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 you know it 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.
In general, 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.
Tracks 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.
Tracks on the road
can also reveal the presence of cubs with a tigress.
Looks on the
road can also trees where tigers leave territorial signals that demarcate
their home range.
These trees are also marked by their scent.
Alarm
and scare calls of animals like sambar, chital, bluebull, chinkara, langur
monkey or even Peacock, provide clues to the exact location of the tiger.
Understanding
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.
Ranthambore's
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.
Always 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.
Crows 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.