The Royal Animal captured by Aditya<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n##QA-TP2##<\/p>\n
Aditya quit his job as an officer at the Ministry of Communications in Delhi and started his tryst as a wildlife photographer in Ranthambore. Meanwhile, Poonam Singh started a tourist lodge at Ranthambore Bagh, which offered visitors a serene experience of living in the jungle in perfect harmony with the animals. <\/span><\/p>\nAdvertisement<\/label><\/p>\nStaying right outside the boundaries of the National Park, the couple noticed that a streak of tigers often frequented an area near their home. Though this was outside the buffer zone of the main forest, the animals often venture here in search of prey. The cattle of the local villagers and farmers were an easy target, causing a man-animal conflict scenario in the area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAnticipating more attacks on their community, the local farmers started selling away all their lands adjoining the tiger reserve. That\u2019s when the idea struck us. We wanted to help grow a safe haven for the tigers beyond the designated national forest,\u201d shares Poonam.<\/span><\/p>\nCreating a Safe Haven for Tigers from Fallow Land<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Advertisement<\/label><\/p>\nThe couple started buying land from the farmers at the edges of the National Park with the vision to restore its natural wilderness. In 2000, when Aditya was working with BBC on a wildlife documentary, he observed a tiger walking out into the land bought by them. It only reinforced their determination to work more efficiently towards protecting the tigers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nStarting from 2000, they have amassed over 35 acres of land till date which has been successfully rewilded into the Bhadlav Tiger Reserve \u2013 ideally an annexed wing of the Ranthambore sanctuary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe did not need to invest any extra effort. We simply allowed nature to take her course on the land. From stretches of barren fallow, the land slowly transformed into a beautiful forest before our eyes, complete with its own natural water holes for the animals. Our only contribution perhaps was fencing the outer boundaries recently to ensure that the tigers do not venture out into the human settlements anymore,\u201d informs Poonam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAdvertisement<\/label><\/p>\nThe couple with their daughter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe villagers would also face the problem of wild animals often destroying their farmlands. With the couple\u2019s intervention, the farmers started farming in lands well away from the forested zones, thereby minimising the chances of human-animal conflicts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIntegrating the Local Community in Tiger Protection<\/b>However, in all fairness, one cannot rule out Aditya and Poonam\u2019s contribution in creating this beautiful forest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThere was a time when the villagers would risk their lives to collect wood from the fast-growing forest and sell it as the only means of their livelihood. After months of rapport-building and local networking, the couple managed to convince them to refrain from deforestation and settle in alternate professions, including taking care of the forest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAdvertisement<\/label><\/p>\nIn fact, the full-time forest guards now employed at Bhadlav all belong to the local village community who were trained and recruited by the couple. <\/span>Like Sumer, a 40-year-old forest guard at Bhadlav, who has been looking after the tigers there for the past two decades. Belonging to the local village of Bhadlav, he grew up watching the official forest guards and range officers frequent the Ranthambore reserve for activities like tiger census or treating an injured beast. He used to tag along with them out of sheer love for the wildlife. And that\u2019s how he grew up to be an expert in tiger conservation.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI started working at the Bhadlav forest right after my schooling. Like many of my fellow villagers, I have seen Aditya and Poonam Ji<\/em> create the entire forest from nothing. They sought my help initially in managing the forest, and I have been happily working here ever since,\u201d he shares.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIn 20 years, Sumer has had several thrilling adventures and encounters with the tigers. He enthusiastically shares, \u201cRecently, we are observing three tigers (Numbers 102, 68 and 95 from Ranthambore) visiting our Bhadlav regularly. I always stay alert to inform the forest officials about their appearance and help keep the tigers away from human habitats.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cSometimes, I even have to spend sleepless nights at the forest protecting the tigers from any external threats. I also make sure the watering holes in the forest are always filled, even in the scorching summers, so that the animals can always quench their thirst,\u201d he shares, with the love for tigers resonant in his voice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe Summer Retreat for the Royal Beasts<\/b><\/h2>\n The Bhadlav forest is strategically located at the junction of three valleys where the biodiversity of flora and fauna is at the finest. \u201cTigers are inherently territorial, they generally require a large amount of land to thrive in peace. With their increasing population in Ranthambore, many tigers often prefer to venture out into Bhadlav,\u201d says Poonam. <\/span>Though Bhadlav is yet to have a resident tiger population, many of the Ranthambore beasts prefer the forest as their summer retreat. Alongside the two pre-existing natural watering holes, Aditya and Poonam have created a couple of smaller water ponds which serve as resting zones for the tired tigers and cubs. They even personally ensure to refill these holes in the parching summer season of Rajasthan. <\/span>At present, four to five tigers are regularly sighted in Bhadlav. Aside from tigers, the forest is also home to leopards, <\/span>Nilgai<\/span><\/i>, several species of deer, exotic snakes as well as other smaller animals and birds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Despite being inherently natural, Bhadlav does necessitate some regular maintenance, mostly to protect the residing beasts from any harm. The caretakers work in close coordination with the forest department to prevent any kind of trespassing and illegal hunting activities. Furthermore, Aditya and Poonam strictly prohibit the visitors at their tourist lodge from exploring the forest, to preserve the sanctity of the natural habitat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWith growing human habitats, the tigers need our utmost protection. Bhadlav is just a small effort towards the greater objective of saving our national animal,\u201d expresses Poonam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAlso Read: 0 to 54: The Untold Story of How Panna Got Her Tigers Back in Just 10 Years<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n