BIG CAT DIARY UNCUT, PART X: THE MARSH LIONS – BEYOND BIG CAT DIARY

As a recapitulation of The Truth About Lions (2011), Dynasties: Lion (2018), Lion: The Rise and Fall of the Marsh Pride (2022) and,

The Big Cat People Podcast, Series II: Big Cat Diary Uncut

Episode 10 – "The Truth About Lions"

Date of Release: 14 July 2023

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST EPISODE

Skilful hunters. Violent and terrifying man-eaters. Devoted parents... I am Jonathan Scott, and I've been captivated by lions all my life. And for the last thirty years, I've been watching, sketching, photographing and filming one amazing lion pride. By day, and under the cover of darkness. And, I've seen first hand what makes lions unique. Whilst other big cats live a solitary life, lions don't. They live in large family prides. The lion pride is the exception amongst the cat family. No other species lives this kind of social existence. Now, new research is revealing the reason for the lions' lifestyle. Assumptions and misconceptions are being overturned. I'm going to look again at this unique animal. I'm searching for the truth about lions.

Jonathan Scott came to the Mara in 1977, and has passionately devoted himself to watching and researching big cats. Dr Craig Packer headed up the Serengeti Lion Project from 1974. Despite their long association, their desired meeting occurred only once in the 1980s. The Truth About Lions turned out to be a horizon of the merging of these two great hearts.

Photo Credit: Angela Scott (above); BBC (below)

 

— JONATHAN SCOTT ventilated his concern at the commencement of the first episode of The Truth About Lions (2011), namely, "The Social Cats", which conspicuously concerns itself with the social pattern of living that the lions adhere to. Of its two renderings, filmed during 2009-2010, the first programme explicates a sequence of assumptions that were thought to be the probable causes of lions' social behavioural existence, starting from the hypothesis of hunting in a group, communal suckling and defence to the resolution of lion prides' priority over their territories. The other programme, namely, "The End of the Road?" features the current conservation status of lions in a worldwide context. To his meeting with Dr Craig Packer in 2010 while filming The Truth About Lions, the ace lion expert and the director of Serengeti Lion Project, Jonathan explained his preoccupation of watching the Marsh Pride – at least thirty individuals at a time, occasionally having the interactions with the adjacent pride members, while Dr Packer highlighted on the anecdotes and research of their team that incorporated a study of at least thirteen to twenty-eight prides during a certain period, designating the importance of the notion of habitat. Interestingly, in order to get acquainted with the habitat and territorial advancement, the researchers or observers need to know lions at their individual level.

Clawed (above) was about twelve-year-old in 2010 and gradually turning out to be weaker and haggard, having no hope for siring another generation; Romeo (below) by contrast, at his tenth year, was still very much on his guard

Photo Credit: Jackson Ole Looseyia

  The Marsh Pride, whom Jonathan and Angela Scott have an affinity with, has been perhaps the most popular and, well-known pride of lions from the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya for more than forty years, having reached a worldwide audience when featured on Ambush at Maasai Mara (1981) and Kali, the Lion (1992), on most captivating wildlife soap Big Cat Diary (1996 – 2008), in The Truth About Lions (2011) and, in  Dynasties (released in 2018), a BBC Natural History product following five different species, the members of whom happened to be featured in their earlier projections. Many lion enthusiasts have closely followed the dynamics of this extraordinary pride ever since. Over the years, the Marsh Pride has produced some iconic lionesses, including the Three Graces, who were born in 2005, and served as the backbone of the pride for more than a decade. Without them, it is unlikely the pride would exist to this day as they battled through the tough times to ensure the future of the pride for the next generations. Here we present their story, which will eventually bridge up the upcoming predicament of the pride as featured in the two series of Big Cat Tales in the years to come.

Charm, the reluctant leader and youngest of the Three Graces 

Photo Credit: BBC

Siena, the born pioneer and supreme protector

Photo Credit: BBC

Joy, the devoted mother of ultimate commitment 

Photo Credit: Teresa O Dwyer

  The Three Graces — Siena (referred to as Beauty by Simon King in Big Cat Live), Charm, and Joy were born into the pride from January to June 2005. They came from royal lineage having been sired by the famous pride male Notch and his coalition partner. Their mothers were also prominent lionesses in their own right and were known as Red or Mama Lugga (believed to be the mother of Siena and Joy), White Eye, Bibi (believed to be the mother of Charm) and Lispy, fondly called the Golden Four. This meant that the three young lionesses were also siblings and cousins of the five males, known as the Notch Gang, born in the same year — Notch II, Long, Ron, Caesar and Grimace who would go on to become members of the most successful coalition in the history of the Maasai Mara. Whilst it was the destiny of the young males to eventually leave and forge a new dynasty for themselves elsewhere, the females would remain with their mothers and aunts and ensure the long term future of the Marsh Pride. But for most of their life as cubs and sub-adults, the future of the Three Graces was hanging in the balance. In the middle of 2005, as we came to know from the deliberations on Big Cat Diary here on this archive, Notch's partner was killed by the three strong males from Paradise Plain. Notch was left as a lone pride male. It was only a matter of time before the next challenge arrived and in 2007, Notch was ousted from the pride by the three new males from  Serena Pride called Clawed, Romeo and Pavarotti, an event which also saw the departure of Notch's five young male heirs, some of them could well be his own sons. At this point Siena, Joy and Charm were the sub-adults of two-year-old, and not ready to breed which posed a serious threat to their safety, forcing them to break away from the main pride and to form a separate satellite group within the territory.

