India Wildlife | Jungle cat with kitten | Wildlife sightings in Baghvan

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Baghvan

Baghvan is aptly named after one of India's iconic symbols, the Bengal tiger (bagh - tiger and van - forest). This enchanting lodge is located on the edge of Pench National Park, a dry deciduous forest of predominantly teak trees and meandering jungle streams.

A typical Central Indian teak jungle, Pench supports a rich variety of wildlife, including the tiger, leopard, wild dog, gaur, sambar, chital and brilliant birdlife. The Park's open habitat not only lends well to wildlife viewing, but it also offers striking views of the area's sheer beauty. This national park received international recognition from Rudyard Kipling's classic tale, the Jungle Book.

Jungle cat with kitten

We were driving around a rocky area one evening, when I heard the Jungle Babblers start to alarm call. Then we saw a jungle cat emerge on the rocks. It stood for a few minutes and then went into a cave like opening. She came back with about a 1 ½ to 2 month-old kitten. They sat down on the grass and the kitten began to suckle. It suckled for a while and then began to play, jumping from one rock to another. The kitten then went into the cave and brought a dead hare and started to play with it. Again it played with the hare for a bit, and seeming to tire, sat down and began to chew on it. It was a treat to watch the antics of this rare young animal.

Posted: Baghvan by karun verma, Date: 21 March 2008