Begum of Palamau Part 2

 

Encounter with the Pack

The rivalry of wild dogs i.e. Dholes and Tigers has been epics of legendary dimensions. Indian jungles of North and South equally have witnessed tales of valor from both the clans. While old folks talk of enraged tigers decimating whole packs of these whistling hunters; also tales exist where the well coordinated red packs have torn apart the might tigers to pieces. None the less it's a rare event. Once Begum found herself at the heart of such a battle. 

Encounter with the wild dogs- Dholes

One dry evening when the sun was going down the western horizon, Begum emerged from the lantana bushes at the edge of Rifle jhoth. The name of the place being so as elites of Daltonganj once used this area for sharpening their rifle skills. But now it had been offered the wilderness. One of Begum's usual refuge. Not long before she was out in the open, a pack of nine dholes confronted her on the road to Bawharia village. The sudden encounter took both the predators by surprise. The tigress having cubs wanted to retreat to the lantana bushes near by but the pack gave chase. Whistling and yelping they slowly cornered Begum in the bush. Strategically they kept prodding at her, taking bites whenever she let down her guard. Begum snarled and growled in defense. Her white fangs glared as rage permeated her feline face. Initially, she just wanted to slip away into the nala near by, but the prodding of the dholes made her loose her forbearance. And she lunged at them like a cannon ball. One unlucky chap came straight in line of her charge. She got hold of one of his hindleg and in a jerk tore it clean off his body. Within seconds the body of the red hunter was shreded to pieces by her claws and teeth. The pack continued their attack but now they kept a safe distance. She lunged again and again swaying her paws... some hit their marks as the fur of the dogs flew wild in the evening dust. She too took a few bites, a few scratches on the rear and flanks. Eventually, she evaded the dogs and moved away into the nala. The jungle fell silent. Begum followed her cubs to safety towards the village and the beaten dogs took retreat into the thickets... merging into the shadows.

She lives through 

Begum reigned Palamau as queen for almost a decade, during which she produced four litters with ten cubs. Nawab sired all the cubs. After her first litter moved on to their own territories she had her second litter of two cubs with Nawab. One of cub didn't survive, while the other female cub named Babli  grew up to establish her territory in Latehar division. Early in 1987 she dropped her third litter of two cubs - one male cub - Sheroo and a female cub Anne. Sheroo ruled Betla in 1989 as the prime male, driving away his father Nawab and his brother Shera(Begum's 1st litter cub). Anne made away to Champidabar area of Kundri Range with her two cubs. Begum's offspring ruled different parts of Betla in the subsequent years. Her lineage came to an end in 2020 when the last member of her dynasty "Rani"- a female from her last litter lineage died. She was on a cattle kill that the villagers poisoned. 

Sunset of Begum's Reign

 When a tigress grows old, her daughters claim her territory forcing her to trudge away to other areas. None from Begum's brood dared to do so. She swayed her territory with pride till one day an iniquitous predator claimed her life. 

Begum died of poisoning near the Baigapani waterhole

That was a fateful September day in 1991. Clouds loomed over Betla sky that afternoon when Begum made another cattle kill at the edge of the forest. Her few month old cubs hid in the bamboo thicket as she dragged her kill to the shade. Next two days she would be feasting on it. After making a good meal of the rump Begum laid on her flanks taking a afternoon nap. Her ears twitched as her two cubs played over her heaving body. The evening grew gloomy with the retreating monsoon clouds skimming across the purple sky. She knew it was time to ebb into the safety of the forest. Begum took a muddy pugdundee, defaced by cattle hooves. Her two cubs followed. Little did she knew that a fiend had approached her kill after she left and had poisoned it. Her next meal would be her last. Unaware of the previous night's affair of the devil she approached the cattle kill next morning and appeased her hunger till her belly could take no more. The poison spread in her veins like a murderous mist as the hours passed. Her body quivered, shooting out sharp jolts of pain. Muscles became stiff and she began spurting saliva from her mouth. Her organs failed to keep going while she made her way towards the Baigapani waterhole to quench her dying thirst. She could not make it to the waterhole. That beautiful frame of the tigress collapsed, her lungs giving away and her heart beats fading into an eternal silence. Begum had moved on into the happy hunting grounds, leaving her young litter to defend for themselves in this cruel world. 

The two cubs were later rescued by the forest department officials. One of the cub died a few days later and the last surviving cub was named "Baby". Baby grew up to become a lusty tigress  like her mother. She reigned a part of her mother's territory in years to come. In February 1994, she dropped her first litter of two cubs fathered by Raja, the male tiger who found home in the same area. 

