FEARFUL SYMMETRY

Fearful Symmetry: To Blake's 'Burning Bright' in a Crucial Juncture

- Pratik Mahapatra

Oh Dear Tiger, 'Burning Bright'

Is it your forest of the night?

Piercing, twisting pairs of eyes

Stealthy blow in your 'fearful symmetry!'

Scratching the greens, thudding the sky —

I can hear the threads of spy!

On what gem 'dare he aspire?'

How on earth is he seizing the fire?

In which prospect, in which art

Could you spare your golden heart?

A trembling lust just 'began to beat.'

With which thunder will come your feat?

Hammering, shivering fates - so chained!

Little to wonder, so much gained. 

Rays to prosper? A deadly grasp!

Tiger jungle in the clasp.

Still when thought will mark its spears

Still some bowers, still some tears.

Will soul let it happen to see?

Till the last breathe, promise we —

Oh Dear Tiger, 'Burning Bright'

It's YOUR forest of the night.

With your grace, with passion high

Grumbling fate we must defy.

— A 3:00 am aesthetic? Just don't know. Yestereve in my previous flashback on last year's write-up on the International Tigers Day, I was in a state of flux — whether or not there would be a rendering from my end this year. A couple of minutes ago, daringly I tried to manifest the pull at the heartstrings by attempting a humble shadowing (I won't call it a parody, nobody will perhaps) of William Blake's "Tyger" from Songs of Experience (1794). Perceivers are requested to be considerate towards some of the unsymmetric gests of metrical scheme. One may see it to be a monologue, asking the tiger about its uncertain faith. Yet an unseen tinge of commitment is never to be missed out. Unfolding the heart's child of this year's Tigers Day for you warm embracement. Dedicating this humble rendering to Rajarshi Uncle (Rajarshi Banerji), whom I always silently look up for his scintillating compositions on tigers and wildlife, and his heart-warming thoughts. My warm regards to you. And to all of us who love this majestic feline, let there be a really, really luminous prospect! Featured one is Naina (KTR T75) from Kanha Tiger Reserve, scanning her domain, back in January 2018.

Original Text:

TYGER 

BY WILLIAM BLAKE 

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 

In the forests of the night; 

What immortal hand or eye, 

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies. 

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat.

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp.

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears 

And water'd heaven with their tears:

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,

In the forests of the night:

What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

THE CHAMELEON DIARY (30 JUNE 2022)

RARELY DOES one get a chance to serve Nature, and when destiny chooses us for her own sake, magic happens. I have been associated with a dedicated nature study camp called Prakriti Paather Pathshala here at Tamluk, East Midnapore for nearly a decade, and have conducted many sessions with the school kids to help them identify birds, butterflies and other faunal and floral diversity. This is where I first derived the sap of maxim that enables one to assess and understand the significance of animal rescue operations and their apt relocation. 

  It all started when I received a phone call from Aranya, one of my students stating that an Indian chameleon has been located and protected by some of the residents of a suburb area called Nimtouri. A native species, the Indian chameleon (Chamaeleo zeylanicus) is a species of chameleon, usually found in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and other parts of South Asia. Like other chameleons, this species has a long tongue, feet that are shaped into bifid claspers, a prehensile tail, independent eye movement, and the ability to change skin colour. They move slowly with a bobbing or swaying movement and are usually arboreal. Strangely, they do not choose the background colour and may not even be able to perceive colour differences. They are usually in shades of green or brown or with bands. They can change colour rapidly and the primary purpose of colour change is for communication with other chameleons and for controlling body temperature by changing to dark colours to absorb heat. 

  When they tried to communicate with the local Forest Department, there was not any reciprocal gest to be cherished from their end. Previously I happened to conduct a few more rescues and treatments and from time to time, there was an urgency to bridge up with the officials for the sake of better accommodation for the animal. Like every time they have done in the past, the department officials rather preferred to take an indifferent stance, letting alone the situation in a state of flux, having no promising resolution at all. One of my close acquaintances suggested that I should be choosing a preferable area for the lizard to set it free since the forest officials' response might not be trusted with ample conviction. Having a fixed direction in my mind, I went to the spot and collected the scintillating reptile in an enclosure, and subsequently set it free in one of my neighbouring areas where the biodiversity is rich enough and the chameleon is sure to be substantiated by an ample supply of his kind of prey base and sanctuary. The joy of accompanying it turned out to be a real marker of my day and as I said, these are the rare moments presented to us to convey our best to preserve the valuable eco-jewels that we are having.

VANDE MATARAM: THE SAGA OF AN UNSUNG EMPRESS

“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. You are connected to your child and to all those who touch your lives. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”

— Sophia Loren

Patrolling the Homeland

Photo Credit: Omveer Choudhary

WHILE ADVANCING towards our destination in Kanha in January 2018, as I can can remember – Deepak Ganguly, my fellow voyager and ardent tiger lover, urged that we should be definitely paying a visit to Pench while standing at the entrance point of the reserve for a much-needed break. With the cordial hospitality of Omveer Choudhary, an ace guide and one of our friends who shares the same bower of passion for these extreme big cats, we managed to have the evening shift of safari to have a look around in the domain of Mataram, the very aptly attributed Super Mom of Pench. Though we happened to be warmly greeted by a leopard that evening and two adolescent tiger cubs offered a glimpse of their presence, we turned out to be devoid from the graceful fortune of witnessing the regal patrolling of Mataram in her territorial patch. Since 1990s, when the age of Bandhavgarh and Kanha, as well as some other prominent tiger reserves of Central India dominated the scenario, when very few knew about Pench, it was her for whom the forests of Seoni was relevant at world stage again. She reigned supreme as the Super Mom of Pench, and made the tiger reserve blossom into realty. Love and respect for her can also be realised from the reciprocation that is perceived at the moment of her sad demise. Even at the age of 17, she did not have any major injuries and succumbed only to her old age proves that her authority across the territory was also undisputed – indeed, a special one! This is her story. 

  The Tender Grip: Mataram carrying one of her tiny cubs

Photo Credit: Prashant Saini

  Supposedly, in the wildlife history of India it has never been heard of a tigress giving birth to twenty-nine cubs in a span of twelve years or so! This is the story of Mataram of Pench Tiger Reserve, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. History started to be chronicled in 2005 when she was born to Barhi Maada on whom the tripartite documentary film Tiger: Spy in the Jungle (2008) was made by BBC Natural History Unit, directed by John Downer (concerning whom, I can remember a verbal dispute with an infamous wildlife-based Bengali magazine), and narrated by the Sir David Attenborough. Nobody knew at that time that she will be a legend in the making – motherhood personified. She is one of the reasons for the increasing tiger population in the domain of the Satpura landscape. Of twenty-nine cubs, twenty-six have survived till date. 

 The Genesis of the Pioneer: Barhi Maada or T5 on a lookout

Photo Credit: BBC

  It all started in September 2005 when some Mahavats spotted a tiger family of five in the Adjalmata area under Karmajhri Range. At that time the cubs (two females and two males) were only 1-week-old, and Barhi Maada used to carry them in her mouth from one place to another for safety. What a beautiful glimpse of motherhood indeed!  When the cubs were around a year old, the mother started training her cubs for the survival and once the same was noticed by a patrolling team which astonished them. Barhi Maada bought a chital fawn which was hurt in the forelimb and could not run away and kept it in front of the cubs. When one of the cubs approached it started making loud noises which scared away the cubs, the mother again got hold of the fawn and kept it near the cubs and the fawn again made loud noises on which the cubs ran away this went on for a while. Finally, one of the male cubs came forward and killed the fawn and started feasting on it gradually the other cubs joined in. This made the cub confident in making his kill and surviving. By the age of a coupe of years old, the cubs accompanied their mother and soon after, left their mother's home range, making their own territories. 

