I have seen this picture a thousand times and I have fallen in love a thousand times over.
As far as the horizons of my rustic memory stretches, I remember being in love with wildlife. My recent trip to Bandipur Tiger Reserve has only severely augmented my infatuation with the green side of this grey world. I remember my first thought as we entered the gorgeous national park. I remember thinking to myself of how unproductive it was to expect sighting a tiger in that wilderness. To come across a tiger on a safari in Bandipur is something very rare. “Coming across a tiger in Bandipur” probably does more than enough justice to the phrase “Once in a blue moon” than any other.
We headed out on our maiden safari of the first day in Bandipur at 3:30 pm on August the 6th of 2015. At this point I had suppressed all of the last remaining bits of rebellious expectations of spotting a tiger. We spotted lots of animals in very quick succession. We saw the mighty Indian Gaur tranquilly grazing with it’s young boisterous calf. We saw a Sambhar deer precariously looking hither and thither for any signs of danger. We saw the curious but clever langoor monkeys along with the ever alert Cheetal deers. We saw the colourful but shy peacocks. We saw the lords of the jungle, the herculean Indian Elephants minding their own business. I remember feeling a sense of tranquillity that pulsated through my body. Tranquillity of being in one with mother nature. As the first safari came to an end, I was more than just satisfied. I had a big and uncontrollable smile on my face.
No expectations = Happiness.
We immediately set on our second evening safari. Sighting was as usual and we got some great photographs. One and a half hour later as we head back to base office after the safari, the driver decided to take a small deviation to check out a nearby watering hole. I was a bit tired by that time and my thoughts hovered over an imagination of a beautiful sunset in this gorgeous patch of green in India. Before I continue, I must add that before that moment I had never encountered a tiger in the wild. Little did I know that it was about to change in a blink.
I remember turning my head towards the finger of the driver as he shouted and pointed towards a patch of road ahead of us. As my exhausted eyes focused upon the animal moving across the ‘small’ road, I remember losing all my previous definitions of the word ‘majestic’. A fully grown male Bengal Tiger moved ignorantly in front of us not caring to the constant and chaotic hum of the vehicle engine. Nothing can ever prepare you for the first time you come across a tiger in the wild. I remember feeling the dub-lub of my super excited heart in my mouth. I remember noticing the shivering of my arms which had clutched the camera hard. I remember falling in love with the sight I was blessed to witness.
My wonder struck eyes couldn’t take off of the majestic king in front of us. He was beautiful! I remember hesitating to click a picture because I just did not want to miss this pure and intense ‘first time’ moment that I was honoured to witness. I did, somehow, manage to click pictures in the end. If you want to know the true meanings of the words majestic and powerful, I recommend that you see a tiger in the wild. Truly the emperor of the jungle. The king of kings. The Royal Bengal Tiger.