Begum - The Tigress Queen of Palamau

  

While tales of tigers are more of a folklore in India, yet they never fail the strike that inner cord of human emotions. The tigers - antagonist of these folklores have gone by but their chronicle has been passed down though the ages augmenting itself into the canvas of Indian wildlife. Palamau's history will remain flawed without Begum's pugmarks on it. And today after decades of Begum's passing Palamau has been robbed of all its stripped golden glory. No more tigers roam in Palamau now except for some occasional vagabonds. 

DISLCLAIMER

Begum's Story has been written in accord to the narration of the events by Mr. Sangam Lahiry in his book "Pugmarks in Palamau". The pictures in the article have been taken from different media sources and I DO NOT LAY CLAIM TO ANY OF IT. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I REQUEST THEIR COOPERATION. 

Begum of Palamau Part 1

Begum Arrives 

Monsoon rains had ceased that morning. Forest guard Telesfor Toppo was patrolling Saidupe compartment 1 of Palamau tiger reserve.  His khakhi uniform mirrored the colour of soil that he walked on. Mr. Toppo traced down the nala roads in search of tiger and leopard footprints. He knew by instinct that the soft soil very well preserves the foot step of passing animals. Grasping the sounds and fragrance of the forest, he strolled towards Churarwa Nala. He came to a halt as while approaching the nala. Adjacent to it bestrewed a pool of clot blood. He stooped down for closer a look. Puzzled! he scanned the surroundings for more clues. There on the soft earth were pugmarks of a tigress. The scratch marks and contours on the ground suggested that the tigress was in pain. He suspected that she might have fallen victim to a poacher and had somehow escaped with a fair share of injuries. In the afternoon he reported his findings to the headquarters at Kerh. 

Pic Courtesy- Khushboo Rahul

 The pervious night, Begum the tigress had taken shelter in the nala. She was in pain- not of injury but of natural feminine onset. She was in oestrous. The hormones had driven her body and mind through a state of pleasured pain. She was in heat, wanting nothing more than a partner. She had moaned and growled the whole night from the nala. Her calls echoed through the woods into the valley and beyond. A call that seldom a male can resist. This was the moment that Begum pronounced her arrival in forest of Palamau.

The wild act of tiger courtship

That fateful night Begum's call had been answered. Couple of weeks later a young handsome male "Nawab" was seen with her. Through the bamboo thickets they strolled together, walked causally on the nala bed and at intervals would engage in wild erotic romance that only tigers can. Tigers' courtship is a frenzied leisurely affair. For days the couple would relish each others' company with short and boisterous sessions of mating. Begum would walk past Nawab, her smooth orange coat grazing his flanks. Walking a few steps she would sit out enticingly with purring sounds; an open invitation to her dashing partner. Nawab seldom impeded such offers. And the sound of wild love - low growls and moans of enamored tigers reverberated through the jungle.  

New generation of Palamau tigers

Tigresses become very discreet when it comes to their cubs. Often a tigress would find some safe place, a cave or ravine or even well concealed thicket of foliage to give birth. Preying eyes of predators and humans pose a big threat to their cubs and they tend to meld away into the dark forests. Begum, shifted to Kasba area of Betla compartment no. 2 after a successful mating with Nawab. She grew anxious and restless with her body showing signs of little ones developing in her womb. Driven by maternal instincts she limited herself to a small area, only emerging out of her hiding for food. Winter chill was just setting in at Palamau late in 1983 when meowing of four little cubs charmed the forest dwellers. Begum, spent much of her time with them. And the villagers were happy with fewer cattle kills. A small water hole near Mitkapipar became their chill out. The cubs would wander around in the bamboo thicket around the pool, while their mother kept an eye over their mischievous endeavors. Beside other dangers, a male tiger's movement around the area added to Begum's worries. Begum soon shifted her location to grazing areas of Betla compartment no1. Cattles abundantly grazed here and no risk of wandering males- Begum's new family cherished. 

Begum' first litter comprised of  one male (Shera) and three females (Bobby, Buntie and one unnamed). By the early summer of 1985 the cubs had moved away from their mother trying to establish their own territories. In May 1985 the unnamed female cub was seen frequenting Bagjhopri waterhole. She had become weak and moaned frequently; her health was deteriorating. One morning she was found dead on the nala bed leading to the water hole. Shera in the years to follow made his mother's territory his home. Bobby moved away to Betla compartment. And Buntie, the weakest of the lot established her domain in the forests of Kewatbar, Daltonganj North Division. While tigress are known to acquire their mother's territory and male cubs wander on to find their own kingdom, Begum's lot choose to differ. 

DISLCLAIMER

Begum's Story has been written in accord to the narration of the events by Mr. Sangam Lahiry in his book "Pugmarks in Palamau". The pictures in the article have been taken from different media sources and I DO NOT LAY CLAIM TO ANY OF IT. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. I REQUEST THEIR COOPERATION. The cover picture is courtesy of  Kushboo Rahul.