TIGER TRAIL

Kanha, Pench, Kabini, Kanha again, and now Ranthambore. The elusive search for the magnificent cat, took us to Rajasthan, this time! Rajasthan is an amazing land, history beckons at every corner and you can't but be blown away by the architectural splendour of the forts, palaces and havelis. There is also the great desert, the Aravalli mountain ranges and vast areas of greenery. And there are the rugged and hilly forests of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, which is as much about nature, as it is about history! The Ranthambore National Park lies between the Aravali hills and the Vindhyan plateau and the first awe inspiring sight that greets you when you enter the park, is the imposing 10th Century fort of Ranthambore, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

It is a typically cold but sunny December afternoon, certainly more siesta time, than safari time! But there we were, three layers of clothing and all, in an open top Maruti Gypsy, heading off into Tiger country. Ranthambore, like all other sanctuaries, is divided into zones and we were assigned zone three, on that day. Our driver cum guide was a reticent soul and the only thing of note that he shared with us was that the governor of Rajasthan, VVIP in government parlance, was also likely to be on the trail. The unspoken message was that we had to stay out of her way!


We often tend to forget that the jungle is home to an amazing array of animals and birds and while the big cats are the most glamorous, the 'lesser' lights are no less beautiful. The Sambar deer is a fine example of that.  

Ranthambore also abounds in Nilgai, the deer species that looks more like a horse!! What a majestic bearing and gait he has!

The Chinkara or the Indian Gazelle and Chital are the other commonly spotted animals in these forests.

Ranthambore is a very picturesque forest as well, both because of its varied terrain and the large water bodies that lie within its vast expanse. Unsurprisingly, this is where the inhabitants of the forest, big and small, weak and strong, all throng, especially in summer, to escape the searing heat and to quench their thirst.

These forests are also home to the snub nosed marsh crocodile and we saw a few of them, sunning themselves in the lazy winter sun.

 

Bird life in Ranthambore is as colourful and exciting as anything else. Over 270 species are said to have been documented and these cover a wide sweep of both resident and migrant birds.

Purple Sunbird

Oriental Magpie Robin

As I have discovered over the years, photographing birds is one of the most challenging things, especially for an amateur like me. By the time you've composed your picture and got your settings in place, the guy's gone! It can be so frustrating at times!

Black Redstart

Grey-headed canary flycatcher

But nature teaches you patience and humility and over time, I have learnt to be grateful for the wonderful sights she has shown me and the few nice photographs that I have been fortunate to shoot.

Rufous Treepie

Gosh! this started off as a tiger tale, didn't it? I guess I did get carried away with the other riches of the wild. But with the Governor breathing down on us, our reticent, not so unfriendly driver decided that we ordinary mortals deserved a fair chance, as well. As we bumped and jolted along the much traversed trails, we suddenly spied another parked Jeep, with a game warden like lady at the wheel. As we pulled alongside, we realised why she was parked-There in the long grass lay, in all his majesty, the magnificent cat, Akash, looking disdainfully at us gaping humans, indulging us, as our cameras clicked furiously away!

The wait of a lifetime was over! But the lure of the wild has only grown stronger. Perhaps, another day, another tiger.