Tiger Kill in India

---

Aromas of spice fill the nostrils, colour ignites the imagination and the senses become slaves to India's unique beauty. The gold-plated palaces of the Maharaja’s juxtapose the beggars that surround them, following tourist vehicles like moths to a flame. The confining streets of Delhi make you sweat out of pores you didn't know existed but that's all a distant memory on the Indian-Nepalese boarder, where winds from the Himalayas slice through the humidity and sooth the soul. Don't let me fool you, she is the furthest thing from a walk in the park. It’s tough travelling with confronting situations but I guarantee you'll leave all the better for it. If you’re searching for spirituality, perspective or just something different, India holds its own against any of the world's cultural heavyweights.

Corbett National Park is located in the Southern centre of India. It's the country's oldest Tiger Reserve and boasts a perimeter of over 520 square kilometres. From campsites to villas, all types of accommodation are covered. But forget about fences to keep the animals out! It's more a Mi Casa Su Casa kind of situation.

My family and I arrived in the evening.. The little cottages were up on a cliff and our windows peered out onto the plains below. After a long day, we watched the elephants disappear into the darkness and all hit the pillow! As I lay in bed reading Harry Potter 4, I began to hear loud thuds. It felt like the ground was shaking. We could here people shouting. A commotion had erupted. Because Harry was about to fight his first challenge in the Triwizard's cup, the noise was dismissed until morning. Little did we know that an entire herd of elephants had run through the camp. Stupid Harry Potter.

We began our first safari at dawn with an elephant ride through the jungle. Despite their size, the elephants crept through the jungle like a calm breeze. Rather than being disconnected by a vehicle or camera... we were a part of nature. We were riding it. We saw deer and bore but the highlight of the elephant trek was a half devoured giant python who had met its end in the eye of a tiger. Still, we had yet to see the illusive cat and the anticipation was growing.

Later that afternoon we took a jeep ride. It wasn’t long until we came to a halt. The guide had heard a deer make a distress signal, a signal to indicate a tiger was close. We went silent, scared to even whisper. On either side of the road was very tall tiger-grass that covered the open plains. Perfect camouflage for a big cat. The deer continued to sound its call. We began to hear grass moving. Then running. Our eyes still fixated on stagnant nature, our ears trying to follow the story. From within the grass we heard a giant roar echo through the park like a base guitar exploding on stage! It rattled my heart, stunning me into submission. We heard the deer screaming for its life followed by a few sounds that would make a butcher cry. Then, as soon as it began, it finished, disappearing into my memory forever.

My imagination has never had such a workout!

ps: sorry about the photos - you know what cameras were like in 2001!

---

Comments

[Jack]

Thrilling description
Hi Mike, Your experience about tiger spotting was amazing, but what add interest ,is the way you explained it.Wish I could also get a chance to see that wild big cat catching her prey.

[Fly and Go Seek]

Cheers mate. Appreciate the comment!