Explore Navegaon Gate: Tadoba National Park
Witness Wildlife at Navegaon Gate and its Tiger Sighting
TATR, Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve, is known for its Tiger sighting success rate and also a huge variety of flora fauna, amidst the 15 plus gates that are there. One does, and I also used to think that in the same range of TATR so many gates would have similar topography and there wouldn't be much variation in flora fauna and even the habitation pattern of the Big Guys. The safari rides would be covering the same area internally even if you are entering from different gates, which sounded logically true to me.
But I was pretty surprised, as that was not the case with all the gates, even if a couple did share but still they would have unique spots of their own. Mostly the region inside is different and demarcated by virtual boundaries known to the drivers and guides. More so for each safari you have 4 hrs only, and they are spread over 20% of the forest area.
Navegaon Gate Tiger Safari Experience
Today I shall talk about the Navegaon gate, one of the Core gates of TATR, and why it may be preferred for tiger sighting over the others being Moharli, Kolara, Zari, Kuthwanda and Pangdi.
It's at a convenient distance of 130km from Nagpur, approx, and very well connected by good smooth roads. It permits 12 safari rides in a day, 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening. As it is a bit away from the nearest city of
In Chimur and other villages, the hustle bustle is less and the animals seem to have a more cool, happy and calm posture.
The major advantage of Navegaon is, it is surrounded by the other three core areas of Mohurli/ Kolara and Kuthwanda. More so the approach to Navegaon gate itself is very exciting as the last 15 mins crosses through the forest area and one feels they are already inside the forest, till one reaches the gate.
The flora fauna, though majorly the same in TATR, due to geographical locations has variation due to the topography and the landscape. Even the number of tigers and its population is higher, more so due to the territory overlapping. The safari from these gates permits to move through all the other core area also, but as this is a bit distant to the city's hustle bustle we generally find the quieter animals more this side, like the sloth bear.
The driver and guides, who know the movements and the characters of these big guys and others, judge and identify potential areas where they could be located based on the previous rides, post discussion with their colleagues after the safari, and hence targeting potential tiger sightings becomes easy.
The flora fauna of this gate is similar, and in my opinion would rate as 5 on 5 compared to the other gates, again this is because of the aligned nearby gates to it. The gate also has the advantage that it cuts across the centre of the buffer zone, leaving one with a greater chance of luck, though it does not go inside but then touches them. The topography is magnificent and the location has a couple water bodies, hillock and rocky areas with a huge cover of green. Because of the ups and downs the trees also look and feel different, and even their growth seems better and taller.The ghost tree (Sterculia Urens) tree actually spreads itself out and looks like a ghost waiting to embrace you.☺ Not only this but because of its topography and contour the sightings of birds seems so much easier. Navegaon has diverse vegetation ranging from dry to moist forest, while the forest type is Southern Tropical dry Deciduous.
The flamed back Woodpecker is such a delight to watch, and why not the Tickell blue Flycatcher, apart from the Oriole, grey hornbill, grey headed fish eagle, owl to name a few. There are 209 plus types of birds, 26 species of mammals and 9 species of replies. The back water also gets lots of migratory birds in their specific season.
Navegaon boasts to have 60% of the bad species found in the entire of Maharashtra. Yes if you are a snake lover and you are lucky you might spot one of the big ones, while RV/ RS seems easier to find.
It's a nice safari gate in TATR and like others you need to do a couple of rides for satisfaction, and even if the Big boys disappoint you the drive the vegetation the peace and tranquility of the forest would fill you up.
Certain things to note if you are planning safari are:
- Reserve your ride in advance through the online tool, portal "www.safaribooking.mahaforest.gov.in".
- Ensure your booking has all the names that are to go as last minute add ons or changes are not permissible, and the ticket also has the mandate identity number.
- Do not forget to carry the ICard number given in the ticket as they would check the same at the time of entry.
- These safari bookings are non refundable.
- Bookings can be done 45 days in advance for Indian citizens while it can be done 90 days prior for foreign nationals.
- Without a booking the entry is not possible and neither is there a quota or Tatkal system, which could be in the Buffer area.
- Please read the do's and don'ts of the area, which is critical unless you would want to have action on you.
- Do not excite or coax the guides to do which is not as per the book, as before you the poor guys get banned and are deprived of earnings, as they are paid per safari.
- Prepare oneself as per the weather you are going, as the weather does go to extremes.
- Please plan knowing that the Core gates are closed from 1st July to 30th of Sept.
Embark on an unforgettable adventure of tiger sighting at Navegaon Gate in Tadoba National Park with 98 Stripes. Experience the wonders of wildlife and tiger sighting through thrilling safaris and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Discover the best of Tadoba with our expert guides. Book your tiger safari now and create memories that last a lifetime.