10 Famous Royal Bengal Tigers of the Indian Wilds

India is famous for its diverse culture and spirituality, palaces and forts, mountains and forests and of course, the Royal Bengal Tigers that roar across the Indian wilds. Indian tigers have enthralled and inspired writers, photographers, film crews, wildlife biologists, naturalists and conservationists all over the world for centuries. Rampant hunting, habitat loss and other factors have brought down the tiger numbers in India to only 2,226 as per the census reports of 2014. Still, these predators continue to be the torch bearers of wildlife conservation in India. Even though tigers as a species have always fascinated us with their magnificent appearance, powerful presence and ferocious nature, some of them have managed to receive more attention than the rest of the lot. You may love or you may hate these tigers but you definitely cannot ignore them. Here is a list of India’s 10 most famous (and infamous) tigers:

10.The Champawat tigress, a ferocious man-eater: When it comes to mentioning India’s most famous tigers, the name of the Champawat tigress is unforgettable. A skilled man-eater, the tigress was guilty of 436 human deaths. She stalked and preyed on humans in Nepal and India during the early 18th and late 19th century. After devouring about 200 people in Nepal and failed attempts to kill her, she was driven out by Nepali forces. Her reign of terror, however, continued in the Kumaon district of India, her newly found territory. It is said that the villagers of the district would shut themselves up in their huts, halting all activities, in fear of being snatched away by the infamous tigress. People fled to neighbouring areas to save their lives.The ferocious cat was known for her boldness and fearlessness of humans and would break into rural homes in broad daylight. More than 200 humans lost their lives in India in the jaws of this tigress. The terror was so great that the British Government announced a huge bounty on the tiger’s head. Experienced hunters were no match for this cunning tigress and repeated attempts to bring her down failed miserably. It was under such dire circumstances that Jim Corbett, a famous hunter and conservationist, was able to hunt down this fierce tigress following her last victim’s (a 16 year old girl) bloody trails. Inspection of the feline’s corpse revealed that her upper and lower canine teeth were broken on the right side. The autopsy helped discover the reason behind her man-eating trait. The Champawat tigress’s inability to hunt for natural prey had forced her to hunt humans and cattle for her meals. 

9.The Man-Eaters of Chowgarh: If one man-eater is not enough, the ones of Chowgarh included a mother-son duo who were companions in crime. In the early 1920’s, an adult tigress and her sub-adult cub were rampaging the villages of Chowgarh in eastern Kumaon. Over a period of five years, the pair managed to hunt down 64 humans. The villagers in the area lived in constant fear of the tigers and there are tales which propagates that the number of human deaths in the jaws of these tigers was double the official figure of 64. Finally, in the late 1920’s Jim Corbett managed to hunt down and kill the tigress and her cub in separate hunting events The killing of the tigress was more difficult and success was achieved only after repeated failed attempts. An examination of the tigress revealed that she had broken claws and canines and worn out front teeth. Corbett assigned these deformities to the tigress’ man-eating behaviour.

8.Tigress Tara, Billy’s dream project: The tale of Tara is intriguing and adventurous. In the 1970’s, a time when India had just launched the Tiger Project and was experimenting with means and modes of conservation of its precious wild species, Billy Arjan Singh, a leading tiger conservationist carried out an experiment that was bewildering and controversial. The Grand Old Man of big cat conservation, whose immense efforts played a crucial role in saving India’s tigers, identified a flaw in India’s conservation machinery. He found that the wide separation of India’s tiger reserves hindered the movement of tigers which could lead to high inbreeding and resultant genetic defects. So, he tried out a daring experiment. With the permission of India’s Prime Minister, he travelled to England and adopted a female tiger cub named Jane from Twycross Zoo, in Leicestershire who wasn’t a pure Royal Bengal but shared genes with Siberian tigers. He renamed her Tara (star) and brought her up with immense love and affection in his home in the fringes of the Dudhwa National Park in India. Tara was never constricted and allowed as much freedom as possible and one day she lived up to Billy’s dreams and left for the wild. She mated with male tigers in Dudhwa and mothered successful litters in the subsequent years. During this whole period, Billy was put under a lot of pressure. His experiment was widely criticized as those against him complained that irreparable damage was done by introducing a genetic cocktail into the Indian forests. Many even held Tara responsible for all the man-eating incidents that occurred in Dudhwa and every time a man-eater was killed, Billy would fear it was his beloved Tara. However, luckily Tara continued to live well in the jungle and successfully established her lineage in the Dudhwa National Park. 

