Yuvraj The Tiger of Tadoba

My name is Yuvraj. Yuvraj the tiger not the cricketer- what with the IPL-25 season just concluded!

I like to cool myself in a pool. While in the pool, I submerge rest of my body but keep my head above water. Literally. I like to keep my eyes and face dry. See my picture shot by Ghumakkad. 

I like to take a mud bath. It may discolour my golden skin, but it acts as a cleanser. See another picture below.

While I am in the pool, I am aware that hordes of humans are waiting to see my face. 

I don't like to be disturbed. That's why I keep my face away from the humans. 

The back of a tiger's ears have a white and balck coloured patch. It looks like eyes. But it is only Nature's deception for any possible attackers from the rear. See the picture below.

I know that the humans are waiting for me. Some of them leave after waiting for 30 minutes in the noon sun. But those with patience, like Ghumakkad and his companions, keep waiting. Patience pays. I decide to get up and leave the pool. 'At last' said many humans waiting with their telephoto lenses.

It was time for me to return where I belong. The jungle. Jungle is my home. 

They call me the king of the jungle. But I live there along with fellow animals and birds. Ghumakkad took many pictures, some of which I am sharing below.

The barking deer or Muntjac. It alerts all the animals about the tiger's presence in the vicinity.

Hope you enjoyed being with me. Do visit Yuvraj at Tadoba again. Bye till then.

That was Yuvraj the Tiger. Special thanks are due to Sunil our Forest Guide and Kishor the Gypsy driver. They showed tremendous patience. The light had faded when we finished the safari at Khutwanda gate. Ghumakkad was behind the lens hence not in the picture!

We share below some of our earlier stories on Tadoba, its Tigers, flora and fauna. Just click the link to browse the picture story.

More Than Tiger Sighting - The forest is larger than the tiger. The picture story shows how and why tigers eneter the water backwards?

Follow Me  Said the Tigress - Have you ever seen a Tigress doing a cat walk? Click to browse Sonam's real-life cat walk in Tadoba!

Maya The Tigress of Tadoba - This picture story depicts Maya's maya (माया ) which casts a spell on the visitors. Seen with her cubs, she has mesmerised thousands of visitors to Tadoba.

Tiger Ahoy! - The thrill of tiger sighting in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

Remember tiger sighting is a matter of chance. This is conveyed so beautifully in a cartoon in Tadoba. See the picture below.

Thanks for browsing and stay connected. More stories about a Tigress and Tadoba's dying bamboos are coming up!

   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Tadoba/ 5th June 2025/ World Environment Day 2025

#tadoba #tatr #tiger #yuvrajthetiger #Tigerreserve #TigerSighting #Langur #BarkingDeer #SpottedDeer #wildlife #wildlifephotography #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Only One Earth

Three words, but lot of meaning.

Only one earth- the theme of World Environment Day 2022. It focuses on living sustainably in harmony with Nature. Ghumakkad would like to add our age old saying from the Upanishad in Sanskrit वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम 'Vasudhaiv Kutukbakam' meaning 'The whole world is one family'. The message is the same. As we care for the family, we must care for the world. But as mankind, do we really care? Or, are we degrading the environment beyond restoration? 

On this World Environment Day, we are posing more questions through our pictures below.

Will the butterflies enthrall us in the morning?

Reimagine, Recreate, Restore

This was the theme of the Environment Day 2021. Through our story Reimagine Recreate Restore, we had shared some positive stories and steps to save the environment. An example is the successful recreation and adoption of the nesting sites by Spot-Billed Pelicans in Kolleru Lake, Andhra Pradesh which has shrunk almost 50% in last 30 years. See the pictures of the nesting platforms in the middle of the lake below.

Interested readers may browse the story to do a fact-check and perhaps make some more practical suggestions beyond lofty slogans and hyperbole. There are many more live examples of successful restoration of the environment in the story.

Each one of us can make a difference. Small steps like keeping the surroundings clean and green, no plastics, home composting etc will go a long way. Just do it!

Let us remember that 'Environment is an asset we have borrowed from our children. We have no right to degrade it.' Ghumakkad had said this the first time in 1995 while setting up Prakriti an Environment Club at College of Defence Management, Secunderabad. It continues to hold valid even after 27 years!

Let us hand over the environment to our children in a better shape. One step at a time like the snail- let's do it! We end with few lines by Akanksha our daughter about the Snail:

The climb may be tough

But it will all be worth it

When you give it your best

With true grit

Happy Environment Day 2022 and beyond.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ World Environment Day/ 5th June 2022

#worldenvironmentday #onlyoneearth #worldisonefamily #onestepatatime #letsdoit #everypersonmakesadifference #reimagine #recreate #restore #nature #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #environment #preservation #ecology #borrowedasset #environmentday2022