Sighting a Tiger is an unpredictable event. No one can ever say when & where a Tiger will be sighted. No one. A Tiger roams around at its will and claims territories much like how your boss takes credit for your work. 😉

On the other hand, we humans build systems so that nobody gets to do anything at their will. And if our systems fail, we use fear: fear of god, fear of society, fear of bad rep & fear of bad Karma. But then, we get bored of these systems & of each other. We crave ‘newness’ which is every once in a while. And when that happens, we run back to where we came from – the Jungles. 😝😝😝 We stuff ourselves in a Jeep, pay exorbitant price for a safari ticket & gear up from head to toe, hoping to sight a Tiger.

A Tiger cares two hoots about humans, tickets and safaris especially the male Tigers, who have perfected the subtle art of not giving a f**k. So, it becomes increasingly difficult & sometimes impossible to track a Tiger inside a Tiger Reserve. Inside the Jungle, we rely on the alarm mechanism of the wild, and track the Tiger while chasing the calls of Monkeys & Sambhar Deer (mostly).

Welcome to the second blog of Theme 4: Entering Tigers’ den & coming out alive: Tiger Reserves of India!

Last week, we asked you a question. Who was the Tigress Machli & where did she live? Some of you guessed it right. 🥳🥳 Machli was one of the greatest Tigress that ever lived on the face of this Earth. She was the Tigress of Ranthambore National Park. Extremely comfortable with camera, she held the record (still holds) of being the most photographed Tigress in the world. At the age of 20, she passed away in August 2016, leaving Ranthambore much more popular, wealthier & denser (with Tigers) than what it was when Machli was born.

Pursuit of ‘Jai’ of Jai-Veeru Fame in Zone 10, May 2023

It’s a custom in forest reserves to name their Tigers. 🙂 Be it Machli from Ranthambore, Collarwali from Pench Tiger Reserve or Charger from Bandhavgarh National Park, Tigers have names – which indicates a certain belonging & also helps the forest departments keep a track.

In Ranthambore, there was a certain Tigress named Ladali. From one of her litter, came two Tigers: Jai & Veeru. Often Tigers walk alone, but not Jai & Veeru. They were sighted together many a time.

As Tigers do, Veeru went searching for a larger territory & fought with a matured, eleven year old Tiger named Fateh. Veeru got badly injured & then died inspite of forest department’s best efforts to save him.

Forest guides believe that Jai is looking forward to revenge since then, and is seen in Zone 10 these days which is where Fateh lives. Jai being in its prime looks glorious these days and many wildlife enthusiasts flock to Zone 10 to catch one glimpse.

A couple of weeks back, we drove to Ranthambore on a weekend with our safaris booked for Zone 10. In the afternoon, when the Sun was shining brightly, the temperature shot up to 42 degrees. It became so uncomfortable so soon that I had to wrap a wet towel around my face. Of course, the heat meant that a Tiger Sighting is probable.

Tip: Book your safaris in advance. Sighting is better in afternoon but the heat is supremely uncomfortable. So, dress accordingly.

Sighting Jai in all its Glory

On the first afternoon safari, we couldn’t spot Jai clearly. He was sitting by a water reserve that wasn’t accessible from the approved route of safari. We could hear him. Some of us (on the jeep) could even feel his presence. Alas! we couldn’t see him. Once in a while, we will see the tail moving through the bushes. And that was it!

The second afternoon safari on the next day was a different ball game altogether. The guide & the driver were super amped up. There was one more family along with us on the Jeep. By the looks of it, they looked pretty serious about sighting the Tiger too.

Lo and behold! With a stroke of sheer luck, we saw Jai. The young, mighty & glorious Jai for a full 10 mins. He looked huge and strong, and so indifferent that he didn’t even notice the Jeeps. Neither did he care about the beings sitting inside the Jeep making all kinds of noises.

Jai was enjoying its pool time with no care in the world, with no f***s to give! We humans can sure learn a thing or two from the national animal of the country.

For more such authentic shots of the Incredible wildlife of India, follow @prashantchaudharywildlife on Instagram.

This is the second blog of the fourth theme of our recent campaign, ‘Rediscover India, Incredible India’. Each theme of this campaign focuses on a unique aspect of this ancient & amazing country such as the long list of tourist destinations that remind you of famous international locations (Theme 1), the seemingly normal touristy places that turn haunted at night (Theme 2), or the mighty Himalayas & mountain ranges of India that have given incredible biodiversity & landscapes to this country (Theme 3).

Join us in this campaign as we rediscover the incredibleness of India, blog-by-blog, one theme at a time.

By the way, a Jungle/ Forest has many other majestic animals and beasts (so to speak). You got to have eyes and an open mind to experience the wild treasures. Here are some clicks from Ranthambore National Park:

For more such authentic shots of the Incredible wildlife of India, follow @prashantchaudharywildlife on Instagram.

Next week, we will be back with another Tiger Reserve from the North of the country. Do you want to guess? Okay, okay. Here’s a hint- it’s named after a hunter & naturalist who killed many man-eating Tigers back in the day. 😜😜

Till then, keep travelling & living your life on weekends. 🙌🙌