Spellbinding stripes
It was the call of the tigers that made Dr Krishnakumar Mechoor, an orthopaedic surgeon, fall in love with the wild. His fascination with the enigmatic cat began after watching Nat Geo documentaries. 'And I bought my first camera just to photograph tigers,' he says.
It was after completing his studies and starting work that Krishnakumar first ventured into Bandipur to see a tiger for real. 'They are really shy, solitary beings. That's why spotting a tiger in the wild — even from a distance — gives such a high,' says Dr Krishnakumar.
'Tiger is the apex predator. The entire forest comes alive when a tiger is on the prowl. Birds and monkeys start warning calls, other animals flee as soon as possible. Even the trees and wind seem to react.'
Photographs are secondary to him, says the Thrissur-based doctor. 'It's that moment of seeing a tiger with bare eyes that gives me a kick,' he adds.
Dr Krishnakumar recalls seeing a tigress, Maya, the dominant female from Tadoba Tiger Reserve. 'She was training her cubs. I got to just sit and watch her cubs hunt a piglet. I will never forget that moment,' he says.
Jim Corbett remains his favourite wildlife sanctuary. 'You can see tigers crossing the Ram Ganga River. In winter, they grow a fur coat, which makes them appear even larger. It's where Parwali and Pedwali rule,' he smiles.
Interestingly, the surgeon has tattoos of Parwali and her paw print on his arm.
Their lives are very difficult, he says. 'Territorial wars and attacks from other tigers make it hard for them to nurture their cubs,' he says.
According to him, Parwali has had four litters, but only one cub, Pedwali, has made it to adulthood.
'Only by watching them can you understand the challenges they face. Tourism both helps and harms. While it promotes tiger conservation, it also disturbs their natural habitat, especially during hunting,' says Dr Krishnakumar.
That's one reason why Kerala isn't ideal for tiger sightings. 'Only 15 percent of our forests are open to the public. Tigers rarely appear there. Otherwise, you must travel with researchers,' he says
Dr Krishnakumar says Wayanad, like Bandipur and Kabini, should have been a tiger reserve. 'The lack of it is why we see so many conflicts. A good chunk of forest has been encroached upon by humans,' he laments.
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