White Tiger
The
forests of Bandhavgarh are the white tiger jungles of
the yesteryears. However, no white tigers have been
reported from the wild in the last 50 years, and it
is believed that less than a dozen have been seen in
India in about a hundred years. And yet when white tigers
were sighted, it was right here in Bandhavgarh. Documents
in the Rewa Palace record as many as 8 occasions on
which white tigers had been sighted in and around Bandhavgarh
during the first half of the 20th century. In 1951,
Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa captured an orphaned
white tiger cub from the Bagri forest in Bandhavgarh.
The Maharaja domesticated this male white tiger and
named him Mohan. The Maharaja was also able to successfully
breed white tigers in Rewa and export the cubs to distant
countries. As a result, all white tigers in captivity
today are Mohan’s descendants. The species has
thrived in captivity, with a number of specimens related
to Mohan finding homes in zoos and circuses all over
the world. Mohan was the last white tiger in the wild,
and no white tiger has been reported ever since. Before
scientists undertook research projects on the white
tiger, it was widely believed that the animals were
albinos. However, it was discovered that the white tiger
did not have pink eyes as albinos do. Instead, these
tigers had black stripes and blue eyes, a result of
genetic aberration that occurs due to mutant recessive
genes in both parents.
Flora Sal
(Shorea robusta) trees dominate almost half the forest
of Bandhavgarh. The sal tree is an important component
of the deciduous forests of North and Central India.
Sal forests were found throughout the northern parts
of the Deccan, extending from Madhya Pradesh to Orissa
in one continuous stretch. These magnificent forests
have uniform and thick growths of tall and straight
sal trees that have rounded leaves. The sal also provides
precious timber and yields a resin that is used as incense.
Over the years, legal and illegal logging has wiped
out large parts of these forests, and it is only in
places like Bandhavgarh that sal forests are still protected.
On Bandhavgarh’s upper slopes, a mixed forest
replaces the sal forest, while in the north are large
stretches of bamboo and grasslands. The undergrowth
in Bandhavgarh is not very dense.
Mammals & Reptiles
The Forest Department has recorded at least 22 species
of mammals and about 250 species of birds in the Park.
Parts of the forest that were cleared for cultivation
have now turned into grasslands where the chinkara (Indian
gazelle), nilgai (blue bull) and chausingha (four-horned
antelope) can be sighted. Groups of wild boar can also
be seen moving around, digging their snouts into the
ground. Occasionally, carnivores like jackals and foxes
follow their prey into the forest. The sambar (Indian
stag) and the muntjac (barking deer) inhabit the denser
parts of the forest along with herds of chital (spotted
deer). Gaur (Indian bison) herds can be seen in the
Park only during the months of March and April when
they move down from the higher hills to the meadows
to graze.
A small population of blackbuck also exists around the
fort area. The blackbuck population was reintroduced
to the Park and is protected from predators by the old
masonry walls of the fort. A number of smaller animals
such as the ratel, porcupine, small Indian civet, palm
squirrel, lesser bandicoot rat, or predators like the
jungle cat, hyena and jackal, can also be seen during
a drive through the Park. Reptiles including cobras,
kraits, vipers, ratsnakes, pythons, lizards and turtles
are more exclusive. A
lot of action that takes place in Bandhavgarh is up
on the trees, as two primate species, the rhesus macaque
and the Hanuman langur inhabit the Park. These monkeys
are easily visible and fun to watch. Large langur troops
can be seen frolicking and feeding on trees. The langur
feeds on leaves, some of which are so poisonous that
even the most seasoned insects avoid them. Chital herds
are often seen close to langurs, and both share a very
special relationship. Perched on treetops and equipped
with keen eyesight, the langur is a vital part of the
alarm system that warns against approaching predators
like the tiger and leopard. It is believed that for
the most part, langur and chital alarm calls mean the
presence of a predator in the area.
Birds Bandhavgarh
is a stopover for migratory birds in winter. A variety
of waterfowls come here, but the absence of wetlands
makes them congregate at small water bodies. These waterfowls
are not the only visitors; others like the steppe eagle
also visit Bandhavgarh in winter. A number of small
birds can be seen in and around the National Park, including
some less common ones like the blue-bearded bee-eater,
white-bellied drongo, Tickell’s blue flycatcher,
white-browed fantail, Jerdon’s leafbird, gold-fronted
leafbird, minivets and woodshrikes. Other prized sightings
include those of the Malabar hornbill, paradise flycatcher
and racket-tailed drongo. The vegetation along the streams
and marshes is also rich in bird life. The easily spotted
ones are the green pigeons, parakeets, peafowls, little
grebes, egrets, sarus cranes, black ibis, lesser whistling
teals, white-eyed buzzards, black kites, crested serpent
eagles, black vultures, Egyptian vultures, red jungle
fowls, doves and kingfishers, to name a few.
History Bandhavgarh's
history goes back 2000 years in time and the earliest
signs of habitation can be seen in the Caves excavated
from the cliffs to the north of the fort. Brahmi inscription
here, date back to the 1st century BC A hunting reserve
of the roya! family of Rewa in more recent times, Bandhavgarh
was declared a Park in 1968. This is where the famous
white tigers of Rewa were discovered. |
