Naomi Stolow photography, nature, wildlife and travel

4 December 2011

Bengal Tigers, Ranthambhore

Wild Bengal Tigers. A few mornings ago...

This femaile Bengal Tiger had two cubs (about a year old).  A male Bengal tiger had entered her territory, wanting to kill the male cub. The female hid her cubs each day in a new place, and spent the day searching new places in which to hide them while at the same time trying to get away from the male. I heard her growl her warning signal to the male - a loud, thunderous and volcanic noise, menacing the jungle. And every few minutes she gave a kind of loud high-pitched whelp to let her cubs know where she was. All wildlife had fled the area apart from a few monkeys high up on the tree giving their warning call.

It took me 3 visits to India, and 11 safari rides (if I include the time I went looking for tigers in the south of India too) to see a wild tiger and on my last morning, here they were, and stayed around us for about half an hour - plenty of time to photograph her and watch from just a few metres away.

I cannot describe the feeling of being so close to a wild tiger, large, looming, growling ominously, checking me out, rolling over, stretching, carrying on with her search.











7 comments:

  1. How wonderful.. I feel privileged to know someone who has seen, felt and documented this declining being.. Thank you!

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  2. Absolutely beautiful animals. Great pictures as well x

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  3. STUNNING Shots! So happy you enjoyed such a spectacular treat! xx

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  4. Greg Dolecki said...
    Again, just beautiful! (And great photophography.) I read somewhere that 1 tiger requires 85 sq. mi. of earth to roam and hunt. No wonder they are endangered.

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