By Krishna Kumar Mishra (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

7.Munna, the wild CAT of Kanha: Kanha National Park in India can boast of its lush green wilderness thriving with diverse species of wildlife and above it alL, Munna. He is the dominant male tiger of this park and you do not need to be a tiger expert to identify him because of the interesting pattern of his stripes on his forehead which seem to spell out the word ‘CAT’. Throughout the years, Munna fought several territorial battles with other ferocious males to establish and maintain his dominance. One such fight in his younger years injured him in the leg causing him to limp awkwardly for a while. It was during this time that he received his name Munna after a forest guard with the same name who also had a limp. Munna has a huge fan following and is known for his habit of following safari vehicles over long distances. Seems he does like the paparazzi and enjoys his celebrity status in the park. 

6.Collarwali, the Pench Princess: The ‘Queen of Pench’ or the ‘Pench Princess’, Collarwali is the beloved tigress of the Pench National Park in India which served as the settings for Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’. Born to a famous mother Barimada, the matriarchial female of Pench, Collarwali was filmed right from her childhood when BBC filmed a documentary called ‘Spy in the Jungle’ on Barimada and her four cubs (one of them our Pench Princess) using spy cameras. From her young days, Collarwali showed signs of an able tigress and was the first among her litter to establish a territory in Pench. She was collared by the Forest Department to track all her activities and hence was referred to as Collarwali which in Hindi means the ‘one with the collar’. Throughout the years she was monitored by park rangers and wildlife biologists which yielded significant data about tigers in the wild. As a novice mother, she lost her first litter to pneumonia but as she grew in experience over the years, she established her own lineage and successfully brought up 14 cubs and hopefully will bring up more in the years to come. 

5.The Bandhavgarh tiger dynasty: A dominant male tiger, Charger was the heroic ruler of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve for quite a time! Charger received his name when he charged a safari elephant carrying tourists in the park. He was aggressive and ferocious with a roar that boomed across wide expanses of the jungle. A fight between him and his son B2 or Sundar marked the end to Charger’s era in Bandhavgarh. B2 inherited all the traits of his father and continued his legacy in the park. Sundar was known for his hatred of the noises created by motor vehicles by intruding vehicles in his territory. Once, he even pounced on a safari vehicle and blocked the road for almost an hour, halting all safari vehicles in the process. B2 also suffered nearly the same fate as his father and lost his kingdom to his equally able son Bamera in a territorial fight. He derived his name from the Bamera dam in the park where he was brought up. He was as physically strong and dominant as his ancestors and ruled with full force in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve for quite some time. Now in his twilight years, Bamera has been shifted to an enclosure by forest officials for spending his last days in comfort. 

By Siddharthgohiya (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

4.Gabbar, the Tiger King of Tadoba: Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve in India can boast of several famous tigers but none as well-known as Gabbar. Even though he is named after a notorious villain of an extremely popular Bollywood film ‘Sholay’, Gabbar is far from being a miscreant in the eyes of the people of India. In fact, Gabbar is the much loved hero of the people here and is contributing immensely to scientific research on tigers. He is also also known as ‘Leopard-faced’ because of the numerous small stripes on his face looking more like the spots on a leopard. This 185 kg tiger had been radio-collared by tiger researchers and have yielded valuable data on tiger behaviour, preying and mating over the years. In early 2015, Gabbar suffered nasty wounds on his face after a heavy territorial battle with another male tiger in his area. Tiger lovers across the country prayed for his recovery and fortunately he recovered from his wounds naturally without the need of any human intervention. 

3.Machli, the Tigress Queen of Ranthambore: Responsible for boosting India’s tiger tourism, Machli is the most beloved tigress of the Indian wilds. According to a report, Machli has earned India tourism revenue worth 10 million USD per year! Machli proudly holds territory in the grand Ranthambore National Park of India where 60% of the present tiger population of this tiger reserve belongs to her lineage. 11 cubs (7 females and 4 males) have been reared by Machli. She is well-known for her intense motherly love for her cubs, fighting courageously against all odds including adult male tigers that threatened her cubs. She is also credited with winning over a battle with a 14 foot mugger crocodile. The majestic and powerful appearance of this tigress and her dominance over the Ranthambore National Park, is what invited so much attention towards Machli. She is also the most photographed tigress in the world and is part of numerous documentaries like the 50 minute documentary ‘Tiger Queen’ aired on National Geographic and Animal Planet, and her life story telecasted in BBC’s Natural World series. She is also the winner of the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ awarded by Travel Operators for Tigers for her immense contribution to India’s tourism industry. 

