The Second Fiddle…

Hey! I'm the second fiddle,
I've been played all my life,
They pick me up and pluck my strings,
When Number One gives them strife.

Oh I'm the second fiddle,
My tune is quite well known,
They never choose me first you know,
Just when they feel all alone.

Gee I'm the second fiddle,
My tune is nothing new,
They've heard it all before you see,
Just stoppin' over for a tune.

I'm the second fiddle,
Never the first in line,
A fiddle for a fiddle's sake I fear,
When Number One don't have the time.

- "The Second Fiddle" by Eric B. Ramey -

Deolapar, a quaint lesser-known rugged terrain; contiguous with Pench Tiger Reserve, along with Chorbahuli and Saleghat forms the vital link between two parts of Pench Tiger Reserve, in Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra. The three collectively constitute Mansingh Deo Wildlife Sanctuary, securing 183 sqkms of critical tiger landscape connectivity and providing crucial buffer to Pench National Park.

Deolapar, also popularly known as Khursapar, has risen in prominence in the last few years owing to a family of tigers that come from the famed lineage of tigers from the more popular, Touriya zone of Pench, Madhya Pradesh.

Durga, earlier resident female of Khursapar was a female cub of the Baghin Nala, sister to the famed Mataram or Collarwali, who breeding prowess & fertility ensured a clear lineage & occupancy of tigers across the Pench landscape. Baghin Nala, herself was a bright jewel whose death with her cubs due to poisoning had caused quite a stir. Durga’s litter of three cubs with a beautiful male, aptly named Handsome, gave Khursapar the much-needed tourism boost. Today, two of the sisters have taken over the landscape from their mother and are successfully breeding tigress’ themselves.

Baras, due to the Number 12 marked over her left eye - turned the most dominant and directly occupied her mother’s territory and her first litter in recent times have brought back memories of days when she and her siblings would never let someone looking for a tiger go back disappointed.

Bindu, her sister, was always the second fiddle. Although not shy, she was always slower to respond before tourists and did not necessarily carry the same confidence that her sister did. With time, she gained confidence and at some point, it seemed that she slowly, but increasingly had started demonstrating rivalry towards her sister. Almost when we thought it was going to happen, her sister took territory quite boldly.

Today, they own their respective territories, that has some intersection. The second fiddle tigress today is a show-stopper in the Teliya buffer near Khawasa, part of the Pench, Madhya Pradesh; and sometimes visits her part of her sister’s area where her territory intersects.

04 May 2017, Pench Tiger Reserve, Khursapar, Maharashtra