Stealthy Stalk: Barhi Maada approaching a small herd of chital (Above)

Photo Credit: BBC

Family Time: The adolescents enjoying the restful hours with their mother (Below)

Photo Credit: BBC

  The territory of Mataram was around the Alikata near Kalapahad-Sitaghat and her sister made her domain near the Baaghin Nala area, who, later on, came to be known as Baaghin Nala Tigress. However, Mataram was radio-collared on March 11, 2008, the first-ever radio-collaring to be done in Pench, upholding her to be bestowed with her famous name – Collarwali. At the age of two-and-a-half years, Mataram gave birth to her first litter in May 2008. Quite an early age to commence one's journey of commitment as a mother. Unlike many or her own kind, Mataram turned out to be the first-time mother in such a tender age of raw adolescence. She was sighted with one male and two female cubs in the Kalapahad area. Unfortunately, all the three cubs died of pneumonia. The second litter was spotted by Mahavats when they saw a tigress on a chital kill with her teats swelled. When they followed her in the region, they saw her calling her cubs and four beautiful cubs came out and started suckling. She had given birth to four cubs – three males and a female.

 Eyes on the Vicinity: Mataram with one of the sub-adults 

Photo Credit: Omveer Choudhary

  Her third litter was something to be reckoned with in the story in Pench in particular, and in the history of tiger conservation in general, when she was spotted with five cubs in October 2010 – one male and four female cubs. Out of the four females, one K5 was shifted to Panna in January 2014. She has given birth to three cubs in Panna glorifying the name of her mother. However  the cubs of the fourth litter were seen in May 2012 of one male and two females, later among these three cubs, one female was found dead in the Bijamata area in April 2013. The cubs of the fifth litter were sighted in October 2013. Three males all of which survived and during the last year they were the show stoppers in Pench as they were frequently sighted by tourists. One of the cubs of the fifth litter has been nicknamed as Chhota Charger after the ertswhile famous tiger Charger from Bandhavgarh because of his instincts of delivering mock charges and grumpy growling towards tourist gypsies. 

Cooling Off: Mataram on the move from one of her favourite resting spots

Photo Credit: Omveer Choudhary

  In January 2015, Mataram was spotted with bulge in the belly, and everyone awaited another litter. Finally, in April 2015, the patrolling team spotted her with four beautiful cubs – two males and two females. Since the opening of the season of 2016-17, it was noticed that Mataram was again pregnant and the entire fraternity was awaiting the good news of the record-breaking phenomenon of the birth of the cubs. She was spotted at end of December 2016, and all knew she had given birth to a seventh litter, but not even the forest team could locate her cubs at that point of time. However, in the beginning of January 2017, the forest patrolling team located four cubs of this litter. It was like a celebration in Pench on getting such a fantastic news. With this now she has given birth to twenty-six cubs which are world record in itself! But during March the news started coming in that only three cubs were being sighted regularly by the forest patrolling team, which definitely meant one of the cubs could not make it to the maturity. One of the tourists and die-heart Pench lover records his experience: 

Since the news of the seventh litter, I was eagerly waiting to get a glimpse of the cubs for the last four months and was alert on regular updates from the park. I was getting the report that she was keeping her cubs on the island on the Pench River which is her favourite place. As there were territorial disputes in the main  she kept her cubs at the island and when she sensed that now the danger is over, then around the first week of May she brought her cubs to the mainland. I still remember the day when I was inside the jungle for a safari and got the news that Mataram is with her cubs in the central area of the park, but alas by the time I reached there she went inside the lantanas with her cubs, and hardly any vehicles saw her other than the forest people — it was very disheartening for me but then n there decided to take chance next day morning safari. Placed our gypsy at 4:00 a.m. at the gate to enter first once inside drove straight to the area where she was last evening, waited for few minutes and crisscrossing the same area, suddenly a lone sambar call ... and my wife said there she has been walking like a queen. It was 6:15 a.m., she came out alone in the saucer and quenched her thirst – even while she was drinking her eyes were continuously surveying the area and then after 10 minutes again she vanished inside. Now we were sure she, along with her cubs was in that area. So we waited there all other gypsies went away as that day sightings were happening all across Pench but my target was only Mataram. Then around 8:10 a.m., I was standing on the Malkundam road when saw two forest guards running towards us, when they neared our gypsy said, "Sir, Mataram bachey lekar arahi hein." Hearing that I said them either to go to the centre point camp or board the gypsy on that they said that they would go to the camp from the backside. Within a few minutes after the guards went ten pairs of eyes on our gypsy were looking towards the direction and scanning the area and slowly the queen appeared from the bushes with her cubs. What a sighting it was for us! She came to the water saucer, and sat first and later on the three cubs came behind her to drink water, as it was the first day for her cubs in front of the world as a mother she continuously guarded the cubs, that day I saw what an experienced mother with previous twenty-two cubs do to rear her cubs. Till date, when I think of the moment get goosebumps and really we all felt crying after getting the first glimpse of the cubs!

Adieu: Mataram on her heavenly abode

Photo Courtesy: Tigers of Central India (Facebook)

  Mataram just happened to be the undisputed empress of Pench and she is an epitome of how a single individual can make a difference by making such a much-needed contribution to her gene pool. Sadly, a royal denizen of her stature, did not get that tinge of recognition like her species-cousin Machli from Ranthambore – something that I call Tiger Capitalism for good reasons. Machli is a name, which is known to all across the wildlife enthusiasts in the world, and claimed to be God Mother of Ranthambore with nine cubs, delivered in four litters – quite a justifiable reason. Should not we think that Mataram also should have been known to the wildlife fraternity of the world with the same enigma? She is one of the major factors for the tiger population not only in Pench, but the Satpura-Maikal landscape of central India as her cubs have been traced in Nagzira in Maharashtra, Satpura in Madhya Pradesh and in the corridors which are connected with Pench. Mataram's is a legacy that is the ultimate beacon of eternity, and without her, Pench will not be the same:

The last rays of the setting sun was bellowing a majestic abendrot across the meadows of the Seoni green. The magisterial set was royal and poetic. A silence ran through the vast plainfield of Mowgli's kingdom. Amidst all these imperial presence, the Queen bestowed her presence as she slowly trodded forward from behind the shal and teak forest into the open canvas. She was ready for her last act at the nature's grand stage. Out in the open, infront of a handful of awaiting visitors and jeeps she rested on her thrown with deep shy of relief as she let her last breadth echo across the green carpet. The entire ecosystem was let known that the Queen is no more. The greatest mother to ever grace the tiger kingdom, T 15, who went by multiple names such as Collarwali, Mataram, Super Mom, The Queen of Central India has finally gave in to her fading age after reigning supreme for more than 17 long years and breeding twenty-nine beautiful cubs in record eight litters. 

