It was my first trip to Bandhavgarh National Park. Earlier I had visited Kanha National Park to see the tiger and other Indian wildlife there. I was lucky to see a tigress at Kanha. This was my first sighting of the majestic animal that is now on the brink of extinction  I was quite young then and I still remember the fear that lurked inside my heart at the first sight of the tigress. But as I continued to go for one tiger tour after another the fear turned in awe and regard for the animal who is so ferocious yet so gentle. The reason is tigers only kill for food and their ferocity comes live only when defending themselves or warning others to stay away.    

We had actually planned to visit Kanha but accommodation at Kanha was full. So we landed up at Bandhavgarh to discover this pristine and scenic paradise on earth. Both Kanha and Bandhavgarh are tiger reserves as they come under the aegis of Project Tiger a program meant to conserve Bengal tiger in its natural habitat.

That fine summer morning we were trekking tigers in the forest. It was my first experience of trekking tigers in the wild on an elephant. Elephant rides can be bumpy and frightening at times especially when the huge beast climbs uphill or rushes through the clump of bamboo with dagger like stalks coming right towards you. You turn and twist and go down to avoid being stabbed..he.he.

When the tiger is around the jungle echos with the alarm cries of the herbivores. It is an thrilling moment. This what we experienced that day when we located the tiger. The sleeping jungle comes alive suddenly and the cacophony is unnerving. When we eventually saw the huge male tiger there was more in store. For at some distance we saw a large bison male advancing towards the tiger. We waited with bated breadth...what was going to happen next..will there be a fight or will they both ignore each other and move in a different direction. Much to our relief the latter happened and as I wanted a blood shed was avoided.

It was a memorable moment that I still remember clearly. Unforgettable excitment is what you experience in the Indian forests. The element of surprise gets you and you get addicted to wildlife and of course tigers.