White Eye (above), despite being the elderly matriarch, was the new mother in the pride, while Bibi (below), though had a single cub, was content to convey her in her elder cousin's custody and performed the best role of hers – babysitting 

Photo Credit: A. Voss (above); Peter Rettig (below)

  A new crèch of White Eye and Bibi was known to be formed up, comprising two male cubs and two females. Jicho and Lippy happened to be those two females, who eventually cut off from the pride when they were about a couple of years old and, formed a breakaway group just like the Three Graces had done before. Initially, Lippy was thought to be a cub of White Eye, but later on, it was confirmed that she happened to be Bibi's daughter, one of the last legacy bearers of Romeo and Clawed. By 2010, Romeo and Clawed's reign turned out to be quite shaky. While Romeo was still beholding his prime and, was active in siring new generations, Clawed was visibly distressed, and haggard. The nine cubs that were born in the pride in 2008, were nearly two-year-old adolescents and used to hang out with Lispy. However, to draw the other side of the story, having avoided the males until they reached sexual maturity, by 2009, it was now time for the Three Graces to seek them out in order to reproduce. Siena, who was the born leader of the three, and Joy, mated with the males – Romeo and Clawed, and produced their first litters of cubs later that year. Siena gave birth to two females, who were known named Mapema (often called Musiara) and Sila, and Joy gave birth to two males known as Hasani and Matajo. Charm, by contrast, happened to be more cautious and reserved – not willing to breed straight away, but as the secure environment of a pride was acquired in their stipulated space, and other pride mates having cubs, Charm was now comfortable to start raising offspring of her own and, gave birth to her first litter of three cubs in late 2010 – two males and a female known as Kini. By this point, the two pride males Romeo and Clawed were ageing and there was the sense they would soon be overthrown by a younger coalition. A prelude just happened to be experienced by Lispy and the group of adolescents, as they encountered two fit, strong and ambitious young males that trespassed. Though it was not a determined takeover, the invading males muscled in, and tried to intimidate the adolescent males so that they might have an access to the females. Romeo and Clawed were spending most of their time with the Three Graces and their cubs, cut off from the rest of the pride at the moment, causing the vulnerability and lack of much-needed protection for White Eye and Bibi's small cubs.

Above: Charm with the two new generations of cubs in 2015 

Photo Credit: Tony Crocetta

Below: Red, Siena's son paying to the filming crew of Dynasties 

Photo Credit: BBC 

  Meanwhile, the core Marsh Pride had already suffered a major blow when their matriarch Red was killed by Maasai herdsmen in late 2009. In late 2010, after the loss of Red, the Three Graces with their cubs were reintegrated with the pride. For the rest of the year, the growing pride enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity; and everything was going well for them. The Truth About Lions ended up predicting Clawed's inevitable fall and Romeo's vulnerability, and the probability of the invasion. The position of the territory was always precarious due to the practice of illegal night time cattle grazing which inevitably caused conflict between the lions and the Maasai herdsmen. This serious problem was highlighted once more in 2011 when Lispy was speared and killed. The death of Lispy meant that the original Golden Four was reduced to two surviving members- White Eye and Bibi, who were having their cubs at the moment.  However, this was not the only disruptive event the Marsh Pride encountered in 2011. Subsequently, the predicted takeover occurred in 2011 with the arrival of the four ambitious and powerful males, known as the Four Musketeers – Scarface, Morani, Sikio and Hunter. The change of the guard of dominant males was welcomed by most of the lionesses, but not all of them. Joy had new cubs that would have been killed by the males. Therefore, in order to protect her offspring, she left the pride along with her now sub-adult sons Hasani and Matajo, who were not much welcomed by White Eye after the reintegration of the Three Graces. White Eye also had young cubs to protect and followed suit. Siena and Charm along with Bibi stayed with the pride but paid a heavy price as the two sub-adult sons of Charm were killed by the Musketeers, although she managed to protect Kini who survived the takeover. She, along with her slightly older cousins Mapema and Sila, backed up by two more females, Lippy and Jicho, would go on to reach adulthood and form a breakaway pride of their own within the territory.

Above: The Four Musketeers enjoying a hearty nap in the Marsh 

Photo Credit: Moses Manduku 

Below: Three of Four Musketeers – Hunter, Scarface and Morani in Paradise Plain 

Photo Credit: John H. Gavin

  The start of 2012 marked the beginning of a new era for the pride with the Musketeers as dominant males. At this point, Bibi was the grand dame, approaching her fourteenth year. So, Siena adopted the position of a leading lioness, with Charm content in a more supportive role. She never intended to be a leader. That year, both lionesses produced new litters of three cubs each, both consisting of one male and two females. Siena gave birth to Red, Yaya and Dada in July 2012, and Charm followed suit a few months later with Tatu, Kito and Rembo (would be referred to as Kali and Cloudy Eye, respectively, in Big Cat Tales in the years to come). Later on that year, Bibi also produced what turned out to be her final surviving offspring, the female known as Kabibi, and Mapema also gave birth to a daughter known as Chemi. Mapema remarkably happened to start breeding when she was under three-year-old. The breeding success of that year combined with the strong coalition of the Musketeers protecting the pride meant that the good times had returned. However, the lionesses who had split off were not so lucky. White Eye had vanished soon after, with some sources suggesting she could have been added to the list of casualties from spearing. Joy had moved to the Talek area of the Mara with her offspring but later, disappeared without a trace. The loss of Joy meant the Three Graces were now down to two but the sacrifice she made was not in vain, as Matajo would eventually become the dominant male of the Purungat Pride (and is most likely the father of Half Tail, who is now preoccupying with the position of pride male in the Marsh Pride on his own along with his coalition partner Logol).