—  Arani Mukherjee, "Queen's Farewell"/  https://m.facebook.com/groups/993544600791448/permalink/2682879525191272/

The Lineage: A cladogram that represents Mataram's extended family tree

Illustration: Varun Thakkar

ONE PLANET: FOR THE COMING ONES 2022, SERIES 2

Big Cats – The most ambassadorial and most beloved of all the species. Sadly, they are listed as Threatened or Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, with the tiger like Machli (T 16) here from Ranthambhore, categorized as Endangered. 

They are not just the apex predators, they are the individuals – the essence. Come, let us rejoice with the ambrosia of their enigmatic legacy on this coming trail of temporality, with all the sincere wishes for 2022…

Photo Courtesy: Sandeep Aggarwal

 

Download the digital copy from here: One Planet – for the Coming Ones 2022, Series 2

Note: Access the link using your Google account. In case of any error, contact me in the following e-mail ID or phone number (WhatsApp) for the digital copy (absolutely free) —

📧  mahapatrapratik678@gmail.com

📞 +91 7602157355 

"In Memoriam," the tribute to Amitabha Guha, rendered by Dipanwita Rakshit

A JOURNEY was eventually commenced last year in the month of December to be evergreen in its flow. As far as I can remember, it took as many as eleven sittings to complete the first series of One Planet – for the Coming Ones. Meant to be the beholder of the essence of Amitabha Guha, our beloved Ujaan Pathik (the Upstream Voyager), One Planet rendered itself to be unique in its first appearance by incorporating holistically almost all the environmental days and weeks, supplemented by the information on special environmental years and decades as well. This time, however, the weaving of the series turned out to be completed within a conspicuous range of five sittings. 

  Destined to incorporate a number of conservation-based themes and ethos, this year's rendering of the series is essentially oriented on the lives of some of the legendary big cats from the Indian subcontinent, as well as from several African provinces – the iconic tigers, lions, leopards and cheetahs. The theme, being close to my heart, tremendously inspired me right from the beginning of executing the deed. At the very outset, it should be said that there is indeed a galaxy of big cat characters, who, in their own rights, are the deserving individuals to be featured in the worthy projection. Keeping the stipulation of the format of this calendrical presentation in mind (a 16-page deliberation each year), I decided to entune the saga of sixteen individual big cats as the stars of this series. While the front cover of the presentation resonates with the ethos of Machli (T 16) from Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in the Indian state of Rajasthan, the epitaphial page (since this is an enhanced memoir) relishes the memories of magnanimous Notch, one of the most successful pride males from the wilderness of Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Both are indeed the heartthrobs of wildlife enthusiasts and big cat lovers all around the world. I sincerely thank Sandeep Aggarwal and my old friend Rich Smith for the respective shots of the front and the back cover of the projection which you may eventually find out from the aforementioned link. 

  The first one of the twelve core pages, which represent the twelve months of the year, proudly resonates the ambrosia of Ustad (T 24) from Ranthambhore, perhaps the most debated male tigers of an Indian Tiger Reserve and whose mentions are now to be figured out in orientations of some conscientiously concerned activists. Nilanjan Roy Chowdhury, being a regular visitor of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, has closely followed the rise and fall of Ustad ever since he was a small cub back in 2005. Personally, it is a great feeling for me to incorporate his shot over here in this presentation. The next two pages, respectively, focus on the notorious and Satanic Mapogo Coalition of male lions from Sabi Sand National Park in South Africa, and Kamli (T 11) the tigress from Sanjay-Dubari Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. I rendered an enhanced article on Kamli this year on International Tiger Day in my blog The Wild Tales: Secrets of Sylvan Eyes. Jairaj Singh Parihar turned out to be the person who thoroughly guided me about all contextual information about Kamli. Thanks again to him for extending his solidarity again in terms of sharing one of his clicks of Kamli, the real survivor. However, the shot of Mapogos is from a website of Pembury Tours (reusing permitted). 

  In all these months of conspicuously concentrating on the series review of Big Cat Diary over there in The Wild Tales, one person from the core of this massive endeavour turned out to be the most desired beacon of inspiration – Jonathan Scott, who himself was one of the presenters of the series. Earnest thanks to him and Angela Scott, whose spell bounding frames have been enchanting me ever since I started to be engrossed in this domain of wildlife and conservation as an enthusiast. Three of the cats of Mara, who happened to be the essential part of their life, are here in this series of One Planet – Half-Tail and Zawadi (who is rather known as Shadow for Big Cat Diary audience), the iconic leopards and Kike the cheetah, the "Mother Courage" of Mara. All are stunning individuals in their own rights, tenacity and tenderness. 

  We are destined to figure out the representation of Legadima the leopard from Botswana's Okavango Delta, Mataram or Collarwali from Pench Tiger Reserve and Lady Liuwa from Zambia's Liuwa Plains National Park, and Maya the tigress (T 12) from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. All of them essentially turned out to be the trendsetters of wildlife conservation. Humbly acknowledging here the contributions of Derek and Baverly Jourbert, Omveer Choudhary, Archive Legend and Legacies (reusing permitted) and Advait Sakhalkar. Furthermore, the parallel contributions of two pioneering pillars – John Varty (JV) from Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa and Billy Arjan Singh from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in the Indian state of Uttarakhand taught us the dimensions of rearing big cats and relocating them into the wilderness. The 2022 series of One Planet is embellished with the incorporations of Shingalana the lioness and Harriet the leopard too, highlighting their ethos of resilience. Finally, thanks to Surendra Singh Chouhan for gladly allowing to incorporate his magnanimous frame of Tano Bora, the famous Five Cheetah Boys from the Mara. All the characters indeed made this series of One Planet to be really special! This year, it is more special since through the presentation of each cat, a coherent literary scenario (fictional and non-fictional) is duly captured.

  Finally, the mention of the two persons – one happens to be the genesis of this entire endeavour, Dipa Aunty (Dipanwita Rakshit) and Sneha (Sneha Biswas), who set forth the emblematic identity forever. The bridge up that we three had for this series and the last one is truly remarkable! 

“:they told me I was everything: ‘tis a lie, I am not ague-proof.”

— William Shakespeare, King Lear (Act IV, Sc. vi)

Ustad (T 24), the banished Lear of Ranthambhore, enjoying his prime

Photo Courtesy : R. C. Nilanjan, 2014

“What though the field be lost?/ All is not lost : the unconquerable will, / And study of revenge, immortal hate,/ And courage never to submit or yield : " 

— John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I)

The notorious and Satanic Mapogo coalition, the fallen angels of Sabi Sand National Park, South Africa 

Photo Courtesy : Pembury Tours, 2010

“It’s much better this way. To have acted it out to show them, although I could not have planned it.”

— Ama Ata Aidoo, “The Girl Who Can”

Kamli (T 11) from Sanjay-Dubari Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh - the girl who could, embodied with the winning spirit

Photo Courtesy : Jairaj Singh Parihar, 2021

“They are still the darkness in the grass, the eyes that watch you go by but remain for the most part unseen. Unless of course you are prepared to spend the next thirty years of your life setting about unravelling their secrets.”

— Simon King, Forewords to The Leopard’s Tale

Retelling the tales of Half-Tail and Zawadi (Shadow), the stars of Big Cat Diary in the Leopard Gorge in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Photo Courtesy: Jonathan and Angela Scott, 1996

“Hawks for sunlight, owls for half light, but for the nights, cats, wild cats…”

— Dorris Lessing, On Cats

Legadima in the heart of darkness in Okavango Delta, Botswana, featured in Eye of the Leopard 

Photo Courtesy: Derek and Baverly Joubert, 2006

“Selflessness is a rare virtue, because it doesn’t pay for itself.”

