Tigers of Bandhavgarh Photo Safaris – April 2023 Trip Reports
India 2023 ‘Tigers of Bandhavgarh Trip Reports
Report compiled by Andy Skinner, Images by Andy & Sarah Skinner
Whenever we travel back to India to see the tigers in Bandhavgarh National Park there is always a suspense with what will nature reveal to us during our Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safaris.
Our eager guests always ask ‘will we see tigers’. Even though all the years we have been traveling to Bandhavgarh since 2008 and we have always had great sightings of this beautiful, majestic cat. We are always cautious and say you will be very unfortunate not to see tigers during our Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safaris.
We have a great relationship with our partner and naturalist Balvinder Singh in India, who has a great network of contacts in Bandhavgarh which always serves us well in getting the local knowledge on the most productive zones for the Tigers when purchasing our permits. However, in recent years all zones in the park have been very productive for tigers and photography, and this also includes the buffer zones which have produced great photography sightings.
Our local driver guides have a vast knowledge of all the cats in the park and know each of the tiger’s habits and always do a fantastic job to get us in the right spot for that perfect image of a tiger. This year was no exception to this.
Below is a brief synopsis and some photographic highlights of just some of our fabulous tiger sightings experienced during our April 2023 ‘Tigers of Bandhavgarh’ photo tours.
Group 1: Trip Report: April 16th – 24th April 2023
Tour Host: Andy Skinner
On our first morning game drive with our Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safaris in Tala zone, a male tiger teased us with a glimpse of him relaxing in the long cool grass in the marsh. Teasing us all by only showing his legs but little did we know what was going to be revealed in the afternoon drive that day. On our afternoon game drive in Tala, we were eager to head back to the same location we left the sleeping male.
The temperature was rising and our driver guides, guided us round the beautiful scenery of Tala in Bandhavgarh National Park. There is always something to photograph when on safari, from spotted dear to peacocks and of course the cheeky and very photogenic grey langur monkey. The afternoon temperature started to cool which meant the male tiger, we had seen that morning may stir. We waited patiently glued to the grass where he was laid, whilst enjoying the sounds of the forest in the anticipation, he would hopefully reveal his beauty.
Suddenly, a leg stretched out, along with another then he rose from his grassy bed to reveal his size to an applaud of camera shutters capturing that moment in time. He is called Bajrang. Bajrang made his way through the grassy marsh to cross the gravel track behind us, our driver guide positioning us to capture the moment he made his way across the track and through the forest.
Wow! what a great start to the first day on our Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safari, and to see a fully mature male was something incredible for our guest first tiger sighting in the wild. We always love to see our guests’ emotions when they witness a new species they have not seen before in the wild. Capturing a male of that size and maturity is not always easy and was something very special for all to see.
Making sure our guests were prepared with their camera exposure settings dialled in, along with our driver guides knowledge of the cat’s behaviour meant that our guests achieved the images and memories they desired. What a fantastic start to the tour!
The 4am alarm call sounded the next morning and the drive to see nature was too strong to have that extra 5-minutes in bed. After a quick cup of coffee, we were off for our next game drive in Magadhi zone.
As we drove through the forest in the cool of the morning and turned in to a meadow surround by the beautiful mountains of Bandhavgarh, a handsome male tiger one of the late Spotty Tigress offspring was relaxing in the meadow. He posed for us for around 40-mins and then decided to seek the cool of the marsh as the temperature rose.
Our afternoon game drive continued in Magadhi zone for the search for wildlife. Suddenly panic sounded through the forest! Spotted dear alarmed with panic as a shadow made its way through the shade of the forest canopy. Goose pumps were on my arms and the suspense of what the calls would reveal was over whelming.
Dialling in our camera exposure settings our photo group were ready for what was about to be revealed. Out of the forest a beautiful tigress paraded her beauty for all to see, she’s the offspring of a tigress called Dotty.
The tigress posed for the cameras and continued her way along the track and through the grassy meadows allowing for a variety of environment, behaviour, and portraits images. What an incredible day.
Great sightings and photography continued through the next few days of various individual tigers and with one very special sighting in Magadhi zone. This was of a very mature male tiger called Chota Charger. The offspring of the famous tiger in Bandhavgarh called Charger. Chota Charger is around 14-years and is the oldest tiger I have ever seen and photographed, so this was extra special to me and for the group. Chota Charger was relaxed and in a great position for the lovely reflection of him posing for the camera.
During our first group on our Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safaris we were also treated to a very special sighting of forest elephants which are becoming more frequently seen in recent years in Bandhavgarh. Seeing wild Asian elephants and tigers in the same location is a nature lover and photographers dream come true.
