Jharana Jungle Lodge, Tadoba

W ater is life! Just the way humans require water to live, animals also need it to survive and thrive. On average, a human can live up to 30 days without food, but it lasts only a few days without water. The story of water survival is the same with animals. As we celebrated World Water Day on 22nd March 2021, we decided to put a spotlight on the main water issues and challenges that are causing threats to wildlife. It is making survival a challenge! Why is Water a necessity for Wildlife? Animals can drink water, eat snow, or lick ice to survive and fulfil their water requirement. However, the key factor that changes the whole scenario of water bodies available is pollution. For consumption, animals require unpolluted sources of water. Sadly, the ratio of such clean and consumable water bodies to animals is relatively less. The problem is bound to increase in the coming future. Many animals are drawn towards rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands for habitat. Apparently, around 45-50% of the ...

  A jungle safari or a day in a forest makes us happy and cheerful. Apart from experiencing the adventure, we like the quiet atmosphere away from the buzzing city. The roar and voices of wild animals, the greenery, calmness, the thrills and shrills of the forests, everything mesmerizes us. Recently, we celebrated World Wildlife Day , where we took an oath to maintain them. Actually, we need to ponder over that making a pledge for one day is enough or we need to be consistent in our activities of conserving the ecology, wildlife, and greenery.  If we need our adventure, thrills, shrills, or safaris, we need to make constant efforts in maintaining our ecosystem. Instead of thinking big, our small efforts towards conserving can be worth it. While issues like animal trade, poaching are still pertinent, we can make a promise to love them and accept them as part of the ecosystem. Instead of harming them, we can respect their habitats where they can be safe. Jungle safaris are your a...

  Going for a safari is always an amazing feeling. Getting away from the buzzing city and monotonous life, the raw and the serene atmosphere of the jungle is always mesmerizing and magical. After writing several blogs for Jharana Jungle Lodge and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve , I always had the excitement to watch the jungle safari. However, my excitement was channelized at the right side when my family decided to visit a jungle. The other motivation for the safari was my husband’s passion for photography. Although there are contradicting views about the right time to visit the jungle, we thought that any time is the right time when your aim is to break free and unwind in the calm place.  After reaching the destination, second day was our safari day and my first experience with open gypsies. I always wondered why don’t they keep a caged mini bus or a car for moving in the jungle. However, these gypsies are robust and comfortable for the silent jungle atmosphere. As we started ...

  Although we are facing the pandemic and the state is under lockdown, we have the fighting spirit to break the chain and overcome the virus. While people are under quarantine, animals are finding their ways into human areas which has been witnessed in various cities of India. Although the human-animal conflict has been highlighted many times, such sightings melts our hearts. However, care is taken by many people to preserve animal’s natural habitat from zoos and national parks. Many sanctuaries and reserves have been enhancing the ecosystem in a better way. While we talk about these sanctuaries, we can immediately relate it to safaris or jungle tours. Forest department and conservation authority have been maintaining these reserves through its continuous upgradation and maintenance. Hence, safaris here are enjoyable. We can see animals moving in open spaces which creates lot of excitement. However, we need to follow the rules of these safaris and understand that it is their habita...

जंगलातील मोठे मांजर ज्याला म्हंटले जाते अशा वाघाने जंगलात डरकाळी फोडली किंवा त्याची झलक जरी दिसली तरीही जंगल सफारीवर असणाऱ्या लोकांची एक्साइटमेंट, कुजबुज किंवा आवाज वाढतो. तथापि, जेव्हा वाघ दिसतो तेव्हा सर्व खूप उत्साही होतात आणि त्याचे फोटोज काढू लागतात. एखाद्या प्राण्याला प्राणीसंग्रहालयात पाहण्यापेक्षा थेट जंगलात पाहणे हे अधिक मनमोहक असते. पण जेव्हा आपण जंगलात त्यांना पाहण्यासाठी त्यांच्या हद्दीत प्रवेश करतो तेव्हा आपण त्यांच्या क्षेत्राचे सर्व नियम पाळले पाहिजेत. आपण त्यांचे वातावरण आणि त्यांची मोकळीक स्वीकारणे आवश्यक आहे. काही वर्षांपूर्वी सुरू झालेला मानव-प्राणी संघर्ष हळूहळू नियंत्रित झाला आहे. जंगल वाढविण्यासाठी आणि प्राण्यांची जागा टिकवण्यासाठी अनेक प्रयत्न केले जात आहेत. जंगलाचा राजा सिंहाप्रमाणेच वाघ हा सुद्धा एक अतिशय सुंदर असा प्राणी आहे. वाघ हा भारताचा राष्ट्रीय प्राणी असल्याने आपल्याला त्याच्याविषयी काही तथ्य समजून घेणे आवश्यक आहे. वाघ एका पंजाने ही माणसाला मारू शकतो. वाघाशी पंगा घेण्याऐवजी मनुष्याने त्याच्या सौंदर्याविषयी अधिक जाणून घेणे आवश्यक आहे. त्याच्या सौंदर्य...