— Bertolt Brecht, Mother Courage and Her Children

Commemorating Kike, the Mother Courage of Maasai Mara, Kenya posing on the vehicle of Jonathan Scott

Photo Courtesy : Jonathan and Angela Scott, 2003

“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. You are connected to your child and to all those who touch your lives. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”

— Sophia Loren

Mataram or Collarwali (T 15), the supermom and legendary matriarch from Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh

Photo Courtesy: Omveer Choudhary, 2020

“An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.”

— David Attenborough

Lady Liuwa and Herbert Brauer, weaved in understanding in the frame of fulfilment in Liuwa Plains National Park, Zambia 

Photo Courtesy: Legend and Legacies, 2009

“She wins two boons from the encounter: her own virgo intacta and special powers for her son.”

— The Mahabharata

Maya (T 12), the epitome of mystic mother from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra

Photo Courtesy: Advait Sakhalkar (advait-s.com), 2016

“We drove toward them until we could see the glint of three pairs of eyes. There was nothing more to be done. So, with heavy hearts, we turned for home. Would Elsa be killed  by a jealous lioness?”

— Joy Adamson, Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds

Shingalana, the  reincarnation of Elsa with John Varty (JV) and Gillian Van Houten in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Photo Courtesy: Elmon Mhlongo (John Varty Alive Archive), 1996

“Now you are a beauty!” said the Ethiopian. “You can lie out on the bare ground and look like a heap of pebbles. You can lie out on the naked rocks and look like a piece of pudding-stone. You can lie out on a leafy branch and look like sunshine sifting through the leaves; and you can lie across the centre of a path and look like nothing in particular. Think of that and purr!”

— Rudyard Kipling, How the Leopard got his Spots

Billy Arjan Singh with his reared leopard, Harriet on the balcony at Tiger Heaven

Photo Courtesy: Lisa Choegyal (Nepali Times), 1975

“The problem is not the problem, the problem is your attitude about the problem.”

— Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean

Tano Bora or the Five Cheetah Boys, the pirates from the Maasai Mara, Kenya scanning the horizon

Photo Courtesy: Surendra Singh Chouhan, 2017

The list of iconic environmental years and decades

Ujaan Pathik, the begetter of this holistic rendering always believed that these mighty felines are not merely the species of our chief concern, they are the individuals; the distinct characters of real life drama as played out on the stage of the earth. They are the entities whose tenacious events, as Keith Scholey says, ‘would rival any Shakespearean plot’. They, by the virtue of their invigoration and tenderness; valour and care, have been enchanting our hearts over the decades. This series of One Planet- for the Coming Ones, thus, turns out to be a humble tribute , allying the attributions of those hearts, who care are revere the magnanimity of their grace. The epitaphial template rejoices the memories of mighty Notch, one of the most successful pride males from the wilderness of Mara, the kingdom of predators, showcasing his immortal frame, captured by Rich Smith in 2012. Let us be proximate for the service to Nature.

One Planet- for the Coming Ones — A tribute to the loving memories of Amitabha Guha, our beloved Ujaan Pathik

Those who made One Planet a reality

Concept

Dipanwita Rakshit

Theme, Research, Compilation and Illustration

 Pratik Mahapatra

Emblem of One Planet

Sneha Biswas

Front Cover Shot

Sandeep Aggarwal

Contributors

R. C. Nilanjan, Pembury Tours, Jairaj Singh Parihar, Jonathan and Angela Scott, Derek and Baverly Joubert, Omveer Choudhary, Legend and Legacies, Advait Sakhalkar (advait-s.com), Elmon Mhlongo (John Varty Alive Archive), Lisa Choegyal (Nepali Times), Surendra Singh Chouhan

Back Cover Shot

Rich Smith

From the Heart of Emerald Forest

PANNA TIGER RESERVE in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh – the Emerald Forest, the heart of one of the significant tiger populations of the nation. With the projection of BBC's refined documentary film like Tigers of the Emerald Forest, featuring Dr Raghu Chundawat as the pioneering researcher and the project head, the prevalence of Panna turned out to be more familiar and endearing to its appreciators. Nayanika Roy Chowdhury is an ardent wildlife enthusiast who has a tender passion for the vast Indian wilderness. She has completed her schooling at The Assembly of Gods Church School, Kolkata and now pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Sociology at Kamla Nehru College, Delhi, affiliated to Delhi University. Let us have a glance of the Emerald Forest through her lens.

On the Predatory Trail: Tigress P 151 with her cubs

Peeping through the Woods: Sambar deer fawn staring at the tourist vehicle

Meditation before Action: White-throated kingfisher in Panna Tiger Reserve

The Sharp Vigilance: Changeable hawk eagle looking for its prey

Emerald Gaze: A house cat near the adjacent area of the reserve

Sitting Alone: One of the cubs of P 151

BIG CAT TALES 2019, SERIES II

Template of the second series of Big Cat Tales
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Trailer of Big Cat Tales 2019, Series 2

Credit: Untitled Film Works/ https://youtu.be/GJpzwtpFS-c

Programme 1: Kingdom of Predators 

I can't even begin to guess what the word 'paradise' means to you. But for me, it was always to come to Africa; to take a safari, to see, to listen to wild lions. To find a place like this – the Maasai Mara in Kenya. For as long as I've been living in Africa, the lion has represented to me the iconic African creature, the symbol of courage, of strength. And the Mara is simply a kingdom of predators, a kingdom of lions, and I don't think that we have ever – Angie and myself – being out on a game drive without finding a lion. It is that wonderful place for them. This is an extraordinary place – Musiara Marsh. We named these lions after this place. The Marsh Lions – forty years ago! And we feel most at home here, sharing time with these big cats. The sound of lions, big or small, just warms my heart! 

The Trinity of the Tales: Jonathan Scott, Angela Scott and Jackson Ole Looseyia, refreshing hours during the filming session 

Photo Credit: Abraham Joffe 

— JONATHAN SCOTT is back on the trail of those big cats, whom he knows for years. Adding a vast sense of continuity to his catchy recapitulation, Angela Scott says: "I think it's a wonderful thought that lions have been here for thousands of years. These lions' ancestors were here!" Cut to another scene, displaying his suka (the colourful mantle of the traditional Maasai outfit) Jackson Ole Looseyia frames his concerns about leopards, the secretive cats of contrast: "In our culture, we call leopards 'shadows'. And [it is] exactly why I love leopards. Because it gives me that mystery. A quick screening of the memorable events from the current projection, and there begins the second series of Big Cat Tales. 

