Behind the Lens

a blog every Friday on a specific species of animal or bird and stories of photos

Search for a specific species, genre or even a location or use the directory for a complete list of species I have photographed and written about till date.

Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Shambhu

Scion of Wagdoh, Shambhu is one of four gladiators waiting in the wings in the Junona - Adegaon - Dewada - Agarzari range; Chota Dhadiyal, Taru & Paras the other three. The stage is set for some significant battles as each of these approach their age of dominance. The first skirmish was with Taru on 4th December with Shambhu emerging the winner.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #maharashtra, #Tadoba, #Dewada, #Adegaaon, #DewadaGate, #pantheratigris, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #tadobatiger, #gladiatoroftaru, #wagdoh, #waghdoh, #wagdohcub, #Shambhu, #shambhumaletiger, #shambhutiger,

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Taru

The first gladiator we encountered in this enchanted realm of Gondwana was Taru (T-185) himself - a magnificent male tiger about 6/7 years old and ready to make his move into the light of fame and glory.  

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #maharashtra, #Tadoba, #Dewada, #Adegaaon, #DewadaGate, #pantheratigris, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #taru, #tarumale, #tadobatiger, #Shivanjhari, #Kolsa, #Shindewahi, #Navegaon, #KhatodaGate, #tarumaletiger,

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

W-mark Female

The W-mark female of the Adegaon - Dewada range traces her lineage back to some illustrious tigers through the generations. She was born to Bajrang and Lara of Telia Sisters fame. We saw her daintily stepping out from the brush directly in front of us about a kilometre north of the ancient step well of Adegaon almost halfway to the Adegaon-Dewada-Agarzari Gate.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #maharashtra, #Tadoba, #Dewada, #Adegaaon, #DewadaGate, #pantheratigris, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #Wmark, #wmarkfemale, #tadobatiger, #tigress, #Bajrang, #Lara

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

C2

The Adegaon - Dewada - Agarzari range is home to a number of powerful male tigers - Paras, Taru and Shambhu who have made this range their home, Chota Dhadiyal who ranges from Dewada and Junona all the way up to the Tadoba range in the north, C1 and C2 who range between here and the Kolsa Range to the east.

Our time today is with the 4 year old C2 who was sired by the great Khali (T50), also known as the coal mines male, and Sharmili.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #maharashtra, #trackingwildlife, #tracking, #Tadoba, #Dewada, #DewadaGate, #pantheratigris, #scentmarking, #flemengrimace, #Flehmenresponse, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #C2, #C2Male, #tadobatiger

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Nilgai

The nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) (/ˈnilˌɡaɪ/, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest antelope of Asia, and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus Boselaphus.

It is a sturdy thin-legged antelope, characterised by a sloping back, a deep neck with a white patch on the throat, a short crest of hair along the neck terminating in a tuft, and white facial spots. A column of pendant coarse hair hangs from the dewlap ridge below the white patch. Females and juveniles are orange to tawny while adult males have a bluish-grey coat and possess horns. Read on.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #maharashtra, #tipeshwar, #SunnaGate, #Nilgai, #bluecow, #antelope, #largestantelope, #Boselaphus, #bluebuck,

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Vanchowki Tigress

Pench National Park, nestled in the heart of India in the lower southern reaches of the Satpura hills, sprawls a massive 758 sq. kms across the states of Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra. Named after the pristine River Pench it was immortalised by Rudyard Kipling in his Jungle Book. Every year millions make their way here to spot Akela, Baloo, Bagheera and Shere Khan.

Our story is about the beautiful and shy Vanchowki tigress who has made her home in the small hills and well-stocked teak mixed forest of Rukhad. Tigers, like many large mammals, are believed to have a mental map of their territories and they are also extremely territorial.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #penchnationalpark, #pench, #rukhad, #masoonalagate, #canon, #rukhadgate, #kurai, #seoni, #tiger, #jungle, #wild, #forest, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #madhyapradesh, #trackingwildlife, #tracking, #kingfishermale, #kuraigadmale, #kuraigarhmale, #vanchowkitigress, #monsoon, #pantheratigris, #scentmarking, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Archi & her cubs at Tipeshwar

More often than not, spotting a tiger, leave alone a tiger with cubs, is an exciting game of hide-and-seek with small clues sprinkled randomly all over the jungle – a strangely silent and deserted waterhole on a warm evening, a skittish sambar stomping his hoof for no obvious reason, a pug-mark across a recent jeep track, a nervous langur peering at a lantana bush – all pushing the adrenaline as you await a climactic encounter with the apex predator of the jungle. It does not matter where and how it happens, the moment is always mesmeric. Something beautiful and primal stirs within our dulled urban souls and it is virtually impossible to be unmoved by the up, close and very personal experience of meeting almost 220 kilos of majesty and raw muscle.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #maharashtra, #trackingwildlife, #tipeshwar, #Mathani, #MathaniGate, #pantheratigris, #scentmarking, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #archi, #architigress, #tipeshwartigers, #archicubs, #tipeshwartigercubs, #tigercubs, #7montholdtigercubs

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Archi - the Dhole chase at Tipeshwar

If you spend enough time in the forest, eventually, you will see an apex predator exhibit its fearsome skills and there is no better place than in central India with its numerous tiger sanctuaries of varying climes and terrain. This was one such thrilling event that unfolded at Tipeshwar, unexpectedly, before our eyes - the chase of some Dhole by the tigress Archi - to ensure the safety of her cubs.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #maharashtra, #trackingwildlife, #tipeshwar, #Mathani, #MathaniGate, #pantheratigris, #scentmarking, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #archi, #architigress, #tipeshwartigers, #tigerchasingwilddogs, #tigerhunt,

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