Dawn Huczek/Flickr

2.Ustad, the tiger who united India: He is literally the tiger that united India. Never before has there been a mass movement in India for the cause of a single tiger. So, who is this legendary Ustad? He is, or should we say, was, a dominant male tiger roaring across the glorious wilderness of the Ranthambore National Park. On May 8, 2015, Ustad was charged of man-eating and soon after tranquilized and removed from his territory to the Sajjangarh Biological Park without any notice or proper inspection. However, Ustad is not a tiger to be easily forgotten. Within a few days, people started to stream out on the streets from every corner of India with posters in their hands shouting slogans of ‘Je Suis Ustad’ and ‘Free Ustad’. Common people of all ages overcame all boundaries that divide India to stand for the cause of an animal: Ustad. The accusation was that Ustad had been deprived of his home and his family (his female mate Noor and her cubs) without any proper investigation into whether he was actually responsible for the death of RamPal Saini, the ill-fated forest guard who was killed on May 8. Ustad’s supporters believed he was innocent. Even though there was a prior case against Ustad for killing a man in 2012, there was no conclusive evidence that it was him that killed Ram Pal Saini and even if he did, he at least deserved a fair trial? The lobby that transferred the tiger, however, said that Ustad’s presence in his territory was against the safety of the tourists and also forest guards working in the region might be quite displeased with no action being taken against the loss of Rampal Saini. Still, like Machli, Ustad was also a much photographed and popular tiger and his absence created a void in Ranthambore which many could not accept. At present, Ustad continues to live on within the confines of his small area at the Sajjangarh Biological Park and the people of India keep praying for his freedom.

1.The Sunderbans tigers, present day man-eaters: The Sunderbans tiger is not a single individual but refers to the tigers living in the world’s largest mangrove forests in India and Bangladesh. Even though belonging to the same species as tigers found elsewhere in India, these magnificent beasts of the mangroves are a class of their own. They are famous all over the world as the man-eaters of Sunderbans as one in every 10 tigers of these forests is a man-eater. Every year about a hundred people are attacked by these tigers and very few survive to tell their stories. Villagers living around the tiger reserve cringe at the word ‘tiger’. Almost every home in these villages have lost a family or friend to these tigers. What makes the tigers of Sunderbans man-eaters, is still an enigma. It could be that the salty water drunk by the tigers here makes them more aggressive or the difficulty in hunting natural prey in the muddy grounds could make them consider humans as the alternative, easy prey base. Whatever be the reason, it cannot be doubted that no one is safe around these forests. Honey collectors and fishermen who need to venture near these inaccessible forests wear a human face mask at the back of their heads. Tigers are not known to attack from the front and this could trick the tigers to stop attacking the villagers. However, terrifying these tigers of Sunderbans may be, it cannot also be doubted that it is the presence of these wild beauties that has kept the ecosystem of the Sunderbans intact and the mangroves continue to protect the people from cyclones and high tides which are frequent in this area.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiger_Sundarbans_Tiger_Reserve_22.07.2015.jpg

5 Weird Species You Did Not Know About - Part 1

By Glenn Williams (National Institute of Standards and Technology) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

THE NARWHAL: UNICORN OF THE SEA


Scientific name: Monodon monoceros
Conservation status: Near Threatened

A porpoise found in the cold waters of the Arctic coast and rivers, the pale coloured male Narwhal  will fascinate you with its prominent swordlike, spiral tusk. Male narwhals have two teeth and the prominent one among them grows right through their upper lip up to about a length 8.8 feet. Scientists are not quite sure about the purpose of this tusk but consider that it may help the male Narwhals search for mates or fight a rival during mating. Females may also have small tusks of their own but they are not as pronounced as the male's.

Narwhals swim in groups of 15 to 20 and feed on fish, shrimps and other aquatic food. However, the sad news for you is that these creatures are near threatened today due to human activities like hunting. Inuit people are allowed to hunt Narwhals for subsistence and almost all parts of a Narwhal are consumed. However, Narwhals are also hunted for their ivory tusks and are also suffering from the effects of global warming.