Red (above) and Tatu (below) enjoyed a relatively longer staying period in the pride due to the absence of pride males

Photo Credit: BBC

  In 2014, after a couple of years of relative peace and prosperity, the Musketeers abandoned the Marsh Pride to explore new territories elsewhere, and eventually took over Paradise Pride, the Marsh lion's southern neighbours. BBC's trendsetting feature on the Marsh Pride in Dynasties significantly captures these harsh moments of their lives. The departure of the Four Musketeers meant the pride was left without any dominant male. Therefore, the increased pressure and responsibility was on the shoulders of Siena and Charm particularly with the task of being mothers, providers and protectors. This was only made more difficult with new litters of cubs being born that year. Once again, Siena gave birth to one male and two females known as Topknot, Little Red and Spot. Meanwhile, Charm gave birth to a male known as Alan and a female known as Alanis. In mid of 2014, problems for the pride intensified when Siena was mortally gored by a buffalo during a hunt which left her with serious open wounds on her hindquarters. Vets responded quickly and treated Siena, who was then able to recover and rejoin the pride. Due to the severity of the injury, without this intervention, it was unlikely that Siena would have survived. Late 2014 also saw Mapema, Sila, Kini, Lippy and Jicho break off from the pride along with the sub-adult daughter of Lippy known as Akili. They were now living much like a splinter group, highlighting the issue of the optimum numbers of lionesses that a pride can behold.

Above: Two of the Breakaway Females – Lippy and Sila with cubs

Photo Credit: Peter Rettig

Below: The new bunch of adolescents in Marsh Pride 

Photo Credit: BBC

  2015 was another turbulent year for the Marsh Pride, which drastically changed the overall dynamics. The core pride was now made up of Siena and Charm, young adult males Red and Tatu and the five cubs — Little Red, Spot, Topknot, Alan and Alanis. Kito also remained and provided some much-needed help in terms of hunting and babysitting duties. Meanwhile, Bibi had formed a separate splinter group along with Yaya, Dada, Rembo, Kabibi and Chemi, the daughter of Mapema. Siena and Charm were both performing admirably to keep the pride functioning until Siena was injured again, this time as a result of a fight with rival lions. Her old wound reopened and she was forced to spend time on the sidelines whilst she recovered, with Charm stepping up and leading from the front in her absence, which she never intended. Reserved and calm, Charm was always content with her supportive role. In December 2015, the Marsh Pride happened to take down livestock from a nearby Maasai village. The inevitable was grimmer. The herdsmen retaliated by poisoning the carcass, and when the lions returned, eight of them were severely inflicted. However, it happened to be a well-intended poisoning incident at the end of the year which really amplified the struggles of the Marsh Pride. Bibi, Alan and Siena were victims of the horrific event which left the pride on the brink of collapse. The last trace of the Golden Four was now disappeared with the demise of Bibi, who was seventeen at that point, a senior by lion standard. With Siena now gone, the very survival of the pride was dependant on Charm.

Alan, Charm's son (born in 2014) heavily inflicted by the action of poisoning, did not have much strength to follow the rest; Charm had to move on with the other members to keep the pride well and alive

Photo Credit: BBC

  The last remaining member of the Three Graces adopted Topknot, Little Red and Spot and, was now left with the monumental task of raising the cubs and providing for the pride with only the support of Kito. The new regime got off to the worst start possible when Alanis was lost to hyenas whilst fighting over a kill. However, change was on the horizon. Due to the continued absence of dominant males, Red and Tatu had overstayed with the pride, providing an extra muscle, but as they turned four-year-old, it was time for them to leave the pride. When they did finally depart in mid-2016, the younger Topknot followed and this coalition of three would eventually enjoy a brief period of dominance in the Lemek Conservancy. Dynasties records one spectacular altercation as Red was found caught amidst a huge clan of hyenas, finding him out in the jaws of utter risk. It was only the intervention of Tatu that saved his day, emphasising the fact of how formidable just a pair of male lions could be.

 New Dawn in the Marsh: Karibu (above; also known as Askari) and Rafiki (below; also known as Mpole), the new pride males

Photo Credit: BBC

 One morning in May 2016 in the Marsh. Some unfamiliar roars were heard by the residents. It belonged to the new males. A final flicker of hope for the shattered existence of the Marsh Pride. In late 2016, two new males are known as Rafiki and Karibu (would be referred to as Askari and Mpole, respectively, in Big Cat Tales) entered Marsh territory and filled the vacancy of dominant males. This also coincided with the return of Dada, Rembo and Kabibi to the main Marsh Pride, whereas Yaya and Chemi were unable to do so as they had young cubs to nurture. Charm had navigated through the most difficult of periods and could now turn her attention to rebuilding the pride with the males. Sophie Darlington sums up:

On a long project like this, there's a real luxury. And, the luxury is you get to know the individuals. They are different to each other; some sit and follow, others watch, some are into everything. Some are funny, some are really stupid. [...] You begin to care for, you can't help it. Charm, she is what a lion should be. She's a provider, she's a mother. She looks after cubs that aren't her own. She's the matriarch, she is the dame!