Charm, taking care of her cubs when featured in the first series of Big Cat Tales
Photo Credit: Moses Manduku 

  Unlike the first series, filmed in two different slots of the year, the second series of Big Cat Tales happened to be filmed from January to April 2019, comprising a total of three hour-long programmes on the latest updates of Mara's famous felines. The cameras are never late to capture the essence of the changes in the wilderness. And this time, indeed a lot of transitions took place in the scene. We are not talking about the changes in the landscape of the Mara, but some subtle familial transformation drastically shifted the dynamics of the Marsh Pride of lions to a different context. The pride have lost their oldest matriarch, Charm. She gave birth to her final litter of two cubs in late 2016, and the other lionesses had seven more cubs (Moja, Mbili and Solo, as well as Kali's four tiny cubs) along with them. But the two males, Askari (Rafiki) and Mpole (Karibu) seemed to largely neglect their patrolling duties, as they tolerated the presence of both the Six Warriors (otherwise known as Bila Shaka Males) and the Kichwa Males within their territory without response. The Marsh Pride lionesses then lost confidence in the males and led by Charm, took the risk of moving away to Leopard Gorge, 8 kilometres away from their core territory in Musiara Marsh. The gamble of moving to unfamiliar territory did not pay off and most of the cubs – Mbili, Solo and one of Kali's cubs were lost, including the two tiny cubs of Charm. Meanwhile, the duo of males completely abandoned the pride and instead took over the Acacia Pride (often called Cheli and Peacock Pride). Then in early 2018, Charm was seen for the last time in the Leopard Gorge area, having disappeared soon after. The loss of Charm signalled the end of the era of the Three Graces, and the beginning of another new chapter for the Marsh Pride.

Cloudy Eye (Above) and Kabibi (Below) near Dave's Tree 

Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  Jonathan expressed his joy when in this series he shared the arrival of a new generation in the Marsh Pride's crèch. This time, there were two mothers, Charm's daughter Cloudy Eye (Rembo) and Bibi's daughter from her last litter, Kabibi, sharing the responsibility of four tiny cubs, not more than eight weeks old. The mothers were now spending their time under the shade of Dave's tree, powerfully highlighting an innate sense of continuation: "This is where we've seen generations of Marsh Pride lionesses come here, bring their cubs, looking for safety. [...] One of the really extraordinary things about this, this is where we were with Charm and her two little cubs, not so long ago," Jonathan pointed out. Indeed, this area and Dave's Tree happen to be one of the safe hiding places for the cubs when they are a little grown-up, mobile enough to move around the corner along with their mothers and sibling. Whenever we watch lions, there lies the necessity of identifying each one of them proficiently. The photographs help prolifically in this deed and as Angela points out this time, the needs of recorded frames just turned out to be absolutely befitting for the viewers. Two years ago, Rembo was endowed with the name Cloudy Eye due to the condition of her retina. This time, it completely cleared up. Recognising her solely on the basis of her eye could have been a gross error in identifying, especially to the untrained observers. In a crèch, it often turns out to be confusing to say which cub belongs to which lionesses, but assumptions can be made. Basing upon Kabibi's grumpy behaviour toward one cub, the presenters came to a conclusion that three of the cubs may belong to her, while the slightly ignored one – the little girl might be Cloudy Eye's cub. Whatever the biological maternal framing was, it immediately turned out to be an absolute joy to watch a new generation of Marsh lions thriving in their core territorial domain. 

The four Marsh cubs, tucked in the lugga
Photo Credit: Animal Planet 

Surrounded by Peril: Cloudy Eye and Kabibi taking refuge on the Dave's Tree to defend themselves 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  With the lions doing seemingly well, time to catch up with the spotted cats knocked soon. Jonathan headed back to Olare Motorogi Conservancy, which borders the Mara Reserve, blessed with a low density of visitors – an ideal place for the leopards. In fact, this is where an old friend of Big Cat Tales was supposed to be. Fig was the female leopard who was featured in the first series of Big Cat Tales. At that time, she was with her five-month-old female cub Figlet, often fondly called Twiglet at times. Figlet became independent, living life on her own. Fig, however, was now framed with another single survivor in the litter – a three-month-old female called Maridadi, a Swahili word of "the sweet one". Leopards that the Big Cat People followed over four decades, some of them barely managed to raise even twenty per cent of their cubs. In a domain, surrounded by lions and hyenas, leopards are often pushed to their limits. Despite the odds, relishing moments in the company of mother and cubs is simply worth sharing. But, as we have seen the turning table for the big cats, even the lion cubs too can be in mortal danger at times, especially, when confronted by buffaloes. The big herds often turned out to be a massive trouble for the Marsh Pride in past. The mothers of the cubs, Kabibi and Cloudy Eye, have grown up envisioning the problem just in front of their eyes. For the time being, they have not many options but to get stuck on top of the Dave's Tree, keeping their cubs hidden at the base. Buffaloes aim at lions for good reasons. In African savannah, lions are the only predators that frequently push their luck to take down buffaloes, especially, when they are well backed up by several experienced pride members and by the pride males in particular. Eventually, losing interest in the hidden cubs, the buffaloes moved on. The mothers came down to reunite their cubs and all seem to be fine. This is just one of the alarming moments in the cubs' life. They would probably be more cautious if such a predicament reoccurs.

Fig the leopard 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Maridadi, Fig's three-month-old daughter 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  Within this milieu of turning tables of trials and tribulations, Jackson was now happy to share his trail with the cheetahs. In the last series, he was presenting the tale of Malaika the cheetah and her two adolescent cubs. Sadly, Malaika died in 2018. In his "Cheetahs in the Mara — A Creative Adventure Photography," Denisei Ippolito, the ace wildlife photographer and writer says: 

In March of 2018 stories of Malaika's death started to surface. The specifics still remain a mystery, but she is believed to have drowned or been eaten by crocs while crossing the Olare Orok River. Malaika's caring nature towards her cubs along with her excellent hunting skills have made her legendary. 

When her sons were nearly twenty-month-old, Malaika met Tano Bora, the Five Cheetah Boys and showed signs of oestrus – ready to bring forth another generation. It is really sad to lose one of the great stars of the Mara, the bearer of a fascinating legacy and so many memories.

Amani, relaxing on a termite 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Amani and her three cubs in the rain
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott 

  A known face is now to appear on the screen. Amani was an adult female cheetah who has been known to both the guides and tourists for so many years. She happened to prove her excellence and commitment as a mother in the form of her thriving previous litter. This time, Jackson was delighted to catch up her with her three nine-month-old cubs – two females and a male. Though they had a long way to go on the trail alongside their mother before independence, they were already showing some tricks, helpful in the deed of hunting down prey. Giraffes are famous for having the top of the gardenia bushes trimmed, making them akin to the carefully crafted hedges of one's garden, and Amani's cubs just loved to play around and sit on top of the bushes. 

Baba Yao displaying his flehmen face 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Doa, the mating guard
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  "Message from Simon, our spotter from Governors Camp – he has found five of our Six Warriors. Those are the Marsh Pride males, but right now, they are footloose and fancy-free, and looking for other females," affirmed Jonathan while hurrying to catch up with the coalition of the Marsh Pride rulers. Pointing out at the two youngest members of the coalition, namely, Kiok and Kibogoyo, he renovates the essence of Africa. Their bigger colleagues are not far away. They are the same males who invaded the March territory at the end of 2017, and terrorised the females and the cubs, prompting them to move on to the Leopard Gorge. Now, these males have estimated themselves as the dominant ones. Two years ago when they first invaded the Marsh, they were about three-and-a-half to four-year-old, bearing scruffy mohawk manes, but now they have developed attractive dark manes around their neck and chest. While Doa is seemingly representing the honest signs of his maturity, Baba Yao, the dominant one of the bunch, is seen responding with a typical flehmen face, checking out whether the young female from the Topi Plains Pride is ready to mate. Koshoke, another dark maned and long-faced male is seen guarding the female in oestrus. Under a small shade of a tree, four of the Warriors decide to move on and one of them is filmed having a courtship with the new female, foregrounding the path of a new generation of their gene pool. 