By IronChris (Wikipedia. See other versions) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

HUMMINGBIRD HAWK-MOTH: BAFFLING NATURE

Scientific name: Macroglossum stellatarum
Nature often baffles our eyes with species bearing close resemblance to each other. One of the best examples of this fact is the hummingbird hawk moth. It is very difficult to distinguish a hummingbird hawk moth from a Hummingbird due to the uncanny resemblance of the former in both appearance and behaviour with the latter.


So every time you spot a hummingbird, think twice. The Hummingbird hawk moth flits around flowers just like the bird and also appears to have feathers and a tail like a hummingbird which are actually extended hairs of this creature. The Hummingbird hawk moth feeds on the nectar of flowers with its long proboscis which is coiled up tightly when not in use. Tulipa, Jasmina, Viola, Echium, etc. are some of the favourite flowers of the Hummingbird hawk moth. 

By Aaron Logan (from http://www.lightmatter.net/gallery/albums.php) [CC BY 1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

A DEER? A BABY GIRAFFE? NO, IT'S A GERENUK!!!!

Scientific name: Litocranius walleri
Conservation status: Near Threatened

Gerenuks are  actually a species of antelope found in the African forests. The Gerenuks make great use of their long neck and legs to feed from tall desert trees. They are very well adapted for the harsh desert conditions where they live and can go without water for as long as their lifetime! The population of Gerenuks is on the decline due to habitat fragmentation induced by human activities. 

By Rein Ketelaars (Flickr: DSCN1938.jpg) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 RED-LIPPED BATFISH: THE KISSABLE FISH

Scientific name:  Ogcocephalus darwini

These strange looking fish look like they have painted their lips bright red with lipstick. Only difference from humans are that it is the males of this species that have bright, red lips to attract the females. Found in the tropical seas, the Red-lipped Batfish are horrible swimmers. Instead, they prefer walking on the sea floor using their fins as legs. These fish are carnivores and feed on invertebrates like shrimps, molluscs and crabs. Very little is known about these fish due to their remote habitats on the ocean floor and hence these creatures are also less threatened by human activities than other sea creatures. 

                                 By Seilov (www.ulytautour.kz) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

THE HUMP NOSED SAIGA ANTELOPE

Scientific name: Saiga tatarica

Conservation status: Critically Endangered

Designed for withstanding extremes of temperature, the Saiga Antelope's humped nose (its most distinguishing characteristic) is both flexible and inflatable allowing the creature to breathe clean air during dusty summers and warm air during harsh winters. The Saiga Antelope adorns a sparse, cinnamon coloured coat during summers which is replaced by a white, wooly coat during the winters. The largest populations of these animals are found in Kazakhstan. Saiga Antelopes are now facing extinction due to hunting for meat and Chinese medicines and habitat loss and need to be saved before they are lost completely.

How to survive a tiger attack in the jungle?

If you have ever visited the villages of Sunderbans in India, you will know how most villagers in the area panic when they hear the word 'tigers'. The fear and pain instilled in their minds is too deep to wash away easily. Almost every family living in these villages have a haunting memory associated with tigers.

Village woman in Sunderban village, Image credits: Adam Jones

Take for example the case of Krishnopodo's 83 year old mother who died in the mouths of a Royal Bengal tiger that barged through the bamboo walls of Krishnopodo's hut and snatched away his mother. 

Only a very few lucky ones are able to recover back from the mouths of sure death. One such example is Jamal Mohumad who survived not one but three tiger attacks! He is a popular guy in his small village in Sunderbans. The first time, Jamal was pulled down by his legs by a tiger into the treacherous waters of the Sunderbans. Somehow he struggled out of the tiger's grasp and dived deep into the waters and swam under the water till he lost sight of the tiger and a boat came to his rescue. 

A boat moving in the treacherous waters of the Sunderbans with tigers on the shore and crocodiles in the water, Image credits: Frances Voon

His another interesting or should I say, terrifying encounter with the tiger happened when  he was gathering firewood in the forest. This time Jamal had no water escape route and had no other option but to face the tiger. He started roaring back at the tiger at the loudest possible voice and making the weirdest and scariest faces possible for a person to make. This stalled the tiger from attacking him as tigers do not like to attack animals they feel are a threat to them. Tigers usually stalk and kill submissive animals and if the element of surprise is lost in the tiger's attack, the tiger often backs out. In Jamal's case his shouting at the top of his voice, roaring sounds and scary expressions helped to check the tiger from pouncing on him. Villagers rushed to his help when Jamal's wife heard his cries and his life was saved again.

