It may have been curiosity at first sight – but an accidental encounter with a tigress in Chandrapur (near Nagpur), India, changed Anant’s life forever. Little did he know that sighting a celebrated tigress would inspire him to write a book one day to uncover the life story of the tigress who was a centre of attention at one of India’s most popular tiger parks – Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). She has not been seen again after August 2023.
In this interview Anant Sonawane tells Hot Off the Press more about the book, who Maya was and what stories he uncovered on the journey.
Can you tell me what inspired you to write this book?
The tigress Maya was always close to my heart. I first encountered Maya in 2018. She passed so close to my jeep that I could have touched her if I had extended my hand. I was sitting inside, recording a video on my phone (this was before mobile phones were banned in Tadoba, a decision that I believe is very appropriate, but more on that later on). As she walked by, Maya stopped and locked eyes with me for a moment. It felt like lightning struck my heart in that instant. That moment will forever play in slow motion in my mind. After that, I saw Maya frequently, and my affection for her only grew stronger.
In 2023, I was editing a coffee table book, ‘Enchanting Tadoba’, for Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). Suddenly, an idea struck me- why not create a separate coffee table book solely dedicated to Maya? She was the most photographed tigress of India. Hence, getting the best of her photographs was not an issue at all. As I delved deeper into learning about her, I realised that Maya’s life was so thrilling and eventful that her story deserved to be told in the form of a book. Her life was filled with such gripping events that she seemed less like a tigress and more like the heroine of a movie. Her story encompassed all the essence of cinema- emotions, colours, and drama. She had to fight on various fronts constantly due to the presence of multiple males in her territory. As a result, she managed to raise very few of her cubs. This complex, nuanced character of Maya drew me even further into her story and inspired me to write this book.
After writing the book, I came to know that it was the first and only of its kind in India or perhaps the entire world- a book on an individual wild tiger.
Who is Maya and how did you investigate what happened?
Maya was the Queen of Tadoba. Being a tigress from the tourism zone, Maya was always in the spotlight and had constantly been a topic of discussion. She received infinite love and attention from tourists. Losing her mother prematurely, she inherited a territory rich in water and abundant prey species, which she aggressively defended. Maya’s friendly and sometimes intimate behaviour with tourists was her hallmark, earning her the title of the most photographed tigress. After ruling her territory fiercely for over a decade, she disappeared mysteriously in August 2023. I did not want this book to be just a collection of memories and events from her life. I wanted to support my writing with research. I delved into various official documents available with the Forest Department. I cross-checked stories and observations with seasoned wildlife enthusiasts and experts. In cases of conflicting references or observations, I chose the most logical ones. During this entire process, I kept on telling myself- “You have to look at Maya’s story not just with emotion but with the objectivity of a researcher.”
You have been in researching and indeed working in Tadoba – tell us a bit more about this nature reserve?
I have been working with Tadoba as its Communications Officer for more than three years. Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve is one of the oldest, and most popular tiger reserves in India, and is renowned worldwide for its unique biodiversity. The park is home to the fastest-growing tiger population in the world, as well as a variety of endemic and endangered flora and fauna. This reserve hosts approximately 80 species of mammals, including the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Indian gaur and wild dog. The 1750 sq km park has 300 species of birds, 65 species of reptiles, 125 species of butterflies, 125 species of snakes and 650 species of plants. Over two lakh wildlife enthusiasts across the world visit Tadoba every year.
How much is the story – through the lens of one tigress – about the conflict between man and animal
Maya’s story is not just hers alone; it represents the larger narrative of tiger as a species. The life of a tiger is fraught with challenges, and by adapting to them, the species has evolved in fascinating ways. Maya’s story bears witness to this resilience and transformation.
It also depicts the most important aspect of tiger conservation- man-animal conflict. Maya, though a darling of her admirers, killed four human beings during her tenure. I investigated each of these cases in depth and arrived at the conclusion that the tigress was not at fault. In each of these tragic instances, the victim was in a sitting or bending position, which might have been perceived as a small prey species like deer by the tigress. Generally, human beings are not the preferred prey species of tigers. Hence, they tend to avoid humans as far as possible. However, the tragic accidents happen if both come too close suddenly, or humans are in a crouching position. Only in an extreme case does a tiger become a man-eater, when it is either too old or injured to hunt.
Tell us what you can about the importance of Tadoba – the success of India’s Tiger conservation programme but also – are there now far too many tigers?
Over the years, Tadoba has emerged as a success story of tiger conservation in India. With over 90 tigers, Tadoba is considered a safe breeding ground for tigers in their natural habitat. This success can be attributed to the unique conservation model of the Tadoba administration, which involves local communities in the conservation process through eco-tourism, livelihood programs, and confidence-building initiatives.
With the success of conservation, the tiger population outside the reserve has increased. Today, the larger Tadoba landscape, the Chandrapur district, hosts more than 250 tigers. The abundant wildlife population outside protected areas is a serious issue across India. It has increased man-animal conflicts. At one point, the conservation policies will have to include a plan to control this population outside protected forests. In fact, the government is already working in that direction.
Talk us a bit about your own personal journey as you went about uncovering this story – you are a journalist, did that help?
My experience as a journalist certainly helped me a lot in this journey. As a journalist, you aren’t impressed easily. You try to cover all the angles of a story and rise above your own biases. Working with Tadoba made me realise that while each tiger is important, the focus should be on conserving the entire species. This perspective of objectivity helped me write about Maya without getting lost in my affection for her and instead relying on facts and evidence. I guess this meticulous information-gathering and filtering process made this biography more authentic.
Readers worldwide, including the UK, can order the book ‘Forever Maya’ on http://www.forevermaya.com.
A bit about the author of Forever Maya:
Anant currently works as the Communications Officer for the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Chandrapur, since November 2021. He’s also the Executive Editor of the English monthly newsletter Tadoba Diaries since December 2021. The content focuses on Tadoba’s wildlife, experiences of tourists and forest officers, conservation efforts, and nature education. Anant has previously worked in journalism in senior roles for English and Marathi media outlets. Ek Hoti Maya, his first book, received the Lokmat Literature Award. He’s previously won other awards in the field of journalism.
Watch Anant talk about Maya, in this podcast.