of the freshness of their presence.
on a tree are also good indicators of meat nearby and provide clues to a kill.
Tree pies do much the same by either calling incessantly or flying over a specific
spot. Remember to look for low circling vultures, especially if the are dropping
down at a spot they are excellent indicators of a kill. King vultures and Egyptian
vultures sitting patiently on a branch of a tree can also indicate a kill nearby.
All these scavenging birds can lead you to tigers, leopards of jackals.