DOP Sophie Darlington and cameraman John Aitchison – the crux of the project of Dynasties

Photo Credit: BBC

The rendering attained its soul with the lively presentation of Sir David Attenborough 

Photo Credit: BBC

  With Rafiki coupling up with Charm, and Karibu having a courtship with Kito, the future of the Marsh Pride seemed bright. This prediction turned out to be even more luminous when Charm gave birth to two healthy cubs, whom she tucked at the base of a fallen tree, known as Dave's tree. The pride males seemed to have enjoyed the company of their young heirs. In fact, they happened to be their first-ever lineage of cubs. The lions of the Marsh Pride was again going to show their tenacity, action and resilience in the years to come.

Charm's integration with the new males eventually lit up the beacon of a new thread in the Marsh Pride in the form of Charm's new litter – the pride's next generation

Photo Credit: BBC

Credits

The Truth About Lions (2011)

Acknowledgement

Jean Hartley

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Annick Mitchell

Dr Anna Mosser

Narok County Council

Serengeti Lion Project

James Sindiyo

Colin Smit

Scientific Adviser

Dr Craig Packer

Photography

Mark MacEwen

Warren Samuels

Jo Charlesworth

Sound Recordist

Andy Hawley

Archive

Dr Jean Clottes

French Ministry of Culture

And Communication

Skyworks

Film Editor

Nick Carline

Online Editor

Franz Ketterer

Colourist

Tony Osborne

Dubbing Editor

David Yapp

Dubbing Mixer

Jonathan Jenkins

Original Music

David Poore

Graphic Design

Burrel Durrant Hifle

Production Team

Chris Brennan

Paul Kirui

Ross Samuels

Wilson Wemali

Script Editor

Phil Chapman

Production Co-ordinator

Jo Fletcher

Production Manager

Lynn Barry

Researcher

Sophie Lanfear

Executive Producer

Sara Ford

Producer

Colin Jackson

...

Dynasties (2018)

Acknowledgement

The Drivers and Staff of Governor's Camp, Maasai Mara

Patrick Musiza Isaiga

Moses Manduku

Harrison Nampaso

Mussa Lekwale

Patrick Beresford

Dominic Grammaticas

Ben Simpson

Narok County Government

Brian Heath

Justin Heath and Mara North Conservancy

Nigel Adams

Produced and Directed by

Simon Blakeney

Director of Photography

Sophie Darlington

Photography

John Aitchison

Specialist Camera

Mark MacEwen

Luke Barnett

David McKay

Field Guide

Sammy Munene

Dave Breed

Tash Breed

Film Editor

Dave Pearce

Colourist

Simon Bland

Dubbing Mixer

Graham Wild

Sound Editor

Kate Hopkins

Graphic Design

Mick Connaire

Production Team

Nick Smith-Baker

Adelean Coade

Diary Film Editors

Kirsty Emery

Robin Lewis

Music Composed by

Benji Morrison

Will Slater

Music Editor

Dan Brown

Music Performed by

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

Researcher

Louis Rummer-Downing

Production Co-ordinator

Lisa Sibbald

Production Manager

Alison Brown-Humes

BBC Commissioning Editor

Tom McDonald

Series Producer

Rupert Barrington

Executive Producer

Michael Gunton

In Memory of

Jean Hartley and Tash Breed

KAMLI

We just set off from the rest house. The sun has not risen yet. While driving on the jungle trail, Jairaj, our guide, instantly held back Bhanu, our driver. The jeepsy was driven backwards. To the left, there happened to be fresh pugmarks of a tiger. Jairaj told us to keep silence, and be on the lookout. Not even a couple of minutes has been passed, an adult female just emerged on the route and swingingly moved towards the left. "That's Kamli," Jairaj whispered. She is the empress of the very patch of wilderness where we have set off to catch up with tigers on this trip.

(Translated from an article by Debdoot Ghosh Thakur, published in "Rabibasoriyo", Anandabazar Patrika, 17 November 2019)

"My domain, my right": Kamli snarling at the tourists, assembled to see her in a safari

Photo Credit: Jairaj Singh Parihar 

OVER THE last few years, I have been tremendously enjoying the chances of getting the interactions with people, related to the vast domain of wildlife and conservation and, one such occasion happened to occur on 18 November 2018 – on the day of the fourth series of Wildlife Awareness Rally in Kolkata when I got to know Jairaj Singh Parihar. Amiable and entirely committed to his concerns, he is an ace naturalist and a conservation worker in Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh. During a short break before my presentation, we had been enjoying a hearty conversation on Kamli the tigress. Kamli. A name that sufficiently tells about herself — from her ruptured early days as a small cub to a graceful adult, who turned out to be a matriarch of the park in recent days. Recalling my novice days as an enthusiast who used to collect the paper cuttings on several wildlife coverages from popular Bengali and English dailies, I was just piecing together her family dynasty. Now, she has turned out to be the matriarch of the park but the initiation of life that she endured, is awe-striking and inspiring. Here is her story. Today on the auspicious occasion of International Tigers Day, let us be on the trail of Kamli.