Kiok, one of the two younger members of the Six Warriors coalition 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Koshoke and Kibogoyo 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  The crew just happened to solve the mystery of the Marsh males. Six happened to be admittedly a big number in a coalition like this, and being backed up by such a great number, the Warriors consider every patch of ground to be their own till this date. In lion society, success is definitely counted in numbers but what we have to remember at times is such a big number can also lessen the sense of security in the nuclear bonding of the lionesses. Due to their expansionist outlook, the Warriors were spending time outside their core territory for a prolonged period, pushing the much-needed security of the crèch of the lionesses at stake. Ever since their arrival and exploitation, the Marsh Pride had been fragmented into small chunks. While Dada and Kali (as Kito was renamed after the beginning of the show in 2017) were pregnant, Kabibi and Cloudy Eye were solely working hard to secure enough meal for themselves and the four small cubs. Leaving cubs vulnerable, they set in the morning for hunting down dinner and, as Jackson caught them up one evening, their hunting efforts seemed to get disintegrated. So far, they had been fixing their aim on a small group of warthogs. In the lean times without the mighty herds of migration, lions are forced to rely on the residential prey like warthogs and buffaloes. Although these short-legged pigs are relatively easy to catch, they pose quite a great threat in the form of a couple of sharp lower tusks beside their lower jaws, underneath the big curved ones. Besides, they are extremely agile and responsive enough in moments of danger. It was, therefore, not so surprising that despite having multiple attempts to bring down at least one of them, why Kabibi and Cloudy Eye were getting slipped quite frequently. As Jackson pointed out at this juncture, they had been working hard since 10 in the morning, and it was really saddening to see their efforts going in vain. Their cubs happened to be hundreds of metres away. How will they get in touch with their mothers remains a major interrogation as the light is lost, and the day was about to be over.

Kabibi and Cloudy Eye after several fruitless attempts in hunting 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Programme 2: Stripes vs Spots

How many people have the privilege of naming a group of lions and following them for more than half their life? And, to be able to this day – still look at those scrapbooks and remember all those individual characters – Half-Tail, Honey, Bibi, Kabibi, Cloudy Eye — the Marsh lions, the lions we named over forty years ago, the lions that we're still watching to this day. We always feel the pull, the tug at our heartstrings, bringing us back to this place – not just the Maasai Mara, but this place — Musiara Marsh.

Little Red and Spot 
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott 

Kelele enjoying a play-fighting session with one of his elder 
cousins 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

— JONATHAN'S RECAPITULATION of their tenure, as they have been spending at the heart of wild paradise, brings forth the essence of a rejuvenated continuity at the outset of the second programme of the second series of Big Cat Tales. The fragmented splinter groups of the Marsh Pride of lions were roaming all around their extended home range. Driving across the waterlogged trail of Bila Shaka Lugga, Jonathan caught up with two of the lionesses from the pride who had been living on their own along with a handful of cubs. Little Red and Spot are daughters of Sienna, the erstwhile matriarch of the Three Graces. They were born in early 2014 along with their brother Topknot, who followed the pawprints of Red and Tatu (sons of Sienna and Charm, respectively) to form his new coalition. When the Marsh Pride faced huge challenges due to losses to human errors (the poisoning of Siena and Bibi in December 2015) both the females stayed with Charm for some time, and started their life as young carefree lionesses when the Marsh Pride moved out of their territory in mid-2017. Spot and Little Red stayed in the Musiara Area, formed a bonding with the Warriors and gave birth in August 2018. Little Red sadly lost her cubs and since then, dedicated her attention and energy to help Spot to raise her son and daughter.

Kelele, the star in the making
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Kelele following his mother's steps
Photo Credit: Jonathan and Angela Scott 

Spot's cubs with tiny Kelele
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  As Jonathan caught up with the duo, they were heading with their three cubs to the coalition of males, who  Little Red happened to give birth of yet another litter, but only one male cub survived – the little Kelele. In Swahili, 'Kelele' is a word for "the noisy one". And indeed, he was quite an individual – always busy letting others know where he used to be. For a single lion cub in a litter, survival often turns out to be troublesome. Without the safety in number that is usually provided in a litter, Kelele happened to form a strong bonding with his two elder cousins – Spot's cubs. As the females and the cubs approached Baba Yao, one of the males from the Warriors' coalition, he was feeding on the scraps of a kill. While adult males allow young cubs to feed along with them, lionesses are often put at bay by them. The cubs are an important asset, not just to their mothers, but also to their fathers – the pride males. While Little Red seemed to be a bit worried seeing the cubs scampering on the block in the presence of the males, Kelele and the other two cubs were carefree. One cannot simply blame a lioness' anxiety over having both the adult males and little cubs in one frame because lionesses, at times, witness the heart-rending predicament of infanticide, performed by the new male intruders that come and take over a pride, overthrowing the existing pride males. Alongside Baba Yao, there have been two other adult males sharing the kill – Koshoke and Chongo. Chongo turned out to be quite a character in this series of Big Cat Tales. He was the father of some of the young cubs in the pride and pointing out him being groomed by his coalition partner, Jonathan introduced, "Okay, the male on the left – that's Chongo – that's Kelele's dad, or at least we think it's his dad. And the reason he's called Chongo, he's got one eye." In Swahili, 'Chongo' is a word for "one-eyed". The presence of the big males happened to be "the missing element" to Jonathan as he described, but their presence here at the Bila Shaka, the edge of their territory is not convincing enough since Kabibi, Cloudy Eye and other cubs were just too vulnerable and exposed to the probable invaders in the absence of their protectors. They should have been there with their full strength and confidence. 

Chongo, the handsome hunk
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Chongo being greeted by his coalition partner, Koshoke 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  While Amani and her three cubs were having a bit of good luck, though the remaining scraps of their killed had just been stolen by a lioness, it is time for the crew to catch up with some of the magnanimous cheetah stars of the series. Tano Bora or the Fastest Five – the Five Cheetah Boys just turned out to be the tremendous force in the last series of Big Cat Tales to be reckoned with, and now they are back once again. As always acknowledged, five cheetahs in a coalition is a huge and effective force. Pointing out at Olpadan, the big male, Jonathan recognised him as the leader of the force and soon enough, following their trail, Jackson finds out that the cheetah coalition in a hunting mode. Marking on the branches of a fallen tree as 'their' check post, the males set off. Scanning the plains with their eagle-eyed filtration, they just tended to clear their intention of aiming at a local herd of zebras. Cheetahs usually do not go for adult zebras, but with such a powerful force to rely on, foals or the yearlings are often taken down. As the boys start their action, Jackson pinpointed his eyes through his binoculars and admits their determination. Jackson anticipates the anxieties of the zebra parents who just lost their offspring. They crossed the crocodile-infested river, and met the massive forces of the cheetah boys. Literally, it turned out to be a tug of war between "the stripes versus spots," as Jackson mentioned.