Jamal is one of his kind, an extremely fortunate man to have come out of the sure clutches of death unscathed. However, luck does not favour most of the individuals coming face to face with the Royal Bengal Tiger.

The idol of Bonbibi or Goddess of the forest who is worshipped by Sunderbans villagers for protection from the jaws of the tiger, Image credits: V. Malik 

What if fate leads you someday to come face to face with these fierce and magnificent beasts of the jungle? What can your small human frame do in front of this powerful, muscular killing machine? Most experts agree on the following possible ways to escape being the meal of a wild tiger:

Do not move: If you have seen the tiger and you are sure that the tiger has not seen you, then the best option would be to stand still. It could be that your human frame would stay camouflaged in the wild cover. Tigers have excellent hearing senses and a small rustle in the leaves may be easily picked up by the tiger's ears. The tiger may just leave the place without noticing you if you make no noise. 

Hide: If you have any option to hide, do it! Get to a place where the tiger cannot get hold of you such as beneath a vehicle, inside a hut or in a narrow space between the rocks. 

Roar, shout and make faces! Yes, if the tiger sees you and looks interested in making you its afternoon lunch, then definitely it is time to fight back! Make loud noises or roar at the tiger, make the scariest faces possible and raise your hands up pretending to be bigger than your real size. Give it your best shot and believe that you are scarier than the tiger! Tigers are wary of strange animals who pose a threat to their security. They like taking their prey by surprise and lose interest if the element of surprise is lacking. Also, tigers have natural selection to fear humans for the centuries of hunting of these wild species in the hands of humans. Now it is a mind game between you and the tiger. Either may win, either may lose. Only in your case you will lose your life and the tiger his meal.

Calculation and wit: If the tiger still pounces on you, a timely calculated shift in your position as the tiger pounces can prevent you from being grabbed by the tiger. If you are grabbed by the tiger, try to grope for nearby stones, sticks or whatever item you find with which you can defend yourself. Remember, you have only moments to save yourself from a fatal bite. 

Avoid tiger cubs: Do not sway to your emotions when you detect a tiger cub in the jungle. It is not your home kitty! Tiger moms are extremely protective of their kids and will not think twice before nibbling you down for the sake of her babies.

Respect the tiger and respect the rules of the jungle: This is perhaps the most important point of all. Most cases of tiger or other wildlife attack on tourists is due to lack of respect for the forest rules and unruly behaviour of tourists. Never walk on foot in forests with natural predators, read all the rules of the forest and obey them. Do not try to attempt anything that is forbidden by the guidebooks. 

Always remember, you are in the tiger's home and even though you cannot see the tiger, the tiger can always see you!

Read more about Sunderban suvival stories at : http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29987187

5 Unbelievable Facts about Royal Bengal Tigers

Natural Killing Machines: Tigers kill their prey by strangulation or blood loss. Tigers hunt their prey down by delivering a fatal bite to the neck which may strangulate the prey or cut through a major artery leading to massive blood loss and instantaneous death. 

Image by: Dibyendu Ash

On some occasions, tigers also kill their prey with their paws. A strong smack by the tiger's paw can even crack the skull or break the back of cattle. Tigers are able to bite through the bones of their prey very easily. A very interesting observation has been made in Amur and Bengal tigers. They have been noticed to imitate the calls of their prey on rare occasions. The former have been observed to imitate calls of black bears (their natural prey) and the latter have been found to imitate the calls of the sambhar (their natural prey).

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stud_327_with_Blesbuck.jpg

Immense Muscular strength: The legs of tigers are so powerful that they can remain standing even when dead! Tigers are able to draw prey twice their own weight across long distances by virtue of their strength. Male Bengal tigers weigh about 180-350 kg! In spite of weighing so much, tigers are extremely agile and can leap distances of about 6m and jump vertically up to 5m.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stud_327_with_Blesbuck.jpg

I know what you did last summer: Tigers have an excellent memory and a tiger's short term memory lasts 30 times longer than ours. Wildlife researchers and forest officials who study tigers closely attest to this fact. There have been cases where tigers have been known to take their revenge on humans who killed their cubs. Tigers which turn man-eaters also hunt with extreme caution and planning which bears witness to the tiger's intelligence

Image by: Keven Law

Coloured Tigers: Even though black and orange striped tigers are most common, some rare varieties of white, black, blue and golden tigers have also been reported. White Bengal tigers are rarely reported in wild and usually found in captivity. 

