Tiger sightings post COVID
Lockdown has not been easy on anyone. Be it animals or humans, we thrive on the will to move from one place to another. Therefore, the moment the lockdown was eased post the second wave of COVID-19, people stepped out. It was obvious during these testing times, that crowds had to be avoided yet travel had to begin. And, what better than a tiger safari tour in some of the most renowned national parks in India? Its inviolability lies in the fact that you’re closer to mother nature and breathing in the fresh oxygen, something that we have been deprived of thanks to wearing masks every day! You steer clear from the stress and bustle of city life and crowded tourist hotspots, while still enjoying the sanctity of a holiday.
Local tourism post COVID
In India, jungles opened for tiger safaris in June 2021. The grand opening was celebrated by a rush of domestic tourists who had been home for long and wanted an outing in nature. As a result, guides, drivers, naturalists, and local resorts welcomed tourists with great fervor and kick-started the tiger safari season for 2021.
As a result, there was instant money flow in the wildlife tourism industry, directly benefiting the local community in and around these national parks. I have shared the importance of tourism in these tiger safari reserves in a lot of my previous blogs. To share one, do read here.
Seeing such footfall of wildlife enthusiasts, we were sure that the jungle will not remain quiet either. It showcased the hidden gem of Indian Wildlife, The Royal Bengal Tiger in all pomp and glory. After multiple lockdowns and national parks remaining closed, this season caught the eye of many tiger safari fanatics, giving us some of the best tiger sightings in a long time.
Below is a list of tigers that were sighted in the various national parks that opened in June:
Dhawajhandi Female (DJ), AKA T-27 in Kanha National Park
| Kanha | |
| Common Name | Code |
| Umarpani Male | T-30 |
| Jamuntola Male | T-24 |
| Dhawajhandi Female | T-27 |
| MV3 Female | T-106 |
| DJ4 Female | T-104 |
| Umarjhola Female | T-32 |
| Baishanghat Male | T-46 |
| Garhi Male | T-50 |
| Sangam Male | T-56 |
| Suphkar Male | T-57 |
| Zila Line Female | T-58 |
| Bajrang | T-64 |
| Neelam | T-65 |
| Sanddukhole Female | T-66 |
| Khapa Female | T-72 |
| Naina | T-76 |
| Balaghat Male | T-88 |
| Neelima | T-115 |
| Balwaan | T-116 |
| Sunaina | T-122 |
|
 Collarwali Female – A Legendary Tigress in Pench National Park | |
| Pench | |
| Common Name | Code |
| Collorwali Female | |
| Patdev Female | |
| L Mark Male | |
| Raiyakassa Female | |
| Langdi Female | |
| Baras Tigress | |
| Kingfisher male | |
| Patdev female daughter | |
| Bindu tigress | |
|
| |
| Bandhavgarh | |
| Common Name | Code |
| Dotty | T-17 |
| Spotty | T-41 |
| Dadhadol | T-53 |
| Bheem | T-22 |
| Mahaman Male | T-39 |
| Kajri Female | |
| Arhariya Female | |
| Darha Female | |
| Dhamdhma Female | |
| Tara Female | |
| Mahaman Bachi Female | |
| Chota Bheem Male | |
| Bajrang Male | |
| Chakradhara Male | |
| D1 Male | |
| Mark 7 | |
| Panna | |
| Common Name | Code |
| No Common Name | T-141 |
| T-142 | |
| T-151 | |
| T-152 | |
| T-145 | |
| T-3 | |
| T-7 | |
| T-112 | |
| T-223 | |
|
 Male Tiger in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve | |
| Tadoba | |
| Common Name | Code |
| Rudra Male | T-103 |
| Choti Tara | |
| Tala Male | |
| Madhuri female | |
| Maya | T-22 |
| Dadhiyal Male | |
| Jharni Female | |
| Choti Rani | |
| Sonam | |
| Kon Patil Female | |
| W Mark Female | |
| Talabwali Female | |
| Mowgli Male | |
Born and brought up in New Delhi, it was Sharad’s childhood passion to play cricket for India. While on a holiday in 1990, he saw his first tiger. Little did he know that this one sighting would immerse him into a realm where forests and tigers were all that mattered.
Sharad’s experiences as a wildlife photographer have inspired him to observe the tiger’s behavior for over 30 years and motivated him on his own journey as an entrepreneur. He started Nature Safari India Pvt Ltd, with a focus on “Conservation through Tourism.” to align himself to the mission of saving the regal species and repopulating them in India’s forests. In 2006, he set up one of India’s premier jungle lodges in Kanha National Park.
Sharad believes that there are many lessons to be learned from a tiger that can be applied successfully to leadership—both in business and in life. Here’s a new book by Sharad Vats on management and leadership skills to learn from a Tiger.
