But the call of a langur is enough for the small group of people — including volunteers from all walks of life and forest department officials huddled together in an anti-poaching camp (ACP) deep inside the forest, to forget all about their physical discomfort and jump into work. For, a tiger might be in the vicinity, and sighting it would be the best reward ever.

It is not every day that you get to sight a tiger. There are instances of people having spent thousands of rupees to hire a jeep and spend as many as 10 days in the core areas of Bandipur Tiger Reserve to get a glimpse of the majestic animal. It is about being in the right place at the right time to realise your dream.

And it was exactly that for Raghavendra, lecturer from Sringeri, who, within moments of stepping into the forest, spotted the big cat for the very first time in his life on Wednesday.This couldn’t have happened if he had not enrolled for the Tiger Census, (which is being conducted in all the tiger reserves across the country), he says.

“I had not expected it at all. We had just started the data collection work shortly after which I got to see the tiger. It was pure luck. We changed our track as two tuskers came in our way. If we hadn’t done that I don’t think I would have gotten so lucky. I am glad that I requested to be shifted from Bannerghatta range, where I was first asked to volunteer, to Bandipur. This has been a very good start,” he gushed.

Also, not all members of his five-member group got to see the tiger. It was just him and the forest guard.

Wildlife craze

Thousands of wildlife enthusiasts who have seen the tiger in the wild and those who haven’t, have seized the opportunity of participating in the census work, and though it is about contributing your bit towards wildlife conservation, it is most definitely about your personal moment with one of the most fascinating felines in the wild.

However, not everybody has been as lucky as Raghavendra. A group of youngsters comprising students and professionals, who had been scouring their beat, looking for direct and indirect evidences of a tiger’s presence, were disheartened to hear on the walkie-talkie that they had missed the same tiger by about fifteen minutes.

What has been more frustrating for the group is the discovery of fresh scat and pugmarks all along their beat.

“Yes, it came as complete disappointment that we missed the opportunity. We have been in the forests for two days now, and we are still hopeful of sighting the tiger. But in the meanwhile, we have been getting to learn a lot walking along these long stretches, which had been lacking every time we came into the forests on safaris,” said Vigesh, Shreyas and Siddharth, third year BBM students of Vidyashram College, Mysore.

The boys who have spent all their childhood days visiting Mysore Zoo, “just to see the tiger”, were excited about being selected for the census work, that they purchased brand new paraphernalia including accessories and sleeping bags.

Having lost their labrador about four months ago, the census for Siddharth T S and his wife Vasantha Sridhar from Bangalore, came as a good opportunity to not just connect with nature, but also find a replacement for their loss.

“I have been so depressed ever since our dog died. Wildlife has always been a passion, but our dog has been an inspiration for us to come out here and be part of this exercise,” said Vasantha.