The legendary Kankatti, the mother of Kamli, captured just a month before her death

Photo Credit: Gudda, Sr. Naturalist of Kings Lodge/ Pugdundee Safaris

  It all started when Vijaya, Kamli's mother, was defending her young family laying her life on the line to protect her cubs from an unwelcome male intruder. The tourists, who are innately associated with Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, fondly called her Kankatti, meaning "the torn ear" in Hindi. To know Kamli intimately, first we will be commemorating Kankatti's life. She happened to be an extraordinary fighter. Born in 2007 to Jhurjhura Female named Durga, and fathered by Bokha, Kankatti was one of the legacy bearers of Bandhavgarh's renowned matriarch, Sita, representing the beacon of the fourth generation in Sita's lineage (Born in April 2002, Durga was one of the daughters of Pyari, also known as Chakradhara Female or Chakraa, one of the cubs from Sita's last litter from September 1996). It was the time of December 2010, when a savage territorial takeover occurred. At that time, the famous Chakradhara and Sidhbaba area was dominated by Lakshmi, Durga's sister. Since she developed a limp in her right hind leg, she was frequently called Langrhi, meaning "the limping one" in Hindi. Her two cubs, fathered by Bamera, were under a year old, and were entirely dependent on her. A little did Langrhi realised at that point that her apparently peaceful family frame was about to be upside-down. Leaving her natal territory at Rajbehra, Kankatti decided to move into Chakradhara. The altercation was inevitable. The first fight between Langrhi and Kankatti was taken place in January 2011. Inexperienced, Kankatti lost the battle and immediately backed down. But it was a submission, displayed only to embolden her massive determination to come back and try her luck yet again. Three months later in March 2011, Kankatti returned to Chakradhara. What happened next, was probably beyond everyone's imagination. In that terrible fight, Langrhi was killed and later on, Kankatti was found devouring some of the body parts of Langrhi – a graphical illustration of cannibalism in tigers was caught in the lenses probably for the first time! This was a terrible shock to everyone's eyes for sure.

The Hope for Future: A bird's-eye perspective of Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve 

Photo Courtesy: Amitabha Guha

  Despite losing the left eye and having a torn ear in her previous battle with Langrhi, Kankatti turned out to be unstoppable. Gradually, she became the undisputed queen of Chakradhara. Langrhi's cubs sought refuge in the Kithauli zone, where they were provided with meals by the park authorities. Kankatti was settled down in Chakradhara and, gifted the park with her first litter of three cubs – two females and a male – in September 2011, fathered by Bamera. They literally became the real bonanza of the park. Everyone coming to Bandhavgarh wanted to see this flourishing family. Sadly, this picture of contentment was shattered immediately after a few months when her two female cubs were killed by an invading male, unknown to everyone. Her male cub (later named Mr X, or Chhota Bamera) fled. In early 2014, Kankatti once again became a mother. Again three cubs were born – one male and two females as per the reports. It seemed that her battle with Langrhi was chronicled as a matter of bygone days and everything was pretty settled. No sooner than Kankatti managed to renovate the familial peace, another storm blew a massive punch. In order to save her cubs from the same invading male who killed the two cubs of her first litter, she once again put herself in a risky fight against the invader. This time, the consequence was grimmer. She died. The cause was the massive wounds, inflicted by the male. Furthermore, her male cub from this litter to found dead nearby, almost certainly killed by the new intruder. Her cubs were five-month-old, completely depended on her when the massacre took place. There was no question of survival on their own. When the surviving two cubs were rescued from a den site, they were absolutely shocked and terrified by the doldrums. A vet was called and the health condition of the cubs were thoroughly examined. Unfortunately, it was too late for one of the little females. Soon after the medical check-up, she passed away.

A Close Monitoring: Forest elephants on their regular patrolling 

Photo Credit: Amitabha Guha

  Our survivor was kept in an enclosure of 0.25 hectares. That happened to be her destiny until she was ready to cope with the independent life. Since the lone female had lost her mother, she was deprived of all the essential basics of hunting lessons that the cubs usually learn from their mother during the course of hunting. She was fed by the park conservancy with chicken and buffalo meat; occasionally with milk, supplemented with vitamin and essential nutritional elements. Gradually, she was turning out to be a promising adolescent. In the meantime, the authorities were concerned with the issue of finding out a befitting home for her along with a new escort. The undertakings went on according to the planning. To everyone's sheer joy, the news of a potential mate came, the beaconing prospect at Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve, just 150 kilometres away from her old home, Bandhavgarh.

