An affair with a forest! 

We adopted Tadoba way back in 1999 with a decision to secure this forest and its tigers; to bring change; to get Tadoba on the world map. We commenced our wildlife conservation work in this little known and unfamiliar landscape. With years of our efforts and those of the managers and their foot soldiers, the forest changed and the path became well trodden. Tadoba was in absolute bloom!

Our initial years through our field work had us spending innumerable nights on machaans, for the want of decent accommodation. Carnivore presence near these machaans were a regular. These were some of the most beautiful moments of our work at Tadoba. We lived in a tiny shack called the ‘Chital Shed’ behind the VIP guest house overlooking the Tadoba Lake, but soon, decided to build a tiny place of our own as the need to have a stable field station was mounting.

We had acquired this parcel of barren land along the periphery way back in 2000 and created a tiny water source for the birds and the nilgai that was seen nearby. Soon the water source became a favourite of the monkeys and the chital as well. Through the following monsoons the grass grew taller, thin branches erupted from the few tree stumps, and the sloth bear who was fondly named ‘Bakul’ wandered on the property dropping tendu seeds all over the land. Soon tendu saplings emerged, bees hummed, birds sang their songs and the chital relished the swaying grass.

The unfenced barren land soon became a forest; a home to the tigers and leopards who found this secluded place alluring.

Here, we decided to build our home, which would house us through our endless conservation days and long research years. Through the adventure of constructing this home in the forest, the workers and the advisors often had ‘Bakul’ the bear overseeing the work as he plonked on the sand pile near by, and ample sightings of the tigress and her 3 young cubs who made this land her own.

This tigress@ghosri is the home built with love and care that we would like to share with you.

Poonam and Harshawardhan are Co-Founder Trustees of a non for profit Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT). Their work involves human - large carnivore conflict mitigation and protection of tigers and the forest. TRACT projects cover more than 200 villages in the Central India Landscape and offers employment to a number of local youth.

Poonam and Harshawardhan commenced their work in Tadoba in 1999 and continue to work for the conservation of the Tigers and the Forest of Tadoba.