My Tryst with Tiger

Like any other indian child, I grew up learning little bit about the tiger. It is our national animal, it is carnivorous and lives in Jungle. I always found this white, black and orange striped animal much more handsome than the king of the jungle- lion. During one of my many summer trips to Delhi, I once had a chance to visit the then famous (I don't know if it is still) Delhi Zoo with my parents, cousins, uncles and aunts. There was lot of excitment in the air specially for us children. One cage after the other we saw all sorts of animals and birds which we had learnt about in school - elephant, crocodile, peacock, parrots etc. We finally halted in front of the cage of "that animal which I found much more handsome than the king of the jungle- lion". With my eyes wide opened I looked at it - it was lying on the ground, wagging its tail slightly, eyes closed and unperturbed by the courious onlookers around him. But what the hell !! - it did not have those white, orange and black strips as I learnt it in school, as I saw it in my colourful ABC english book. IT'S WHITE !! ALL WHITE !! What was wrong...it is not a real tiger. But strangely it did sort of look like a tiger - those big whiskers, those scary claws and that "tiger like" face only the color was not matching. Well, to be honest I don't remember asking my parents about what was wrong with it. Maybe I didn't after all ask them as I might have felt disappointed or thought maybe there is a "real" tiger somehwere else in the zoo. Well, that was the last time I ever went to that zoo...no not because of "that white tiger".


In the year 1997 I got my first chance to visit a wildlife national park in India -Jim Corbett and to see the tiger in its own natural habitat. During my short stay at Dhikala rest house at the park I went on morning and evening jeep and elephant safaries but never could spot that elusive animal. Around bonfire there would be quite a few stories about tiger being spotted making rounds. It would mostly come from guides telling that one of their fellow guide spotted one today !! But it was never the wildlife enthusiasts like me who got the chance to say "Hey ! It was my lucky day !" My guide would almost always spot the paws of the tiger on the ground "Madam this is the paw of a tigress and look here, these small ones these are of her cubs. It seems she has just passed by as the markings are so fresh and so she should be around somewhere here. Today is going to be our day Madam!" But alas it was never my day. I visited Jim Corbett twice again but without success.


I thought Jim Corbett is not the only wildlife national park in India where tigers could be found. My mother country is also blessed with many other such beautiful wildlife parks so let me try my luck with them. After doing a bit of research on internet I zeroed it on Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. I still remember that hot summer month of May 2003. Typical indian summer with temperatures souring to 45 degree centigrade. I chose this month to travel because I came to know from guides in Jim Corbbet that during peak summer time animals are easy to spot as they like to be around or in water holes to cool themselves from this intense heat. I reached there and stayed at a very comfortable lodge on the outsirkts of the park. My first day morning and evening jeep safaries were unsuccessful. During the peak afternoon time with sun blazing right over my head I could only spot my guide and me in the jungle ...there was no sight of any other animal apart from us....the jungle was so calm and so still. After first day of unsuccessful trip I started to feel quite disappointed. Next day with hardly any hope in my heart I again went for the morning jeep safari. After around one hour I suddenly (believe me suddenly) bumped into tiger !!! Not that it was waiting for us in the middle of the jungle track...no. It was sitting near a dry bush and having its lunch !! YES..IT WAS EATING ITS PREY! As I could not believe my eyes I looked at it intently - those big whiskers, that big tail and what else do I see??? THOSE ORANGE, WHITE AND BLACK STRIPS ! Exactly the way it was in my english ABC book. "It's a real tiger...it's a real tiger" I almost shouted. "Madam please be quite otherwise the tiger will run away" said my guide. In this whole excitment I forget to take photos of the tiger till my guide said, "Madam won't you take any photos?" And then my camera never stopped. In all the twenty photos I took the pose of the tiger never changed. At the most it looked at us briefly but mostly it was busy eating its meal. I never wanted to move from there. What if it was the only tiger I end up seeing my whole life? I wanted to sit next to it and pat him and say "Thanks...it really means a lot to me". But we had to leave and so we came back to the lodge. That evening I was shouting on top of my voice to let every guest at the lodge know whom I met today; I was making sure that I was the center of attraction. The best part is that my tryst with tiger did not end there. Next day was equally good. I saw a tiger marking its territory by spraying its urine on the tree trunk. On the third day I saw a tigress with three cubs. It was a wonderful sight as the mother and cubs were in a playful mood and were not bothered by the onlookers. They happily posed for the photos. I kept on taking photos and videos till my battery died. During my one week stay at Ranthambore, I saw seven different tigers (not exaggerating). I could not believe my luck. The experience was too good to be true. I had finally managed to see our national animal in its own natural habitat.


That one week experience at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is still very vivid in my mind and unless I suffer from dementia or alzheimer I know for sure I will never forget my tryst with tiger. And by the way, I came to know what was wrong with that tiger at Delhi Zoo - it was an albino !