Our Unforgettable Experience in Pench: 4 Tiger Cubs and Mesmerizing Mating Encounters!

By Dewang Mehta

Just like Ranthambore, we try and visit Pench twice a year as well because this jungle has not only inspired Rudyard Kipling to write The Jungle Book but also captivated us with its beauty and wildlife!

To reach Pench, we usually catch an early morning flight from Mumbai to Nagpur which happens to be the nearest airport to the Park. After a two-hour drive, we finally reached our hotel and our excitement levels skyrocketed as we had limited time to check in, have a quick lunch and head off for our first safari!

This trip to Pench was not just about the tigers! We wanted to witness the incredible flora and fauna the jungle had to offer and must say, we got really lucky. We got to witness wild animals in their raw unaltered behavior!

On our first safari, we came across a couple of spotted deer who seemed to be in the mood for some romance. We asked our driver to stop the gypsy. The tigers could wait! We encountered this beautiful male spotted deer showering his love to the female. Initially, she played hard to get but then had to give in to the handsome male’s attempts. Mind you, witnessing such instances in the wilderness is super rare and we were fortunate to encounter this.

On another safari, we came across a family of jackals chilling near the banks of a lake. Sun was setting, cool breeze was flowing making it a wonderful setup for an evening safari. While the jackals looked quite hungry, with no competing carnivores hanging around, the jackals continued playing and Showering affection on one another. Jackals are known to be scavengers, feeding on the leftovers from larger predators like tigers and leopards. However, they are also known to hunt small mammals including spotted deer when necessary.

We are sure you are wondering when did we see the tiger. Well, let us dive into it right away.

It was our last safari, 5.30 am, the sun was yet to rise. The park officials began checking our documents and we were waiting in the gypsy for 6 am to enter the park.

Hetal was setting up her camera and I was listening to some soft noises of the birds. We saw a family of jackals that lived quite close to the gate. Suddenly, I saw a leopard running in their direction and the jackals scampered. They started howling in the middle of the unpaved road maybe in a bid to alert the other animals. We had never heard this howling cry and perhaps will never forget. We took this unforgettable sighting as a good luck sign and headed deeper into the jungle.

The previous evening we had a brief sighting of the tiger cubs in a section of the same zone. Wasting minimal time, we headed straight to that same location to see if they were still there.

And yes, luck was on our side.

We spotted not one but 4 tiger cubs that looked to be about 5 months old camped just behind the rocks. Their mother was nowhere to be seen. Early morning golden sunlight, the beautiful Pench River flowing and tall grass with 4 tiger cubs. It was a surreal setup. As the cubs moved from one location to the other we noticed that their bellies were out. It seemed that they the cubs had eaten a hearty meal and were now perhaps in the mood to relax. We surely took a lot of pictures and videos. Once we were done capturing these unforgettable moments, we simply went on to pick our binoculars up and simply enjoy the rare moment.

As our time in Pench National Park drew to a close, we couldn't help but feel gratitude for our experience. We hope our recent trip inspired you to cherish all types of animals, not just big cats. Remember, adventure waits just around the corner.

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