A tiger named Samrat

Samrat, an eight-year-old male Bengal tiger, roams the Tala and Khitauli zones of Bandhavgarh. Tour guide Viswajit Singh Solanki describes him as elusive, living on the hills with carefree abandon.

“He lives on the hills and is quite elusive.”

Bandhavgarh's tiger population

Bandhavgarh was declared a tiger reserve in nineteen ninety-three. It is home to one hundred sixty-four tigers according to the last population census, of which thirty-five are accessible to tourists in core and buffer zones.

Madhya Pradesh leads India

Madhya Pradesh itself leads India's tiger census with more than seven hundred eighty tigers spread across its wildlife reserves. Bandhavgarh is among the top places in the world to spot a tiger.

Core and buffer zones

Bandhavgarh spans one thousand five hundred thirty-six square kilometres, divided almost equally into core and buffer zones. Buffer zones include farms and villages where sub-adult tigers find easier prey like cattle.

Sustainability at Kings Lodge

Solar energy powers more than seventy-five percent of cottages at Kings Lodge, a fourteen-hectare resort with ten cottages and eight stilt houses. Pugdundee Safaris, which runs the lodge, hopes to be declared carbon-neutral in a couple of years.

Wildlife career programmes

Pugdundee Safaris runs Pro-Nat, a non-profit initiative to groom people for wildlife careers. A-Nat targets amateur naturalists with limited time, while Y-Nat focuses on children aged twelve to seventeen through four practical forest-based modules.

Tiger shows of the past

A couple of decades ago, Bandhavgarh used elephants to spot tigers in what were called tiger shows. Tourists paid a supplement to climb elephants for glimpses of tigers, with no pressure to sight them. The government ultimately banned these shows.

Pressure to spot tigers

Due to immense pressure to spot tigers, tourists now prefer buffer zones more than they did a few years ago. Manav Khanduja of Pugdundee Safaris says technology and artificial intelligence require new approaches to responsible tiger tourism.

Bandhavgarh's history

Tala Zone contains more than a dozen caves and a fort believed to be more than one thousand years old. Locals say Lord Rama built it for his brother Lakshman, giving the place its name Bandhavgarh, meaning fort for the brother.

Supreme Court cellphone ban

Following a Supreme Court ruling in early two thousand twenty-six, tourists cannot bring cellphones into the park. Most reserves have lockers or boxes to deposit mobiles, aimed at responsible wildlife tourism and reducing stress on animals.

Shifting focus from photos

In the past, tourists focused on observing the tiger's beauty and details like stripes and injury marks. Tour guide Viswajit Singh Solanki hopes the cellphone ban will restore this focus, as tourists now prioritize capturing footage and photos instead.

“In the past, the focus was on observing the beauty and grandeur of the tiger. Tourists used to spend time focussing on every little detail, including its stripes and injury marks.”

Selfies with tigers

Cases have occurred of tourists attempting to take selfies with tigers. Viswajit Singh Solanki says avoiding phones will help tourists enjoy tiger sightings more fully and responsibly.

“If you avoid the phone, you will enjoy sighting the tigers.”