Lisa Renate Armilion and her daughter Nicloe Natasha Pajovic explored Panna and Bandhavgarh on a short March 2025 safari, experiencing the forests from misty mornings to quiet, starlit drives. From sloth bears, tiger cubs, and crocodiles in Panna to iconic big cats like Bajrang, Pujari, Kateebah, Darrah, and Chakradhara in Bandhavgarh, every drive added a new highlight to their wildlife story. Their brief holiday became a memorable big-cat escape in the heart of Central India’s wild landscapes.
Escort: Manish Sharma

Report By: Mr. Sudhir Sharma

Night to Day Safari Chronicles (04/03/2025)

There are few experiences more humbling and awe-inspiring than venturing into the heart of the wild, where nature reveals its untamed rhythm. March 4th, 2025, gifted me a rare opportunity to witness Panna Tiger Reserve’s magic unfold across three safaris — night, morning, and afternoon. Each held its own tapestry of encounters, each moment more thrilling than the last.

03/ Mar/ 2025

Night Safari: Whispers in the Darkness

The night draped the forest in velvet silence, but the jungle was anything but still. Our path was lit only by the soft gleam of fireflies and the occasional flash of reflective eyes. We began with a thrilling sight — three subadult sloth bears, lumbering through the undergrowth, their coarse coats catching the moonlight. Moments later, an elusive Asian Palm Civet darted across our headlights, melting back into the shadows as quickly as it appeared.

Above us, the calls of nightjars echoed in the quiet, accompanied by the haunting hoots of distant owls. Just as we thought the safari had peaked, a majestic Indian porcupine, large and unbothered, strolled across our path, quills shimmering like spears in the night. It was a reminder — the jungle never sleeps.

04/ Mar/ 2025

Morning Safari (Zone: Madla):

The Circle of Life With the first rays of the sun piercing through the sal trees, the forest came alive. Our hearts skipped a beat when we encountered Tigress P141’s cubs — four of them, barely eight months old, frolicking playfully under the watchful gaze of their mother hidden nearby. It was nature at its purest and most tender.

Further along, a sloth bear mother with cubs gave us another rare glimpse into the parenting lives of the wild. The forest floor was a mosaic of spotted deer, wild boars, and cheeky langurs swinging from tree to tree. As we neared a secluded water spring, the glint of a crocodile’s eye broke the surface — prehistoric calm in an otherwise bustling scene.

Afternoon Safari (Zone: Madla): Wings, Scales, and Feathers
As the day matured, the safari turned into an ornithologist’s dream. We reached Vulture’s Point, where a group of long-billed vultures surveyed the canyon with regal indifference. Overhead, swift falcons cut through the sky, their speed a blur. Down by the Ken River, we observed four crocodiles sunbathing on the banks — still and commanding.

The trees and skies danced with color and movement. The chatter of Jungle Babblers (aptly called “Seven Sisters”), the flash of turquoise from the Indian Roller, and the buzzing elegance of the Green Bee-eater painted a picture of vibrant biodiversity. We also spotted the Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, the charismatic Rufous Treepie, and the ever-vigilant Black Drongo, each adding their unique note to the forest’s ongoing symphony.

There’s something undeniably captivating about watching the wilderness shift — not just in light and sound, but in terrain, temperament, and life itself. Over the course of two days, I transitioned from the familiar forests of Panna to the legendary tiger lands of Bandhavgarh. Each moment revealed a new face of Central India’s vibrant biodiversity.

05/Mar/2025

Morning Safari (Zone: Madla), Panna:
Grace in the Grasslands Our final morning in Panna opened with a graceful spectacle — a fleeting view of the Indian Gazelle, also known as the Chinkara, the smallest of Asia’s antelopes. It moved with delicate precision across the golden scrub, almost disappearing into the landscape.

Avian life put on a brilliant show: the confident swoop of the Black Drongo, the haunting silhouette of the Grey Hornbill, and the elegant postures of three majestic stork species — the Black Stork, White-backed Stork, and the intricately patterned Painted Stork. Along the Ken River, a marsh crocodile basked on the banks, eyes half-shut, an ancient guardian of this ecosystem.

Afternoon brought a transfer to Bandhavgarh — no safari, but excitement building for what was to come.

Then came Bajrang — the dominant male tiger of Tala — regal and commanding. Alongside this unforgettable sighting, we saw three mongooses, a massive Indian Gaur, and a vivid array of birds including Common Kingfisher, Black-necked Ibis, Spotted Owlet, Indian Roller, and Red-wattled Lapwing.

06/ Mar/ 2025– Morning Safari (Zone: Khitauli), Bandhavgarh: A Quiet Start
While tigers remained elusive, the forest sang with winged life: Crested Serpent Eagle, Green Bee-eater, White-breasted Kingfisher, and Double-crested Cormorants. Jackals and spotted deer moved silently through the shadows.

Afternoon Safari (Zone: Tala): Meeting Bajrang, King of the Jungle

07/ Mar/ 25– Morning Safari (Zone -Khitauli): Layers of Life

From Lesser Adjutant Stork and White-bellied Drongo to male Barking Deer, Blue Bull, jackals, and a Crested Serpent Eagle — the morning was rich with rare sightings.

Afternoon Safari (Zone-Magadhi): We spotted Golden-backed Woodpecker, female Barking Deer, Jungle Fowl, Woolly-necked Stork, Honey Buzzard, and more — a quieter, yet diverse safari.

08/ Mar/ 2025 – Morning Safari (Zone-Khitauli): The Tiger Day
Darrah Female with two cubs (no photos), plus Pujari Male and Kateebah Female — five tigers sighted. Also seen: Jackals, Black Wood Owl, Green Pigeons.

Afternoon Safari (Zone-Tala): Chakradhara Female with her three newest cubs and a subadult from a previous litter — five tigers, all photographed. Wild elephants added grandeur to the experience.

09/ Mar/ 2025– Morning (Zone-Magadhi):  Feline Shadows and Feathered Beauty
No tigers, but a Jungle Cat, Indian Gaur, Kingfisher, Crested Serpent Eagle, and Black-shouldered Kite added intrigue.

Afternoon Safari (Zone-Khitauli): Kateebah Female and her subadult daughter — powerful moments in the fading light.

10/ Mar/2025– Morning (Zone-Tala): The Final Chapter
No tigers, but sightings of vultures, Gaur, and Crested Serpent Eagle.

Wildlife Tally:
– Tigers Sighted: 09 days
– Total Different Tigers Identified: 16
– Tigers Photographed: 15
– Sloth Bears: 3 subadults , Palm Civet & Indian Porcupine in night Safari. + mother with cubs
– Notables: Wild elephants, Jungle Cat, Black Wood Owl, Blue Bull, rare raptors, and vibrant forest life.

Final Reflection:

Bandhavgarh doesn’t just show you its tigers — it lets you sense the weight of generations in their gaze, the echo of ancestors in every footfall. And while the tigers steal the spotlight, the real soul of the forest lies in its smallest birds, in the hush between rustles, and in the moments where time feels suspended between pawprints and wings.