जंगल सफारी,   प्राणिसंग्रहालय आणि वन्यजीव अभयारण्ये  ही प्रत्येक पालकांनी आपल्या मुलांना घेऊन जावे असे हॉटस्पॉट ठरत आहेत. लहानपणी कल्पनारम्य कथांमध्ये ऐकताना तसेच प्राण्यांविषयी शिकताना त्या प्राण्यांना डोळ्यासमोर बघण्याची अनेकांची इच्छा असते. पण विचार करा, आपण लहानपणापासून वाचत आलेले, बघत आलेले किंवा शिकत आलेले हे प्राणी गायब होऊ लागले किंवा विलुप्त झाले तर काय होईल? वास्तविक पाहता, जंगलातील बरेच प्राणी भयानक दराने नष्ट होत आहेत आणि त्यांच्या संवर्धनाचे प्रयत्न जोरात चालू आहेत. त्यातच जगातील सर्वात वेगवान प्राणी चित्त्याची संख्या दिवसेंदिवस कमी होत आहे आणि ही खरंच काळजी करण्याची बाब आहे. चित्ता हा मार्जार जातीतील एक प्राणी असून तो हलका व सगळ्यात वेगवान प्राणी मानला जातो. तो अधिकतर आफ्रिका आणि इराणमध्ये आढळून येतो. कोरडे गवत किंवा जंगलातील झुडुपे हे त्याचे निवासस्थान असते. मनुष्य आणि प्राण्यांमधील संघर्ष हे त्यांच्या नामशेष होण्याचे प्रमुख कारण आहे. सध्या जंगलात सुमारे 7,100 चित्ते शिल्लक आहेत. पूर्वीच्या काळात बेकायदेशीर शिकार करणे आणि व्यापारासाठी बेकायदेशीर पाळीव प्राण्य...

It is said that childhood is the most innocent and sensitive stage of your life. Whatever you teach them at this stage is forever stored in their brain and they inculcate it in their behavior for a lifetime. Hence, it is necessary to nurture the right thoughts in their mind. Kids have always been fascinated with animals through stories. Their first meeting with wild animals is mostly associated with trips to zoos and national parks. While taking them to the national park, parents need to explain to them about wildlife and its rules. Apart from parents, even schools should teach wildlife conservation.  One of the best ways to make them aware is through textbooks. You can use pictures, stickers, figures and diagrams to engage them. Show them interesting books on ecology, environment and forest life among others. Schools can also enact a drama, play or skit on jungle life and atmosphere. The idea is to create love and empathy towards them. They should be engaged in play activ...

The big cat ‘tiger’ calls in the wild create excitement, whispers, and large sounds when on a jungle safari. However, when the animal is seen, it’s very enthusiastic and photographs are clicked. An animal in the open is much more enthralling than in the zoo. When we enter their boundaries to watch them in the wild, we need to follow the rules of their area. We need to embrace their environment and spaces. The man-animal conflict that had started a few years ago, has slowly been controlled. Efforts are being taken to increase the green cover and preserve their spaces.  Tiger is one of the graceful animals and second to the king of the jungle lion. Being a national animal of India, we need to understand a few facts about our national animal. The strong punch of a tiger can kill a human. Instead of messing unnecessarily, the human need to examine its beauty. While talking about its beauty, Royal Bengal Tigers are heavily built species where male tigers weigh around 300 kilogr...