Kamli on a cold wintery morning, checking out her territory 

Photo Credit: Jairaj Singh Parihar 

  Sanjay National Park (Guru Ghasidas National Park) happens to be a national park in the Koriya district of Chhattisgarh and Sidhi and Singrauli districts of Madhya Pradesh. It covers an area of 466.657 sq km (180.177 sq mi) and, is a part of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve. It is located in the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests ecoregion. All of the Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve used to be in Madhya Pradesh before Chhattisgarh was carved out of it in 2000. A large part of this 1,440 sq km (560 sq mi) area is now located in Chhattisgarh, which was renamed Guru Ghasidas National Park by the Government of Chhattisgarh. The Tiger Reserve comprises Sanjay National Park and the Dubri Wildlife Sanctuary, both of which cover more than 831 sq km, and are located in Sidhi District. The area, with its large size and rich biodiversity, is well-known. It is preoccupied with sal, bamboo and mixed forests. According to an official census of Madhya Pradesh carried out in 2004, Sanjay National Park had six tigers. Now, however, the new home for the upcoming feline jewel was nearly set up near the Kajra lake. She was brought to her new destination – to the heart of the park in February 2016. Erstwhile, there used to be a village but now it was duly relocated, making the room for the rich habitat, ideal for the tigers and the other species. The speciality of the enclosure was its bifurcated areas that are divided into the inner zone and the outer space quite distinctly. It is widely said that one cannot literally figure out whether or not there was any distinction between the two areas of the enclosure. The spotted deer were used to be pushed inside the core zone of the enclosure so that the tigress might be able to maximise her hunting lessons by flexing her muscles.

Lookout: Kamli making sure of the proximity of her small cubs, followed by Karnavat, also known as Barka Deo

Photo Credit: Sayantan Dey 

  It turned out to be a daily happening of entering the prey into the area of the tigress, but none of the efforts seemed to enable her for launching an ambush. Initially, she used to be much afraid of the adult stags who could eventually injure her with the stouty antlers of theirs. On the third day of this strategic development, one of the forest officials passionately screamed: "Charge Kamli, charge!" She slipped. Kamli made no mistake on the fourth day. No sooner than a fawn made an entrance into the area, she got accelerated by its presence. She got herself shrunken to a stalking gesture, as if, we all were witnessing a wild behavioural display of a predatory instinct. She grabbed the fawn by its throat. Kamli's first kill was more than a meal, it was a triumph. A triumph that showed that she was eminently capable in hunting down prey on her own; a victory for the authorities, because for the first time in the wild, a tigress nurtured in captivity became able to prove herself to be fully capable of leading a wild and unfathomed life. Within three months or so, Kamli was entirely ready to push her luck. On 18 October 2016, she was released to the park – after two and a half years of captivity, she was set free. That was the commencing point of yet another legacy of tiger dynasty. Mr Veerbhadra Singh Parihar joined as a Forest Range Officer in Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve just a few months before Kamli's release. Coincidentally, she was released just a day before his birthday. On 19 October 2016, he, along with a handful of well-wishers happened to celebrate his birthday on a machan (a wooden structure like a watchtower for a lookout of the surrounding). At about 1:00 am, when Kamli was seen sitting underneath it, an innate bond was developed between Mr Parihar and her. He has named her Kamli, primarily because of two reflective attachments. In Hindi, the word 'kamal' designates 'the lotus'. Kamli was bearing a lotus-like formation of stripes on her right flank. Alongside that, since she was highly regarded by him as a precious birthday gift from Mother Nature herself, the name Kamli simultaneously turned out to be an echo of his mother Mrs Kamala Singh Parihar. With a glorious emotional essence, christening her turned out to be a humble tribute to his mother too. What a fantastic coordination of happenings!

Like Mother, Like Son: Barka Deo spending his time with Kamli and her second litter of cubs in Route 1

Photo Credit: Sayantan Dey

  A year passed on. Kamli is now designated as T11. A new era dawned in Sanjay-Dubri with her — Kamli's era. On 1 June 2017, she was discovered nurturing her three newborns – one male and two females. As the time passed, the cubs grew up with their mother's tender loving care, and with the bold protection of their father, officially known as T5. Sitting here remotely, and compassionately receiving the news from several corners, known and unknown, I was just about to discover yet another fascinating sights one can hardly imagine! Nilanjan Roy Chowdhury, Sayantan Dey and Late Amitabha Guha – three passionate hearts, who are quite close to being, set out for Sanjay-Dubri in October 2019 along with a handful of other escorts from the close constellation. Already we have received the news that Kamli has given birth to her second litter on 3 March 2019. This time, there are four cubs – three females and a male. By now, they should be seven-month-old. Framing the full family of mother and the cubs were going to be a real treat, we thought. With his keen observational skills and sheer guiding capacity, Jairaj Ji soon tracked down the entire family, proudly prowling on the horizon of Route 1. One bonus was there to be embraced. There is a great sense of integration in the big cats of having the birthplace of the cubs selected quite assuredly, a hardwired response of securing the prospect of the new generation. Kamli used to select the same zone in Route 2 for having her own cubs, where the erstwhile territory holder of the area used to give birth. Moreover, perhaps in order to put a healthy distance between the two litters of cubs, as well as to avoid some inevitable territorial disputes, Kamli never let her litters step out of the specific zones as long as they used to hang out with her. The bonus that our acquaintances got was Karnavat, the male cub from Kamli's first litter; fondly known as Barka Deo by the guides and the drivers, meaning 'the elderly god'. He stepped out of his natal range as the male tigers usually do to put a distance between their birthplace and them to avoid inbreeding. Here in this case, however, Barka Deo had not only stepped out of his horizon, rather, he was very much hanging out with his mother and younger brothers and sisters. Occasionally, he was seen performing the act of babysitting when Kamli was out for hunting. Not so long ago, witnessing a wonderful capture by Nilanjan Roy Chowdhury, featuring Kamli, her two cubs along with Barka Deo in the auspicious evening of the eighth day of Navaratri, or, to say it otherwise, the evening of Mahashtami of Durga Puja was really something special. It was 6 October 2019 and it happens to be my birthday. So, it took the sensational frame quite personally, as a presentation from Nature on my birthday in this case.