Amol Gaitonde

These tigers lack the pheomelanin gene which produces the orange colour in Bengal tigers. White tigers also tend to grow faster and heavier than orange Bengal tigers. Black tigers have been reported in history and are rarely found in the wild. The colour of these tigers is due to pseudo melanism where the black stripes of the tiger are so close together that their tawny background is hardly visible. Blue tigers, also called Maltese tigers have been reported in the Fujian Province of China and in Korea. It is possible that these tigers are extinct at present. 

Image by: Stewiemgr

Golden tigers are not found in the wild and are inbred in captivity. They possess a recessive gene that results in diluting the black stripes on the tiger. The striping of these tigers is much more paler and fades into spots or blotches.

Image by: Brad Coy

Eye to eye with the tiger: Tigers love to hunt their prey by surprise and get disinterested in the prey if they lose the element of surprise. So, if you are unfortunate (or fortunate) enough to come face to face with the Bengal tiger, the best thing to do is make yourself look big and scary and and look the tiger in the eye. Never, ever turn your back to the tiger as this can be a fatal mistake. 

From the above facts, it must be clear to you why there is such a huge fuss about tigers! Tigers are the umbrella species of their ecosystem and attract attention of the common man with their magnetism and uniqueness. With the help of tiger conservation strategies it will be possible to maintain ecological balance.

So, join hands to save the tiger!

6 Tips for Camping Outdoors: Common camping mistakes that may can cost you dearly!

1. Make a reservation

Consider campsites like hotels. Would you visit a hotel at peak season without making a prior reservation? So is the case with busy campsites, especially front country campsites. If you do not wish to face the terrible disappointment of having to return back from a campsite due to full occupancy, make sure you make your bookings days or sometimes even months in advance.

2. Check your equipment and camp gear

A failure to set up your tent due to defective equipments can lead you into a lot of trouble at the campsite. So, if you are using a new tent or a new set of equipments, always ensure you practice setting up your tent at home in your backyard, or any other open ground. Remember, practice always makes a man perfect! Research thoroughly about what is absolutely essential for camping. Never, ever carry insufficient lighting source for the night. Carry flashlights with sufficient battery back-up. Also carry a well-equipped first-aid kit for emergencies. Learn to tie good camping knots which will be very useful in wilderness survival. Carry waterproof gear with you even if the weather looks clear at the starting of your trip. You can never predict weather accurately.

3. Tame the foodie in you! 

 A campsite is not a place for elaborate cooking sprees. Carry food that is easy to cook and less messy while at the same time supplies you with sufficient nutrients. Some easy and cheap camping cooking items are pancake mixes, egg sandwiches, trail mixes, campfire pizza logs, roasted apples and bananas, pita breads and bagels, marinated baked tofu, tinned fruits, chickpeas, ready-made meals, etc. Ensure that you leave no sign of cooking and eating on the campsite before you leave.

4. Do not be guilty of burning down the wilderness! 

Campfires make camping much more fun. However, make sure you act responsibly while handling the campfire. Check for the fire permits, rules and regulations of your campsite. After all, you would not love to be held responsible for torching down the entire area! Around 90% of wildfires in the U.S. are caused by humans. Burning of debris, burning cigarette butts and unattended campfires flares up the wilderness very easily and quickly. Ensure that before you leave for the tent, your campfire is successfully killed. All the wood must completely burn to ash, use water to drown all embers and make sure everything is wet and cold.  Dirt and sand can also be used to replace water in case there is scarcity of water in the area.

5. Do not poison yourself! 

Try not to be too adventurous and taste the fruits and leaves of wild plants. Some plant products may be dangerous and poisonous. Research thoroughly about the campsite and its flora and fauna before visiting the place. This makes you aware of the precautions to be taken. Poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac, angel trumpet, rosary pea and aconite are some of the poisonous plants to be avoided while camping.

6. Do not invite wild guests to your tent!

It definitely wouldn't be nice if you have a black bear poking its nose into your tent in the dead of the night! Never store food materials inside or near your tent. This invites wild animals to your tent. Always try to cook at some distance from the tent so that the smell of food does not linger near your tent area. If your campsite is prone to bear or wolf visits, use food canisters and packs which prevents the smell of food from emanating out of the package. Store this food about 100 yards or more away from your tents. Bears and wolves rarely attack humans. It is the food that they are attracted to and safely stowing away food items protects you from any kind of invading animal species.

Photography : Arijit Nag at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada