Chance encounter with a tiger
Its been a little more than an hour since we entered Nagarhole national park. We are rattling down the muddy trail when we see a jeep waiting near a row of lantana bushes. Our driver stops and ask us to keep silent. The hush that settles around weighs down heavy on the shoulders. All I can hear is the cadenced tic-tic-tic from some mechanical part of the bus, interspersed by kir-kirrrrr-kirrrrrrr of a white throated kingfisher. Everybody is craning their necks to the right and scanning lantana, all big lenses are primed and ready to shoot.
Bright golden sunlight is lighting up lantana bushes and words cannot describe the beauty of the moment. There is a soft breeze that is blowing and I am distracted by the mites of dust that are zigzagging around, having their fun in the sun. I am thoroughly enjoying the moment, breathing in the cold morning air, listening hard for an alarm call, but only perceiving the pregnant silence of expectation.
The collective gasp from everyone brings me back to the moment, as this big male stepped out of the bushes, right in from of our vehicle. He slowly sauntered his way across the length of the bus, sniffing, rubbing his cheeks against the tree, leaving behind his scent. To call him majestic is an understatement — his orange coat shining gold in the morning sun, his eyes looking at us with just a hint of mirth (or am I imagining things?), his huge paws stepping through the vegetation without a sound. It was a magical moment, to put it very simply.
I was hanging out the window, my jaws open and he decided to stop for a fraction of a second and look right at me (not kidding!). I lowered the camera and stared at this majestic beast who had decided to grace us with his presence on this beautiful morning. This moment, this experience is something that I will never forget, and I know that I will keep coming back for more! Little did I know that there was a lot more in store for us :)
Click here to watch this majestic beast