The Festive Contentment: Children during Navaratri in an adjacent village of Sanjay-Dubri 

Photo Credit: Amitabha Guha

  People are mostly acquainted with Dubri and frequently consider it to be the entire tiger reserve. There are actually four more zones here – Koilari, Giddha, Bastua and Machmahua — all these are less known for having the sighting of tigers. Although, these are the areas that represent the rich biodiversity of the landscape which is equivalent to that of Dubri. As speculators, we are fortunate enough to witness the success story of Kamli in the rich domain. It is quite a paradoxical gesture for some of us to commemorate the iconic day like the International Tigers Day, and to have an emphasis on the species only, unwittingly having no regard for the ecosystem or the habitat that is eventually beholding the tigers. There lies an innately proper-hoc connection between the big cats and their habitats, having which oblivious may lead to a partial success of the notion of commemoration. It is indeed time to keep aside the photogenicity of the felines. 

Kamli and Barka Deo on the trail with some of the spotted deer cautiously observing them

Photo Credit: Jairaj Singh Parihar 

Only venturing out on the trail of a newly estimating province like Sanjay-Dubri, we may actually understand the ratio of the pressure on lands from our part and the acquirability of the big predators. There are a number of villages still inhabiting there in the adjacent area of the park failing to rehabilitate which would eventually lead to a massive confrontation. The sincere statistical observations of 2017-2018 seasonal visits prove that the revenue of tourism happens to increase after the relocation of Kamli in Sanjay-Dubri. Whereas the number of safaris in late 2017 happened to be confined within thirty-two, the subsequent seasons of early and late 2018 (pre-monsoonal and post-monsoonal) turned out to be the increased figure of one hundred and seventy-two and four hundred. It all happened due to the magnificent presence of Kamli. Recently, after getting shifted from Bandhavgarh, one of her daughters from the second litter has been released in Mohan Range alongside a young male from Katni. People are eventually drawn towards these massive predators and, of course, in a wider spectrum, they are keeping the thread of the reciprocation of tourism quite substantially. As we always use to recall in our discussions and commemorations, our fundamental initiation of watching an animal gradually turns out to be an integration with the individual. Kamli's story is something that pronouncedly justifies the notion. Of late, we have got the news that Kamli has recently been seen with her third litter of cubs since March this year. Three cubs are there this time. We still are not quite sure about how many of them are males and how many females. Hope to catch up with them very soon.

The Frame of Contentment: Kamli's story eventually turned out to be a successful anecdote of tiger conservation in India; with her older cubs grown up and new litters under her nurturance, her designation as the mother of the park is fully justified

Photo Credit: Sayantan Dey 

Dedicated to the loving memories of Amitabha Guha, our beloved Ujaan Pathik, whose concerns for nature in general and about tigers in particular, have been making my rendering on this iconic commemoration special one for so many years; and his essence will be nurturing our concerns for our surroundings forever ...

IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BIG CAT PEOPLE

 

One of Honey's cubs from her second litter (born in September 2003) investigating the filming vehicle in early 2005. This shot eventually turned out to be the cover page of Jonathan and Angela Scott's Stars of Big Cat Diary (Evan Mitchell Books, 2009)

Photo Credit: Angela Scott 

I sincerely hope that everything that we've been lucky enough to witness for the past ten years, goes on, more or less unchanged for the next ten, and the ten after that, and the ten after that. [...] I don't think we need to get on a soapbox to say there's an important conservation message in Big Cat, I think that is inherent in the amount of care, attention and emotional investment that we and I believe, the audience has given to the individual creatures that we followed — I hope so.

— Simon King

We have a unique situation here, which is that for the last ten years, BBC have been following known cats and their family dynasty... a very few selected handful of scientists has the privilege of being able to do. It's part-entertainment but on the other side, it has a real value, which is making people care about the animals and hopefully, helping to conserve them in a long run.

— Saba Douglas-Hamilton

I mean who wouldn't be thrilled, when people come up to us as we drive around and say, 'Hey, you know why we're here? We're here because of Big Cat Diary. We heard about Maasai Mara through your television programme! ' Now, that means we're helping to protect the wildlife because the revenue of tourism is so important to countries like Kenya in maintaining the areas such as this, and keeping them free, keeping them wild.

— Jonathan Scott

SUMMED UP the three presenters in Big Cat Diary: The Big Story (2005). Now, it is time for the lights to be turned off, and the cameras to stop rolling. For the moment at least. Nine parts of The Majestic Saga is drawing to an end. An end, in terms of its spatiotemporal range and activities. Big Cat was not recommissioned again. Viewers from different corners of the world raised their voices through social media to appeal to bringing the show back. It would take a few more years for yet another fantastic resurrection of the big cat legacy. We will be certainly cherishing those moments too here on The Wild Tales: Secrets of Sylvan Eyes. For the time being, keeping all the notes and scribblings, the primary and the secondary materials preserved and aside for the moment, let me share with you a flashback. Down memory lane, let us be back in those days when the seed of paying a humble tribute to my most desired show was first germinated.

