The Eternal Seven

Picture Credits- The Bison Resort

 Its safe to say that very few understand the forests of Kabini and its inhabitants like the bison does. With world-class naturalists and trackers who have studied the area, named individuals and dedicated the last decade mastering this jungle, their origin, early images, how they were named, their journey and where are they now. Named by the head naturalists of "The Bison", Shaaz Jung and Mithun H, we will start with their favorite and none other than he who started it all; Scarface.

Scarface

Meet the first of our eternal seven; none other than the undefeated king who still reigns supreme. He was once fathered by one of the most powerful leopards who was called Pardus, and mothered by leopardess with eyes as blue as the summer sky. She withered with the winter winds  of 2009 but in those winds of change, something stirred. Twilight beckoned and on an eerie evening in the summer of 2010, a king was born. He wore a scar as deep as the woods and at the dawn, the next day he was named Scarface. There he was, on a fallen log, as if it was his throne, sitting like a true emperor. Pardus, his predecessor was later seen limping and little was known that we were witnessing the rise of India's most iconic leopards.

The rise of Scarface was aas sudden as it was quick. He soon dominated the Kabini backwaters where he lured in two females, Cleopatra and Boor. The three of them became a phenomenon as they turned Kabini into the 'Land of the Leopards' and following their families has been 'The Bison's ' most memorable journeys. They allowed the naturalists to understand and photograph this spotted feline like never before.

It is absolutely astonishing how Scarface has retained his territory. Kabini over the past 5 years has seen a dramatic rise in the population of tigers and this has without doubt affected his behaviour but he still controls the forest as if he was the apex. Today scarface is over 10 years old and so are Cleopatra and Boor. They are still as agile as they once were and still as loyal. 

Kismet

Meet the second of our eternal seven none other than the true queen of Kabini. She is called Kismet(means 'destiny' in Hindi) for it was her destiny to rule. She was fathered by a fallen legend , known dearly to The Bison as Euco, and mothered by Ghost; one of the sharpest and most intelligent of Tigresses. Blessed with powerful genes, no one ever doubted Kismet's journey to the top and the naturalists at The Bison were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to document her entire life. 

Kismet was a year old when her father passed. The forest had just lost the king and was searching for balance. Her mother needed a new mate and went into the far-away lands of the Bisalwadi area where she tried to lure Valentino; a male who was emerging from the core. After several months of courtship Ghost returned to her daughter who had come of age. Kismet had grown big in Ghosts absence and now ruled the backwaters, not allowing her mother to retain her lands . Kismet quickly pushed her sister out as well and lured valentino into the backwaters with ease. Within a month, the backwaters with ease. Within a month, the backwaters had a new king and queen. Together they ruled and it was only a matter of time before Kismet had her first litter, three beautiful cubs that are a year old now and are regullarly seen . They are the future of this forest with a powerful lineage that almost guarantees ruler-ship. We just cant wait to see where life takes Kismat. We wish her well and may her tribe continue to increase. 

Khal

Kings. We've watched the greatest rise and the most incredible fall. 

Over the past decade, The bison has documented several tiger cubs. Most have vanished, a few females have overthrown their mother but no male, born in the tourism zone, has ever ruled. Not until the winter of 2015. 

On a misty morning, three cubs were born under a bridge of an abandoned highway, two very skittish and one absolutely fearless. They were mothered by one of the most iconic females, the tiger tank female, known to us as Dindal and fathered by Machiavelli, the vanishing king who always returned.

The forest in 2015 had just lost Euco, the dominant male and was begging for balance. Many fallen kings from the far away lands tried to fill the void but were unsuccessful in their triumph. It was clear that the jungle wanted a ruler who was young and powerful and natural selection always had a beautiful way of choosing the most robust genes to be passed down. 

Dindals cubs couldn't have been born at a better time. Two were females and the other was a daring male who exuded arrogance. At three months old, the cubs were attacked by a bull gaur, two fled but one stood his ground. That night some naturalists sat down by the campfire trying to think of a powerful name worthy of the character and just like that, 'Khal' was born. Khal, short for Khalifa, meant ruler. 

Khal was destined to be the king. He always had a little glint in his eyes from the day he was born . As time passed he became unstoppable, Khal soon linked up with his sister and together they pushed the other tigers. She took over the abandoned highway where they were born and Khal took over the rest. Every night from our rooms, we could hear his distant roars and as the nights passed, they became louder. Khal had finally arrived. 

Today, Khal holds one of the biggest territories a male tiger has ever held in the Kabini tourism zone. He covers more than 12 kilometers a day as he patrols the earth. He is your biggest chance of spotting a big male in kabini. May the Khal live long.

                                                           Saya

 Trust the eye of the forest at night, for there is more who betrays her sight, all but one who now just might, for he is darker than her night. 

Many years ago it was the winds of the Kymara that sent its first chills down, The bison's spine. A predator was near and whatever it was, waited for darkness before choosing to move. One last glance at the road and in the distance something dark moved, so dark that it looked like it had carved a piece of the night out. Like the shadow of a big cat, it shifted shape and vanished. Little did we know that many moons later, it would make sense. 

At the Bison, Kymara was known as the land of the tall and twisted trees. Shadow-lands where the undergrowth was darker than the night sky. Lands that need a king true to its habitat and with monsoon clouds of 2014 Kymara was blessed with more than just rain. Like the wind, he was concealed but his presence was felt. He took the forest that would become the soul. He defied the laws of natural selection and thrived by adapting in the most phenomenal ways . At the bison he was named 'Saya', which meant 'shadow' in the local language. 

Saya was small, young and sleek. Too small at first to battle the kings so instead he stole the queens. Cleopatra, Mist and Kate belonged to Scarface and Torn Ears but they had been wood away by the nomadic panther in search of a home. He courted them together and continued to lure more females as he slowly took over the parts of the forest that belonged to Torn Ears and Scarface. Torn Ears shifted to an area where newer and younger females lurked but Scarface's lands were under threat from both Saya and Kismet, the resident tigress. A battle was imminent and it happened on a hot summer afternoon. The next morning Scarface was back in the backwaters and limping. Both were left wounded but they reached an important understanding at least for now.

The Bison's head naturalists Shaaz jung and Mithun H have dedicated their lives to him and are now making a movie on him for Nat Geo Wild and Symbio Studios.