Jungle safaris, zoos, and wildlife sanctuaries have been a hotspot for all the parents to take their children. The excitement to see animals while learning and imagining them in fantasy stories has been a childhood amusement for many. However, what will happen if the animals we see in these places start disappearing or become extinct? Actually, many of these animals have been vanishing at an alarming rate and conservation efforts have been going on in full swing. The world’s fastest animal Cheetah has been diminishing and it is a fact to worry.  Coming from the feline family, Cheetah is known as lightly built and fastest animal. It mainly occurs in Africa and Iran. Most of its habitats are dry grasslands or shrub forests among others. The man-animal conflict is one of the prime reasons for its extinction. Currently, around 7,100 cheetahs are left in the wild. In earlier days, poaching was rampant and illegal pet trade was one of the crucial motives for its vanishing. Even t...

सिंहाप्रमाणेच वाघ सुद्धा जंगलातील एक महत्त्वाचा प्राणी म्हणून गणला जातो. वाघाचा थाट काही जंगलाच्या राजापेक्षा कमी नाही. वाघाचे बलाढ्य, बळकट शरीर, त्याची डरकाळी, त्याचा धावण्याचा वेग, त्याचा चालण्याचा रुबाब बघून कोणीही त्याला जंगलाच्या राजापेक्षा कमी लेखणार नाहीत. परंतु आज याच वाघाची शिकार होत आहे, आणि त्यामुळेच वाघांची संख्या दिवसेंदिवस कमी होताना दिसत आहे. त्यातच सध्या गोव्यामधील म्हादई अभयारण्यातील चार वाघांच्या मृत्यूची धक्कादायक माहितीमुळे सगळीकडे हळहळ व्यक्त होत आहे. प्राणीप्रेमींमध्ये या माहितीमुळे असंतोष दिसून येत आहे. वर्षभरात वाघासोबतच बिबळ्यांच्या मृत्यूचे आकडे सुद्धा पुढे आले आहेत. 'वाइल्ड लाइफ प्रोटेक्शन सोसायटी ऑफ इंडिया' या संस्थेच्या संशोधनानुसार वर्षभरात १०० हून अधिक वाघांचा गेल्या वर्षभरात मृत्यू झाला आहे. यामधील सर्वाधिक वाघांचा शिकारीमुळे मृत्यू झाल्याचे निष्पन्न झाले आहे. त्याप्रमाणेच वाघांबरोबरच देशाच्या विविध जंगलांमध्ये ४९१ बिबट्यांचाही मृत्यू झाला आहे. व्याघ्र संवर्धनासाठी वन विभाग अतिशय सक्रिय असून सुद्धा १०० पेक्षा अधिक वाघांचा मृत्यू झाला याबाबत नक...

Like a lion, a tiger is regarded as one of the most important animals in the forest. The tiger's rule is nothing less than a king of the jungle. Seeing the tiger's strength, his strong body, his timidity, his running speed, his stance, no one would consider him less than the king of the jungle. But today the same tiger is being hunted, and this is why the number of tigers is decreasing day by day. Meanwhile, shocking information about the death of four tigers in the Mhadei Sanctuary in Goa has been spreading everywhere. Animal lovers appear to be dissatisfied with this information. The number of cats death along with tigers has also come forward. According to research by the Wildlife Protection Society of India, more than 100 tigers have died in the last year. Most of these tigers have died due to predators. Likewise, 491 leopards have been killed in various forests along with tigers. One must be surprised that the forest department is very active for tiger conservatio...

जागतिक तापमानवाढ, प्रदूषण आणि वातावरण बदलांमुळे संपूर्ण जीवसृष्टी बदलत आहे. या सर्वांचा परिणाम फक्त मानवजातीलाच भोगावा लागत आहे असे नाही. तर प्राणी-पक्ष्यांसह विविध वन्यजीवांनाही या बदलांचा त्रास सहन करावा लागत आहे. त्यातच एका नव्या संशोधनावरून एक खळबळजनक बाब समोर आली आहे. जागतिक तापमानवाढ आणि वातावरण बदलांचा सर्वात जास्त फटका पक्ष्यांना बसल्याचे या संशोधनांमधून उघडकीस आले आहे. जागतिक तापमानवाढ आणि वातावरण बदलांमुळे पक्ष्यांचा आकार लहान होत असल्याचे स्पष्ट झाले आहे...  या पक्ष्यांचा आकार छोटा होत आहे तर त्यांच्या पंखांची लांबी वाढल्याचे संशोधकांना आढळले. हा अभ्यास प्रामुख्याने अमेरिकेत करण्यात आला. पण या जागतिक तापमानवाढीचा फटका फक्त अमेरिकेलाच नव्हे संपूर्ण जगातील पक्ष्यांना बसत असल्याचा संशोधकांचा दावा आहे. उष्ण प्रदेशातील पक्ष्यांचा आकार हा थंड प्रदेशातील पक्ष्यांपेक्षा लहान असतो असेही एका संशोधनात संशोधकांना आढळले. पण आता तापमानवाढीमुळे सर्वच प्रदेशातील पक्ष्यांचे आकार लहान होत आहेत आणि ही प्रक्रिया अजूनही सुरूच आहेत हे सुद्धा संशोधनातून निश्चित झाले... संशोधकांनी पक्ष्यां...

