Highlights from one of our clients’ tiger encounters.
Seeing a tiger in the wild was an incredible privilege that not many people in the world can boast such an experience.
We were staying at Tuli Tiger Resort and ventured in to Kanha National Park which is simply breath-taking. Mixed with grasslands and tall Sal trees, it has a unique landscape and just being in the jungle environment, was so very exciting. I remember it was around 7:30 am (not long after we left camp) and we were in a small vehicle with 4 other people, our driver and a guide. We made our way slowly through a wooded area and all eyes were fixed to the dense greenery on either side of us. No one spoke as we sat and waited anxiously as our guide instructed the driver to suddenly stop. When seemingly out of nowhere, there was a flash of colour against the green of the jungle. And there, a large male Bengal tiger stood watching us intently from the bank of the river. Its size and strength were something I’ll never forget, and we all sat in awe as we followed it along the edge of the river for a while. Then we stopped and the handsome tiger headed towards the vehicle. I felt a sense of euphoria and excitement as he walked towards us and started circling in front of the jeep. He looked briefly over his shoulder at us, but with very little interest as if we were just slightly below his notice. His coat shone in the sunlight, and you could see its muscles ripple as he continued to walk on across the road, then turned a corner and then as quickly as we first saw him, he disappeared into an overgrown meadow.
There are some experiences in our lives that we never forget, like your first day at school, your first kiss or seeing your first born but when I first saw a tiger for the first time, I still remember that his beauty and grace left me spellbound. It truly was a memorable and emotional experience that gave me goosebumps and certainly got my adrenaline pumping.
Mr & Mrs ‘R’