The Five Cheetah Boys on the prowl
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Olpadan, the mighty 'boss' of the Tano Bora coalition 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  Cut to the other side of the spotted cats, Jonathan and the leopard crew were delighted to catch up with an old friend of Big Cat Tales – Olare the leopard. Two years ago, in the first series of the show, she was featured with her two cubs Makumbhwa and Ndogo, often being accompanied by her grown-up son, Jassiri. This time, although she was reported to be nurturing young cubs, the scene that Jonathan encountered is not convincing enough. Olare was bearing the signs of lactating around her tips, but there is no sign of the cubs. Furthermore, she just happened to solicit the attention of a large resident male, a bruiser called Golden Boy. Provoking the male to court, Olare designated the signal that she recently lost her litter. The Mara is a place, filled with competitors. It was no wonder that the cubs could be lost either to lions or hyenas. However, whether or not there would be a new generation around the Olare Orok Lugga, was yet to be seen. Fascinated by the appearance of Golden Boy, Jonathan admired his masculinity: "That is the biggest male leopard I have ever seen. He is huge. He looks almost like a jaguar. And his markings are so distinct. Black spots – rosettes, as if somebody had taken their fingers, dip them into black charcoal, and just boom, boom, boom – beautiful!" It was just a matter of time that would decide the whereabouts of a new leopard dynasty along the riverine forest.

Peeping through the Thickets: Golden Boy, the bruiser 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Golden Boy quenching his thirst
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  In the last programme, we have seen how Kabibi and Cloudy Eye were getting desperate to secure a meal for themselves. The cubs were left alone, hungry. Their mothers did not manage to grab something satisfiable. Now as they tend to return where the cubs were left, the tension could be felt in the air. One of the cubs seemed to be missing from the group. Presumably, the little girl of Cloudy Eye. The other three immediately greeted their guardians. Worried about the absence of the cub, the lionesses looked around the corner. The scene turned out to be relaxing enough, not that agonising as it appeared to be initially since the missing cub is seen immediately running across the path to meet the rest of the family. Why on earth she got separated was anyone's guess, but the family reunion turned out to be soothing. Meanwhile, a few days later Dada joined her pride mates. She had recently given birth to cubs, but they were safely hidden in the deep reeds along the Marsh. The lionesses, though apparently enjoying being together at the moment, are pushing their own agenda when it came to raising their cubs. Kali (Kito) joined the other three females recently and judging from the wide-cut at her right cheek, everyone could assume her painful condition. The lionesses are frantically trying to grab the satisfying meal at this moment of hard times, but they are visibly getting distressed. It seemed perhaps Kali attempted to take down a warthog, whose razor-sharp lower canines eventually cut her cheek apart, from the corner of her mouth to the bottom of her ear. Recovery would certainly take enough time. Kali's injury just showed how tough and resilient these cats can be at times. 

Kali, wounded by a warthog 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Dada, resting upon a tree
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Programme 3: Peril on the Horizon

THE UNCERTAINTY of food seemed to be comparatively settled down in the Marsh, but being annoyed by the boisterous play-fighting of the cubs, their mothers took the refuge of a tree. Jonathan just related the affinity of the scene with a situation that Angela and the lion crew witnessed a couple of years ago – exactly the same place in the Marsh, and Kabibi and Dada seemed to enjoy the play session with their cubs – Moja, Mbili and Solo. For the time being, the Marsh had turned out to be a shelter of demand. While the lionesses here were desperately trying to have some peaceful hours out of the reach of the cubs, at least for some moments, a resident troop of baboons, however, were on the mission to spend their time in the shade. And adding salt to the injury of restlessness, two big bull elephants intended to wrestle and show off their strength against each other. They happened to be excited in the presence of the females of a local herd and, seem to be full of testosterone. Both the groups of lions and the baboons tend were tending to seek safe haven now. Meanwhile, one of the bulls breathtakingly takes up a broken log and tends to throw it on Jonathan's vehicle, prompting him to frame the situation in such a manner: "You can tell, this bull is full of testosterone. There are females around. He wants to show everybody, including me, who is the boss." 

Kabibi, treed by an elephant 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

   For the cheetah family, Amani and her three cubs, things were going on smoothly. They seemed to be hunting well in the last week and now as seen in the episode, Amani was heading with her cubs towards a kill, made by a black back jackal. Usually, the cheetahs do not go for the kills made by other carnivores. It often turned out to be risky since the predator who killed it just might have been around the corner to put up a sudden blow. A jackal is no match for a cheetah. As Amani and her cubs approached, the jackal turned his back, letting the kill be grabbed by the felines. This just happened to be one of the rare scenes where the scavenging behaviour of cheetahs is caught in the action. Earlier, one such moment was caught in the camera when Amber the cheetah did the same thing of taking away a Thompson's gazelle kill from a jackal in September 2000, as filmed in the third series of Big Cat Diary. Later on in the final week of filming Big Cat Tales this year, Amani made yet another successful kill but had to lose scraps of it to hyenas. 

Amani and her cubs heading towards a kill made by black back jackals
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Soon after the arrival of the cheetahs, the jackal pair had to back off
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  Alongside the cheetah family that the crew have been filming for months, situations are offering several trials for the little female leopard called Maridadi. As Jonathan drove along Olare Motorogi Conservancy, the leopard country, he immediately tracked down Fig, resting up on a branch. Soon after, her cub turned up in the seen. And as it turned out, Fig was tending to move away a Thompson's gazelle carcass that she recently killed. Maridadi kept up following. One may ask, despite having enough security on the branches, why Fig is wishing to shift her kill. The leopard cubs often drag the remaining of a carcass to a manageable place to feed on comfortably, and by trying to do so, they often let the kill fell down. And, if there are hyenas around the corner, it would be the end of the meal, positing enough threat to the life of the cub: "There's still a good meal there, but obviously Fig feels – 'You know, if I take this down to the lugga – this thicker bush and just bury it. And then just feed at leisure with the little one,' where nobody can see her at all. Because even though this tree is pretty good, it's not full-proof." A leopard does not want to be seen either by its prey or by its enemies So, it is definitely a great treat to be able to see the secret moments of mother and cub together for the entire tenure of Big Cat Tales.

Fig and Maridadi enjoying some peaceful hours 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Fig, carrying the remains of remainings of a Thompson's kill
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  Along the bank of the Mara River, commensalism was taking place as a few oxpeckers, belonging to both the species of yellow-billed and red-billed, were feeding on the slits of the red flesh of a hippo, standing on the river: "But you would wonder, why would the hippo just stand and let these birds just peck away its flesh? What's the benefit to the hippo? The oxpecker is keeping the wound clean. Dead flesh – off he comes, a meal for the teak bird and relief for the hippo. And it's just wonderful! It works to both species' benefit." On the other corner, a bunch of hippos are upset to see one of their relatives' carcasses being feasted by crocodiles. The hippo was probably killed during a territorial dispute. The Nile crocodiles of Mara can be up to 15 feet in length. No wonder, why one should be on his guard while crossing the river. A unique scene is demonstrated in the third programme of this series as the crocodiles too turned out to be submissive in front of the Scarface, the "Real Lion King" (taking the titular excerpt from Scarface, the Real Lion King, one of the books of children's literature series by Jonathan and Angela Scott, published by Cambridge University Press). Scarface arrived at the bank, prompting the crocodiles to back off. It was yet to be seen how much Scarface is willing to dine in the same meal with these gigantic reptiles. As his presence had always done in the past, it just resonated with the innate resilience of a male lion. Jonathan happens to capture the essence: 

... and that just shows you the presence, the power that the lion has. But it also tells you something else. I think in human society, we revere courage, strength, power – the warrior. And that's why animals like Scarface are so appealing. I mean, look at him – he is battered, he is bruised, he is missing an eye, his teeth are wearing down. He is partly crippled in his back leg. But is he giving up? No. That's what I love. And what I never can be sure of, is this the last time I see him? And that's why I savour every moment in the presence of this male – Scarface, the real lion king.

