Mahaman's Legacy of Dominance in Bandhavgarh National Park
For over a decade, Mahaman has held dominion over some 80 square kilometers of Magadhi in Bandhavgarh National Park. However, recently, his absence has been conspicuous, sparking speculation among tiger enthusiasts.
Today, we remain hopeful.
With the advantage of our full-day passes granting early park access, a cacophony of barking deer and langur alarm calls at Sukhi Patiha, a man-made water hole within Mahaman’s territory, has heightened our optimism.
Could it be Mahaman?
In the annals of time, Mahaman once monopolized a larger territory in the Magadhi zone of Bandhavgarh National Park until his dramatic downfall in 2017. It was then that Mahaman’s nemesis, the enigmatic tiger Mr. X, also known as Bamera Son, dethroned and unceremoniously ousted the once-mighty Mahaman.
The Intrigue of Bandhavgarh National Park's Game of Thrones
But the legacy Mahaman carries today is not solely his own. Like most male tigers, Mahaman’s saga is no stranger to the Game of Thrones in Bandhavgarh National Park.
Back in the 2000s, Jobhi Male, Mahaman’s formidable father, found himself entangled in a fierce duel with Bamera, progenitor of Mr. X. In an exchange of primal ferocity, Jobhi Male inflicted grievous injuries upon Bamera’s forepaws but paid a harrowing price in return. Jobhi Male lost an eye behind enemy lines, a heavy sacrifice in the relentless pursuit of territorial dominance.
The bad blood runs deeper still. Bokha, the ambitious patriarch of Mahaman’s lineage, and B2, Mr. X’s grandfather, fathered this intergenerational strife. Bokha, meaning broken tooth in Hindi, aptly named for his fractured canine, ousted B2 to the nondescript fringes of the Tala range of Bandhavgarh National Park.
Mahaman Today: A Battle for Survival
As the langur alarm calls inch closer from treetop to treetop, our naturalist kickstarts the engine of the 4×4 with promptitude, leaving a serried line-up of gypsies behind. Word travels fast, or call it shooting in the dark, but by now, 4-5 more gypsies have joined the line-up. She leaves them behind, and the guide nods in approval as we park surreptitiously next to what locals call a pugdundee, a thin trail used by animals to cross paths.
What happens next is not budgeted for. “Woh dekho tiger” (Look! A tiger!), squawks the guide, as a heavyset body crosses right in front of us. Flawless, with no scars from battles of yesteryears, it has to be Mahaman. He plods across nonchalantly like an aged phantom with stooped shoulders in his characteristically understated manner. In seconds it’s over.
Consumed by the suddenness of it all, we leave the scene in a reverie, only to be woken up by a few stragglers, all eager to know if we saw a tiger.
As a new generation of male tigers vies for territory, how Mahaman navigates the shifting balance of power in the complex dynamics of Bandhavgarh National Park will be interesting to watch.
Photo Credits: Anshuman Shah