Global warming, pollution, and climatic changes are impacting the whole ecosystem. All of these do not affect only humankind, various wildlife including animals and birds are suffering due to these changes. In the meantime, new research has revealed an unusual case. These studies reveal that birds are the most affected by global warming and climate change. Due to these changes in the ecosystem, the birds have become smaller in size. Researchers have found that the size of these birds is getting smaller and the wingspan is becoming longer. This study was conducted primarily in the United States. But researchers claim that this global warming is hitting not just the United States but the whole world. Researchers also found that the size of birds in the tropics is smaller than that of cold birds. Now with the increase of temperature, the size of the birds in all the regions is getting smaller and this process is still going on. Researchers primarily studied 3 species of birds. It had t...

We know that Tadoba is an ultimate hub to the rich biodiversity and provides a mesmerising jungle experience to the visitors of TATR (Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve). Apart from a Jungle Safari, Tadoba National Park is gaining eyeballs due to a great migration of birds to this land of a balanced ecosystem. Earlier in June 2019, the famous Black-Capped Kingfisher was spotted in the jungle of Tadoba by visitors. Although, this little bird is a resident of India, witnessing her presence brought instant joy to nature enthusiasts and visitors. Mainly the bird is found in India (Andaman) Sri Lanka, Kansu, Shansi, Korea, Malay Peninsula, Thailand and many other countries rich in biodiversity. The Black-Capped Kingfisher is about 11 inches long. With blackhead, purple-blue wings, white neck collar, black & blue wings, this bird sighting is an alluring experience for birdwatchers.  Have you tried Birdwatching? Bird watching is one of the fastest-growing wildlife observation ac...

एका चांगल्या करियरसाठी किंवा भविष्यासाठी फोटोग्राफी हे उत्तम क्षेत्र आहे असे म्हणता येईल. त्यातीलच वाईल्डलाईफ फोटोग्राफी हा प्रकार अतिशय रोमांचकारी व साहसी आहे. या फोटोग्राफी मुळे तुम्हाला तुमच्या लेन्सवर एक्सपिरिमेंट करता येते आणि शिवाय यामुळे तुम्ही निसर्गाच्या जवळ जाऊ शकता. त्यासाठी तुमच्याकडे निसर्गाबद्दल व प्राण्यांबद्दल जाणून घेण्याचे पॅशन हवे. फोटोग्राफी कोर्सच्या व्यतिरिक्त तुम्ही वाईल्डलाईफ फोटोग्राफीची प्रॅक्टिकल ट्रेनिंग सुद्धा घ्यायला हवी. तुमच्याकडे फक्त डीएसएलआर कॅमेरा असणे पुरेसे नाही, तुम्हाला प्रत्येक कॅमेरा अँगल आणि फोटोग्राफीच्या इतर फंक्शनचे सखोल ज्ञान हवे. भारतात त्याचबरोबर इतर देशांमध्येही अशी इतर अनेक जंगलं आहेत जिथे तुम्हाला तुमची वाईल्डलाईफ फोटोग्राफी स्किल डेव्हलप करता येईल.   तुम्ही अनेक जंगलांमध्ये जंगल सफारीचा प्लॅन करू शकता. अनेक जंगलांमध्ये वाईल्डलाईफ फोटोग्राफर्ससाठी वेगळ्या जंगल सफारी आखलेल्या असतात. सगळ्यात पहिले तुम्हाला तुमचा फोटोग्राफी प्लॅन आखावा लागेल. भारतामध्ये प्राण्यांसाठी वेगळे अभयारण्य आहेत, जेथे तुम्ही तुमच्या फोटोग्राफीसाठी वेगव...