As the week came to end, we continued being spoilt by Bandhavgarh and the tiger sightings with a great afternoon in Khitauli zone. Chota Bheem a male tiger who controlled a territory in Khitauli was cooling off in his favourite pool of water in a seasonal riverbed. He had found a nice little spot below a rock overhang. His position was perfect for creative low-key photography. He was being lit by the light and behind him was shaded which allowed for the background to be under exposed which added really mood to the image.
Group 2: Trip Report: April 25th –3rd May 2023:
Tour HostS: Andy & Sarah Skinner
Our second group arrived in Bandhavgarh ready to see what nature had in store for them. We had a tour that featured all repeat guests, two of which had never seen wild tigers before, so this was going to be exciting to see their response when they saw their first tiger.
That early morning wakeup call summoned us to the vehicles to head to the park. Everyone was eager to see what the forest would reveal for the seasoned tiger viewer and new. We headed into Tala zone in the park, cruising round the park looking for tracks and signs of tiger activity. As time ticked by on the morning drive the forest was quiet, maybe something to do with the un-seasonal wet weather from the previous days that can affect tiger activity.
As photography guides, we always feel the pressure for our guests to capture that perfect image, of course we cannot control nature, but we always feel that pressure to deliver the opportunity to capture a great image.
Sarah, Bali and I decided to take the group for an early breakfast at the centre point in the park. Moods were positive and upbeat during our picnic breakfast. We then headed back into the forest in search of the tiger. We turned a corner and fellow game viewers were parked up as the spotted deer were warning the forest of a deadly presence.
Suddenly, a flash of strips could be seen through the bushes. Game jeeps positioned for all to see, then she revealed herself a beautiful female called Banbay, this was the first sighting of her for Sarah and myself. The look of joy from our guests both new and seasoned tiger viewers was exceptional. Just when you think it was going to be a cat free drive nature suddenly delivers a beautiful cat for all to see and photograph.
Spirts were high over lunch and we were all buzzing for the afternoon drive in Tala. We had word that a tigress called Kajiri and her subadult cubs had been seen earlier that afternoon. We joined the line up in this area waiting for that indication from the forest of a tiger presence.
As the afternoon cooled a stir in the game vehicle line up alerted us to a glimpse of a tiger. We re-positioned in anticipation that the tiger may show itself to its audience. Then from silence to commotion the stripes moved through the bush revelling Kajri bathed in the evening golden light. What more could a photographer ask for. The beauty of the forest faded away into the shadows of the canopy. But the excitement wasn’t over yet, and no one was prepared to what was round the corner heading out of the park.
Turning a corner revelled wild forest elephants bathing in a lake, what an amazing sight to see. As we continued our way things turned up a notch or two with a big bull elephant deciding he was going to command the game viewing traffic through the forest. He certainly showed us all who was boss in the forest! What an amazing welcome for us all.
The next morning on our Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safaris we continued our search in Magadhi zone for the Bengal tiger and that ultimate image we were all after. We soon located a tigress called Dotty, along with one of her sub-adult female cubs. They had a kill in the bushes which they had been devouring through the night.
The tigers were in the local community area and their only way back into the main park was to negotiate a 6ft cattle fence. Our driver guides knew the path she would take and got us in that perfect position to witness this increasable behaviour. Dotty was unable to scale the fence due to a drainage ditch at the bottom of the fence. So, the only way through was under a weak section of the fence. Capturing this once in a lifetime behaviour was truly amazing for all our group.
We continued throughout the week to have more great tiger photography sightings and the storage was filling fast on our guest’s hard drives! One sighting also brought us some incredible behaviour from a male called ‘Chota Bheem’. Seeing him walking, parading down toward a waterhole, and taking a long dip to cool in the pool, before walking off, scent marking along the way.
Bandhavgarh never disappoints and we always seem very fortunate with great tiger sightings during out Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safaris, which offer great photography opportunities of various creative styles. Wow what a great tiger season we had for both the seasoned and new tiger photographer. Not only great tiger sightings but also lovely sightings of the other endemic wildlife that the park has to offer.
Join us next year?
Our 2024 Tigers of Bandhavgarh photo safaris. are filling fast with only 1 tour date left of 14th-22ndApril with availability. The beauty of this tour date is we have 2 x all day VIP permits included, which allows us to access the park 15-minutes before and exit the park 15-minutes later than the standard half day permit. Also, we have the great advantage to access all 3 zones to increase our chances of tigers and tigers cooling off in water. This date also includes 6 x half day permit one of which is in the buffer zone for the Wednesday afternoon when the main park is closed. Do drop us a line or click on this link https://www.imagesofwildlife.co.uk/tigers-of-bandhavgarh-photo-safari/ should you wish to join us next year on our photography tiger safari.
