Know How Charger and Sita bought Bandhavgarh on the World Map!

India has always been a land of tigers, with numerous tiger folk lore dotting the Indian wildlife map. Be it Sheru from the wilds of Corbett who was one of the most amiable and cheery tigers one could ever come across only to become a man-eater in the dusk of his life or the infamed Dhitoo who killed a wildlife correspondent from a leading news channel while he was bird watching in the jungles of Corbett.

No tiger though, in the history of wildlife exploration, has managed to collectively captivate the senses of wildlife enthusiasts like Charger and Sita. For the uninitiated, here is a look at Charger

And this lovely black and golden frame is that of Sita, his mate at bandhavgarh jungle safari

Charger has made it to innumerable covers and documentaries on account of his peculiar habit of charging at jeeps and forestry vehicles at first sight; hence the name. Even though he was not a man-eater, his habit of lunging at the jeeps, sometimes playfully, made people travel to have a sighting; England to Antarctica, Charger was a celebrity and tourists playful paparazzi.

Sita, meanwhile, was like the dutiful wife who stood by the husband in his moment of fame. Also, Sita was a fierce hunter (as most females are; tigers seldom participate in a hunt) and it was her prerogative to keep the pack hale and hearty. Another reason why Sita made it to covers was because of her deep rooted love for Charger; the pair was parents to 16 cubs on their lifetime vis-à -vis a standard 7-8 for a pair.

Sita and Charger meant brisk business for the tourism department of Madhya Pradesh (the state which hosts the Bandhavgarh National Park). Footfalls had reached 75 enthusiasts checking in every day in peak safari season of November-March and every season it bought in documentary writers and wildlife channels to cover the might and myth of the much in love couple.

It was only when Charger passed away, due to natural ageing, did the curiosity stem down. The legacy is now taken forward by Charger and Sita’s most famous cub, B2. He is the most dominant male currently in the jungles of bandhavgarh tour package and attracts the same attention from tourists across the world. Though his legacy is not yet rich as his father’s but his poise and demeanour in front of tourists is also making him popular amongst the tribe.