The year 2021 ended on a sad note. I received a call from my friend Sourav, who said Maaya, one of Tadoba’s most prominent tigers, attacked and killed a forest guard — the third time. There are rumours of more attacks by Maaya on innocent lives, which have not been recorded. After receiving the call, I immediately set up a trip to Tadoba in the first week of December.
For the past eight or nine years, I have been closely tracking Maaya during my various visits to Tadoba. I don’t remember a single visit during which I wasn’t able to spot her. She is a crowd-puller and the reason why Tadoba has been popular over the last decade. When she goes missing for more than two days, forest guides feel helpless as they can’t attract crowds.
Maaya has made sure that other tigresses neighbouring her territory have a chance to rear their cubs without being bothered by the males.
But there’s hope…
When I reached Tadoba, I was shocked to learn that almost two-thirds of Maaya’s territory had been closed to visitors. I had never seen Maaya as aggressive as reports suggested. I have memories of Maaya candidly posing for photographers — more than once with her litter. I was concerned that she would be declared a man-eater and kept in captivity. But, thankfully, the Maharashtra forest department had registered the attacks as accidents. They are set to open the closed territories from the first week of February.
As an old forest guide said, it was 7.30am when a group of four forest guards were transacting line census near the waterhole close to the Kolara gate, when Maaya pounced on one of the female guards.
Maaya in all her glory, April 2017
The mother
Her contribution to her tribe is enormous. Ever since she became an adult, many of the male tigers of Tadoba began venturing into her territory, which is not too common. Over the past five years — if we count the males — six or seven tigers have visited her at various times. I was told that there were days when she was sighted with two to three different male tigers on a single day. With time (13 years) she has managed well. She lost the first litter and was very careful with her next four. As she matured as a tigress and a mother, she had three cubs in her second litter, two cubs in her third litter and four cubs in her fourth litter. Sadly, three cubs in the fourth litter were killed by the male tiger Mowgli.
I have had various encounters with Maaya. I have witnessed her as she reared her cubs and met the visitors, whether they be tourists or striped males. But the story doesn’t end there. It was because of her that tigresses neighbouring her territory were able to rear their cubs without being bothered by other males.
As most of the territories of Maaya were cordoned off this time, we decided on a couple of safaris only in the Navegaon Ramdegi buffer territories, avoiding the core zone of the park. Since it was peak season, and I almost landed at Tadoba without notice, it was very difficult to find accommodation. But I was lucky and would like to thank the senior officials at the Maharashtra forest department who made arrangements for my stay at the Khadsangi Forest Rest House close to the Navegaon gate. Luck was with me as I was, once again, fortunate enough to sight two tigers — Jharni (female) and Chotamatka (male) — during the three safaris we had.
I admit, I will miss Tadoba until I see Maaya again… she is one of the most amazing tigresses I have ever seen.
Shiladitya Chaudhury is a communication consultant and a restaurateur co-owning popular brands Oudh 1590 & Chapter 2. His passion for wildlife photography takes him to the remotest of jungles.