Photography is an amazing field where one can have an exciting future. However, wildlife photography is adventurous and thrilling. It not only gives you a chance to experiment with your lens but also takes you close to nature. However, to be a wildlife photographer you need to have a passion for animals and nature. Apart from doing a photography course, you also need to have practical training in wildlife photography. Just having a DSLR camera is not enough, you need to have an eye for angle and detail. There are several forests in India and abroad where you can fulfill your photography love. You can plan a jungle safari to various forests. However, many forests keep separate safaris for wildlife photographers. First of all, plan your photography program. There are special reserves for animals in India, where you can choose your preferred animals for photography. If you want to shoot tigers, you can choose Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. In case, you want random photographs, you...

When we say wild cats, we immediately think of carnivorous animals like lions, tigers, cheetah, jaguar, and leopard among others. However, lions and tiger need a special mention being the big animals of a jungle. Although lions are the kings of the jungle, tigers are certainly their counterparts and also national animal of India. There are 50 tiger reserves in India out of which six dedicated tiger reserves under the precincts of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. India has around 70% of the tiger population in the world and it has been increasing gradually over the years. We need to understand certain facts of this amazing animal. The first and foremost fact is they do not attack human beings without any valid reason. Although there are incidents of a tiger attacking humans, not many cases have been recorded. However, staying away from them makes sense. The average life expectancy of a tiger is around 25 years of age. Tigers are largest in size among other cat famili...

हॉस्पिटॅलिटी उद्योग हळूहळू बदलत आहे आणि यात अनेक विकासात्मक बदल घडून येत आहेत. लॉजिंग पासून सुरु केलेला हा व्यवसाय आता हॉटेल आणि त्यानंतर रिसॉर्ट्स पर्यंत येऊन थांबला आहे. लॉजिंग हा प्रवासादरम्यान राहण्यासाठी मर्यादित असा पर्याय होता, त्याचप्रमाणे जेवण आणि पेय या मूलभूत सुविधा पुरवण्याच्या बाबतीत हॉटेल्स सुद्धा औपचारिक असत. या तुलनेने रिसॉर्ट्स अनेक सुविधा पुरवतात.  रिसॉर्ट्स लोकांना आकर्षित करून त्यांना आरामदायक जागांसोबतच अनेक सोयी-सुविधा पुरवतात. हे रिसॉर्ट्स लोकांना उत्तम सेवा आणि ग्राहकांच्या प्राधान्यक्रम पुरवण्यासाठी काम करतात. ग्राहकांच्या राहण्याची आणि त्यांच्या गरजांची येथे मुख्यतः काळजी घेतली जाते. त्यांच्याकडे साधारण रूम्स ते सूट रूम्स पर्यंतचे विविध प्रकार उपलब्ध असतात. त्यांचे इंटिरिअर आणि सुविधा या त्यांच्या स्टॅंडर्ड प्रमाणे राखले जाते. त्यातील काही कॉटेज आणि विलाज हे ग्राहकाच्या निवडीनुसार गोपनीय आणि शांत असतात.  तेथील रेस्टॉरंट्सच्या बाबतीतही, त्यांच्या अतिथींना प्रसन्न करण्यासाठी त्यांना त्यांच्या आवडीनुसार वेगवेगळ्या प्रकारचे पदार्थ वाढले जात...

TADOBA OPEN IN MONSOONS 19 August 2014 Good news for all those who want to visit Tadoba tiger reserve, the only park open in the monsoon. Now Forest Dept has opened routes from Moharli gate - Khatoda gate- Tadoba Lake - Pandharpauni- Navegaon road (grassland) up to Navegaon gate. This is about 40kms road open for visitors in monsoon with good sighting chances on the main road, at Tadoba Lake, and the Pandharpauni & Navegaon grasslands.

Summer is not a reason for a picnic but is certainly a season for safaris. Summer may be a boring and dull season for many with scorching heat; however wildlife enthusiasts can rejoice as this is one of the best seasons for engaging in animal safaris. India has various national parks and world life sanctuaries that are harnessing the wildlife of the country. Many of these sanctuaries have been covered under the ‘project tiger or project lion’ programs that have been implemented by the Government of India. Basically, these sanctuaries were aimed to preserve wildlife and encourage tourist to these places. Summer is one of the best seasons for safaris as heat dries minor water sources in the forests and hence animals are forced to quench their thirst at the few remaining water holes. This creates an ideal situation for observing wildlife with a very high chance of animal sightings at these scarce water sources. Sparse and dry vegetation also gives the possibility of animal glimpses...