Scarface, satisfied with his share of hippo meal

                                                             Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  Meanwhile, in the Marsh, the elephant trouble seemed to be giving a push to the seemingly settled down moments of the lionesses. This time, one of the cameramen was in a bit of technical trouble. As he was trying to film Dada stalking an adult male impala, the viewfinder of his camera got filled by the grey shade of the body flank of an elephant as he passed through the way. Jonathan mentioned this to be a good excuse to miss the frame. Dada too missed the chance to launch an ambush. But now the females and cubs of the Marsh Pride were perhaps exposed to even more dangerous adversaries, more perilous than hunger. As the Six Warriors were tending to expand their horizons, encompassing a wide area that includes the home range of the Marsh Pride and the Topi Plains-Ridge Pride, the core territory of the Marsh females became open to being invaded by various other males, alien to the area. Two new young males had trespassed into the territory, and they mean business. Scattering and dislocating a local clan of hyenas that had been feasting on a dead hippo in the lugga, the males tried to resonate their dominance. The four females, at this juncture, simply could do nothing without the profound support of the pride males. One may feel the tension in Jackson's voice when he uttered the ethos of the tensed motherhood – the lionesses had to protect something precious – their "children". Right at the moment when the predicament was tending to turn out to be grimmer, the miracle happened. Somewhere in the long grass, one of the Warriors arrived. Chongo was back! Tracing the magnificent arrival of at least one of the pride males in the area, the invaders immediately backed off. Considering Chongo's determination to save his territory from the trespassers, Jackson commented: "He knows what he is supposed to do. He says, 'My home is threatened! Girls, don't worry, I'm here,' [...] These lions must continue, coming and checking the Marsh Pride, and Chongo has done an amazing job. For today, the lionesses and the cubs are safe." 

"Trespassers will be prosecuted.": young invaders in the Marsh
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

The Charging Chongo 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

  With the returning of the Warriors to their core area, the hardships of the pride too seemed to be simultaneously recovering. Soon after the threat of invasion, Jonathan caught up Chongo, sharing a buffalo kill with two of the four females of the pride. Although the Six Warriors used to kill buffalo from time to time for themselves, on this occasion, the females grabbed the kill. It is customary in the lion society that the males would first estimate their dominance on the kill, and what Chongo was doing at the moment was simply conformity towards the lion ritual – the table manners of lion society. His dominance, however, was assertive enough to clarify how single-handedly he managed to chase away those two trespassers. But as time was passing, there came much pressure on him. Cloudy Eye and Dada moved into the kill along with the cubs. Though at times their dinner got interrupted by an elephant mother and her calf, the lions held on to the ground and as the cubs moved in, to try to dine with their older relatives, Chongo gently allowed them to feed alongside him, showing his genial fatherly care. Once again, the star felines of the Mara have just made Big Cat Tales a special endeavour. Drawing an excerpt from Angela Scott's narrative to a great extent, we too can heave a sigh of relief for the evergreen continuity of the ecosystem:

So the Marsh is place which is very dear to my heart. Jonathan and I have been coming here for years and years – thirty years and more. It's a place of water, and I think water attracts life. Whenever Jonathan and I need a break, we always say to each other – 'let's just go down to the mini Marsh.' And we'll come here, will have a cup of tea, and we'll read a book – and you feel rejuvenated. It's a place where you can settle and just listen quietly. [...] I think it's a wonderful thought that lions have been here for thousands of years. These lions' ancestors were here. And to me, there's a little bit of magic, and a little bit of reassurance that the world just continues without the hardened bustles of the human beings. Life here has this wonderful harmony. Everything in order, everything in its place. The animals just get on living with each other in perfect rhythm. Just carrying on as it has done for thousands and thousands of years.

Cory Bustard male and female (note the size difference between the two), the "Edwardian Gentlemen" of the Savannah 
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Amani leaping over a small water trail
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

Indeed, it is to turn the few more pages of their lives to renovate the quintessential essence of untamed wilderness at the heart of the wild paradise – the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The Big Cat People, responding to the innate tug of the immense life stories of these cats at their heartstrings, are expecting soon to come back on the trail of their feline friends to chronicle yet another magnificent chapter of their lives. 

Cloudy Eye bringing the cubs to dine
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

... and Chongo showing his fatherly affection, allowing the cubs to the kill
Photo Credit: Animal Planet

To be continued ...

Credits

Presented by

Jonathan Scott 

Angela Scott 

Jackson Ole Looseyia 

Produced and Directed by

Abraham Joffe ACS

Dom West

Produced by

Abraham Joffe ACS

Associate Producer 

Louis Cooper Robinson 

Director of Photography 

Abraham Joffe ACS

Dom West 

Cinematography

Dom West

Blake Castle 

Abraham Joffe ACS

Pete Matthews 

Scott Turner

James Wood

Adam Lynch

Phil Thurston

Ian Pritchard

Shuan Hepple

Editors

Lorna-Jean Bradley 

Assistant Editors

Neal Von Dinklage

Rika Borthwick

Dom West

Music Score

Adam Moses

Title Theme Composer

Lydia Davis

Sound Design

Simon Lister

James Martell

Andy Stewart 

Charlie White

Sound Producers

Hamish Macdonald

Angelina Phengphong

Sound Studios

Squeak E. Clean Studios 

Dialogue Editor

Tom Herdman

Colourist

Luciano Marigo-Spitaleri CSI

Mastering

Fred El-Harris

Motion Graphics 

Vanderlesi Santana

Marcelo Fubah

Illustrator

Ramon Rodriguez

Compositor

Vanderli Santana

Post Production Supervisor

Dom West 

Lorna-Jean Bradley 

Production Accountant

Paul Nadso

Acknowledgement

Republic of Kenya

Kenya Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology 

Kenya Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife 

Kenya Tourism Board

Narok County Government 

Maasai Mara National Reserve 

Governors Camp

Mara North Conservancy 

Olare Motorogi Conservancy

Kenya Wildlife Trust:

Mara Predator Conservation Programme 

Blaire Joscelyne

Pow Wow Studios

Maniago Safaris 

Safarilink Aviation

CS Tourism and Wildlife:

Honourable Najib Balala

Advisors to CS Tourism and Wildlife:

Fatma Muses

CEO Kenya Tourism Board:

Dr Betty Raddier 

Governor of Narok County:

Honourable Samuel Ole Tunai

CS Tourism Narok County Government:

Honourable Lena Munge

The Grammaticus Family 

Patrick Beresford 

Governors Camp Staff and Safari Guides

Harrison Ole Nompaso

Simon Sitinei

Mandila Lemiso

Patrick Isainga

Daniel Gutambo

Nicolas Ledama

John Buckley

Anu Vohra

Annabella Francescon

Phyllis Joffe

Brian Heath 

Hamish Macdonald

Philip Valentine

Greg Monson

Tony Nagle

Mark Bamford

Canon Australia 

Dragon Image

Red Digital Cinema 

F-Stop

Atomos

Polar Pro 

Miller Tripods 

For Animal Planet

VP of Production 

Erin Wanner

Executive Producer 

Dawn Sinsel

VP of Production Management 

Sandy Haller

Production Co-ordinator 

Valerie Moss

Produced by

Untitled Film Works