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| Tiger in Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Image credit: Oishimaya Sen Nag |
It was a short but sweet trip to Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Tucked away in the Yavatamal District of Maharashtra, this wildlife destination is a bit offbeat. Surrounded by the more well-known forests of Tadoba, Pench, and others, this protected area, around three and a half hour's journey by car from Nagpur, has much to offer to wildlife enthusiasts. Here, eighteen tigers and their prey species are packed into a relatively tiny space of around 148.63 square kilometres, making for easier sightings. So, in the month of May, I took up the dare to brave the intense summer heat to pay a visit to Tipeshwar.
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| Entrance to the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Image credit: Oishimaya Sen Nag |
A late evening flight to Nagpur from Kolkata (the only direct flight available from my hometown) took me to Nagpur at 10:30 pm. Travelling in the night was out of the question, so I checked in at The Pride Hotel, which was only a couple of minutes' distance from the airport. As a solo female traveller, I always opt for the best-reviewed accommodations for my stay. However, there are plenty of other options near Nagpur airport where you can halt in case your flight arrives late, like mine. If you are arriving by road or rail, then too there are plenty of stay options in the city.
The next day, after a good breakfast, I left for Tipeshwar. On the way, you can stop at an area called Jam or Jamb, which is famous for its many restaurants and shops selling local goodies and food items.
At Tipeshwar, be careful when selecting a place to stay, as there are only a few options. I would definitely not recommend the place where I put up (I am not naming the place here) primarily because of the lack of professionalism exhibited by the homestay manager. The reviews I had read were good, but the Manager was a recent recruit (hence giving a chance to the homestay by not naming it here), and his attitude was totally unacceptable.
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| On a safari in Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. |
The sanctuary, established in 1997, lacks a division between core and buffer zones. There are three different entry gates to the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary - Sunna, Mathai, and Kodori. The Sunna Gate is only 7 km from the nearest town of Pandharkawada, while Mathani is 23 km away. Mondays are closed for safaris in Tipeshwar. On other days, there is a cap on the number of safaris permitted in the park. Always ensure you are booking the safaris from a reliable source and that last-moment cancellations do not happen, which was an unfortunate situation I had to face, primarily due to the lack of alertness of the Manager of my homestay.
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| The Tipai Mata Temple in Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Image credit: Oishimaya Sen Nag |
When on a safari in Tipeshwar, do request your guide to show you the Tipai Mata temple. It is from where the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary gets its name. It is a small temple located on the slopes of a rocky hill inside the sanctuary.
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| The Shikari Rasta signboard in Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Image credit: Oishimaya Sen Nag |
According to my safari guide, the Tipeshwar area was once a popular hunting ground for colonial-era hunting parties. You will find a trail here called "Shikar Rasta" or the "Hunter's Road," which is believed to have been used by hunters of the past. A colonial-era bungalow is also located in the sanctuary, but the area is off-limits for tourists.
Teak forests dominate the sanctuary's flora, and red sandalwood and bamboo are significant floral species. Despite its small size, the undulating terrain and floral diversity give the sanctuary's landscape a lot of character, making it pleasurable for visitors and photographers.
Today, the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a stable population of around 18 tigers, including adults, subadults, and cubs. Other predators like leopards, dholes, and sloth bears are also found here. I was lucky enough to see all of them except leopards during my first safari inside the sanctuary itself.
Prey populations include spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, wild boars, etc.
Birdlife in the sanctuary is also rich, and I enjoyed viewing the gorgeous Indian pitta and the white-eyed buzzard, among a host of other birds, during my two safaris.
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| The Indian Pitta in Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Image credit: Oishimaya Sen Nag |
The Maharashtra Forest Department's successful conservation efforts have definitely made the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary a haven for wildlife. However, the sanctuary lacks good connectivity with surrounding tiger habitats, making it difficult for its growing tiger population to disperse. While there is some connectivity between Tipeshwar and Kawal Tiger Reserve in neighbouring Telangana state, the poor protection offered to wildlife in Kawal makes it difficult for tigers to survive in the reserve.
Thus, the future success of conservation efforts in the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary depends on the establishment of secure tiger corridors radiating from the sanctuary, allowing for the proper dispersal of its growing tiger and prey population to newer habitats.
Written by: Dr. Oishimaya Sen Nag
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