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.