India 2015: The Lonely Tiger of Ranthambore

November 2015

On this trip to Rajasthan we decided to go to Ranthambore National Park, famous for its safaris, and the promise – or at least high likelihood – of spotting a tiger. The park is a former royal hunting ground, encompassing some 200 acres of grassy savannah and deciduous forest, which now provide a safe haven, free from royals’ rifles, for crocodiles, leopards and the odd tiger.

We went to Ranthambore by train, leaving from Jaipur and landing at Sawai Madhopur. The train station there was beautifully painted with jungle scenes of plants and animals, and of course, tigers.

We chose to go closer to the park, where there was a very small settlement with a few scrappy hotels – and one very luxurious one. We chose one of the better scrappy ones, and went to book our safari.

The safari was basically just a half-day tour, in a big open truck, around the park. We were not permitted to get out of the truck, and saw many things only from a distance – sambal deer, crocodiles and monkeys.

Our driver was in radio communication with other drivers, all of whom were tiger-hunting. As soon as one reported having spotted a tiger, all of the trucks converged on that spot. And there we waited.

We did see a tiger, who, clearly unimpressed with all the attention, turned tail and walked, slowly, away. If we hadn't had our binoculars with us, we would have been quite disappointed. But truly, it is far better for us, and even more so for them, to see these still wild animals from a respectful distance.

Fortunately we had binoculars...

The next day we went up to Ranthambore Fort, arguably more interesting than the safari, and better exercise. It was built in the 10^th century, with slightly ‘newer’ temples built in the 12^th and 13^th centuries. As usual, it’s situated on a hill, and its steps are guarded by a gang of monkeys who have no compunction about stealing your bag or backpack, or anything else you leave unattended.