The Leopard's Tale (Bradt, 1985, reprinted in 2013) by Jonathan and Angela Scott — one of the refined accounts of sharing the time and space with the ultimate big cats of contrast

  Over the years I have been highly enchanted by the ethos of the show. It is not just a nature documentary, not only a wildlife soap — it happens to be a life lesson for those people around the world, who love to share their company with these supremely enigmatic creatures. Solo's tough determination to hold on to his patch of ground amidst all his bigger cousins, Duma's venturing on the uncharted realm of independence, Bibi's commitment as a mother, Shadow and Bella's slinky and mysterious hide and seek – a coat with dappled rosettes moving through the bushes — all sensibly render their impact on the growth of the mind. As I said, not only speculating the wildlife, it is, rather, acquiring some essence of life to live.

Instances from the television pages of Anandabazar Patrika, one of the leading Bengali dailies featuring the broadcasts of Big Cat Diary on Animal Planet — some humble replica of my earlier investments of interest in the programme

  Ever since I first started taking notes on the background and several information of the show, I always had a thought in my mind to render a homage to the programme with a lofty sense of regard for those people, who have been associated with it. Twelve years – from 1996 to 2008 – happen to be quite a long temporal span. As Jonathan Scott said in The Big Story: "I've grown old with Big Cat Diary. You know, ten years [as recorded in 2005] — that's a long time not just in television, that's a long time in your life." Finally, I dared to etch my endeavour on the show in July 2012, coinciding with an occasion of our classes on biology, featuring evolution. I was a student of the 10th standard then. Fortunately, Anandabazar Patrika, one of the leading Bengali magazines too upheld the broadcast of the show from time to time in one of their dedicated television pages, as you can see here in this interface, causing much to my initial incentives. Those were the days of weekly waiting to watch even the repeat broadcasts on the screen. The raw, green passion! The Majestic Saga turned out to be a journey from viewing the series to chew the secondary materials; a transition from taking down the notes to penning down the renderings; a metamorphosis from being just an audience to one of the crusaders who care about conservation.

I first have a chance to interact with Jonathan Scott last year on 10 October on a live session, conducted by Parimal Deshpande on behalf of Earth is Our Witness, featuring the experience of The Big Cat People in the Mara with the legendary Marsh Pride of lions and the other felines — that was the initiation, now I feel immensely fortunate to have the explanations of my queries on big cats from him, "The Big Cat Man" of the heart! 

  The series collection was duly completed in 2019, not so long ago. From the television screen recordings, done in a 2-megapixel camera to the proliferated arrangement of the series and the snippets on a hard disk — all are the essence that eventually resonates my passion for Big Cat Diary. If there happens to be one programme that has made me obsessed over the years, it is Big Cat. I have been fortunate enough to have interactions with a number of passionate hearts, who, over the years, have backed me up with immense incentive and content. Conveying my heartfelt gratitude to Victoria Garcia for incorporating me in the profoundly conservation-based forum called BIGCATFANZ in 2012. She happens to be a real storehouse of several uncommon and least seen photographs of our big cat stars, and I have tried my best to ornate my rendering, namely, Big Cat Diary: The Majestic Saga, although, several frames could not be used here due to the stipulated space.

A few glimpses of the permission of using the incorporated shots in the article. Although, the deliberations on Big Cat Tales are yet to arrive here on this platform.

  Thanks to the guide and presenter Jackson Ole Looseyia for his kind concern and enlightening backups. I will be cherishing in my hearts forever those moments of conversation between us regarding the integration of Maasai culture and wildlife. Thanks to all the photographers mentioned here as the contributors of this super long write-up. And above all, to my most pleasurable fulfilment, having the introduction with Jonathan Scott, my godfather of wildlife; first through their dedicated Facebook page, Jonathan and Angela Scott, and then in person in one of the live sessions on Marsh lions, has made my dream true by adding the most precious topaz on the furnished trail of my speculations on Big Cat and the spectacular Maasai Mara. I have never been returned vacant after presenting my queries to him. Humbly dedicating this rendering to Jonathan and Angela Scott – The Big Cat People. The little notion of presentation that I ever managed to learn, is due to their elegant way of explicating the heart of the matter. As Chris Packham pens down: "Great naturalists are rare but when they are superb storytellers and exceptional photographers, they are unique ..." It is a crusade of survival for the big cats, for our wonderful biodiversity and for the fast-disappearing landscape that beholds us. How they turn out to be the victor, that is the real story.

My collection of some of the legendary works of Jonathan Scott, still, there is more to be added to the list:

1. The Leopard's Tale (Bradt, 1985 and 2013 reprint)

2. The Big Cat Diary- A Year in the Masai Mara (BBC, 1996)

3. Big Cat Diary Lion (Harper Collins, 2002)

4. Big Cat Diary Leopard (Harper Collins, 2003)

5. Big Cat Diary Cheetah (Harper Collins, 2005)

6. Stars of Big Cat Diary (Evan Mitchell Books, 2009)

7. The Big Cat Man: An Autobiography (Bradt, 2016)