|
 After successful forays into the National Parks of Kanha , Bandhavgarh and Tadoba-Andhari , the Toyota Fortuner marches towards the Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary for yet another glimpse of the Royal Bengal tiger. Seeing a tiger up close in the open jungle is an experience like nothing else. A medley of feelings – respect , fear , awe and pity. More about the Raja with the striped robe a little later. Now let’s rewind a bit and come back to the so-called civilisation in a concrete jungle called Pune.
Rohinton Mehta (aka Uncle Ronnie) of Smart Photography , Sanjay Raikar (our official photographer) and yours truly teamed up to drive the robust Toyota Fortuner from Pune all the way to Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan in our continuing humble attempt to create awareness about the importance of saving the tiger. We travelled through Maharashtra , Gujarat and , finally , over the royal sands of Rajasthan where the Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary is located. The journey began from Pune at an unearthly hour of 3.45 am and , after tearing through the murk and fog , we reached Thane before the City woke up. We remained glued to NH 8 and the Fortuner with its  high ground clearance , large wheels and rugged built had to bear a lot of off-roading , which helped us overtake the never-ending queue of battered lorries and trailers at the numerous toll booths. The road was more or less okay , so we kept driving without stopping for lunch to make up for the time lost earlier. Thankfully , the Toyota did not complain and neither did Sanjay or Uncle Ronnie , who got busy munching some sandwiches.
Crossing Vadodara we opted for the Ahmedabad Expressway. It was a welcome change to drive on clear , well maintained roads without jay walkers or cows on them. The flat surface combined with the SUV’s cool air-conditioner and cushy seats made a perfect setting for a nice siesta during the Sunny afternoon. As my companions enjoyed their nap , i took the opportunity to make the Toyota’s pedal kiss the metal. Soon we reached the outskirts of Ahmedabad with me still relishing the experience. After some light refreshments we were back on NH 8 and followed the Golden Quadrilateral. It was late afternoon when we crossed Himatnagar and soon bid goodbye to Modi- land to entered ‘Tiger-land’ (read: Rajasthan). We were bang on target and reached Udaipur by early evening , where we checked in at RTDC’s resort for the night’s stay. After a refreshing shower we were having spicy local cuisine at a cosy restaurant called Aam Sarai , overlooking the beautiful Lake Palace. A day well spent.
Since we had already covered a large part of the distance , day two was relatively less taxing. Parked in the resort’s portico , shimmering under the rising sun was the Fortuner eager to take us to our destination. We chose to go via Kota as the roads were wide , flat and free of traffic. By afternoon we entered Sawai Madhopur and checked in at the glorious Taj Vivanta. We received a warm welcome from its GM , Mr Nagendra Singh Hada , a cheerful gentleman sporting a typical handlebar moustache and breeches , apt for the royal setting.
We rushed for the afternoon Safari so that Sanjay and uncle Ronnie could shoot the tiger... with their Canon cameras , of course. The sanctuary is named after Fort Ranthambore , which is situated  in the heart of the forest , and there are about 38 tigers in and around the reserve. Spread over 1 , 394 sq km of land , the reserve has sparse undergrowth and its dry deciduous thorn forest makes sighting of the otherwise elusive lord of the jungle comparatively easier. No wonder President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh were lured by Ranthambore and returned satiated. The ancient structures surrounded by the forest make it a breathtaking spectacle. The Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary was at One time a hunting reserve , but now , having been transformed into a tiger reserve , the hunters have become the saviours of this majestic beast.
Since no private vehicles are allowed inside the park we had to leave our trusted Fortuner outside. Armed with our Canons we hopped into topless jeeps which at times even seemed suspension-less. As we entered the forest we were enthralled by the calm natural surrounding , away from the tentacles of mobile signals and technology , like a speck in the vast landscape , mesmerised by the sounds of innumerable species of birds and insects. Soon we were greeted by a bunch of langurs  who were busy with their daily business of creating a lot of ruckus. Home to the Royal Bengal tiger , Ranthambore also shelters leopards , striped hyenas , jackals and sloth bear. It also has a healthy prey base for the tiger to survive with a variety of animals like the blue bulls , chinkaras and sambar along with wild boars , porcupines and hares. Sanjay and Uncle Ronnie started to capture every wild animal and bird that we encountered. It wasn’t until we felt the nip in the air that we realised that the sun was setting fast and the closest thing we saw to a tiger was a few fresh pug-marks. Unfortunately , we had to call it a day.
By way of consolation we got a chance to meet Mr R. S. Shekhawat , District Forest Officer (DFO) , Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. He squeezed time out of his busy schedule for us. We realised that November was not the best time for tiger sightings due to the thick undergrowth and tall grass. He offered to take us personally around the park and we jumped at the offer.
Next morning we were in Mr Shekhawat’s jeep , driving over four feet tall grass in the core areas of the park , searching for the Ranthambore royals. Being an avid photographer , Mr Shekhawat  was incidentally carrying a Canon as well and hence we got ample opportunities for photography. Uncle and Sanjay weren’t complaining. In fact , Mr Shekhawat also shared some of his tiger photographs with us , which we have used in this article. We saw crocodiles basking in the sun near the lakes , wild boars trotting around but the big cat remained elusive as if it was testing our patience. After hours of driving we heard a tiger but couldn’t spot one.
We thanked Mr Shekhawat and were already preparing for the afternoon safari , probably our last during this trip. Back on the rented jeep we sifted the forest , heard several deer raise the tiger alarm , saw more pugs but no tigers. To be honest , my heart began to sink. It was as if tigers wanted to send a message to us – ‘If you humans don’t act now , there will be no tiger sightings at all , not even in a dedicated sanctuary.’ We were ready to give up and head back to Pune. Suddenly , a guide from another jeep informed us about some ‘movement’ in the other part of the sanctuary. Without wasting time we reached the spot. What followed was an experience all three of us will remember for a very long time to come.
 There it was. A massive male , king of its domain. Walking towards us. Fearless large round eyes , the colour of fire. Closer now and it looked even bigger. One knock from this majestic beast could mean death , yet it saunters past nonchalantly as if saying ‘majesty couldn’t care less’ , much to my relief. This is the Ranthambore tiger for you!
Content , but still a bit jolted by the experience we headed back to our cottage at the Taj Vivanta for some good food and well deserved rest.
It’s 5.40 am , the alarm rings and in no time we are back on the road in the comfort of the Fortuner. The good people of Vivanta had packed some sandwiches , which came in useful both as our breakfast and lunch as we stopped for neither. By late afternoon we were out of Rajasthan and in the evening entered Gujarat. We had dinner at a noisy restaurant on the outskirts of Ahmedabad , which served unbelievably spicy food , and spent the night at a quieter hotel nearby. Next morning we again started early so that we could reach our homes and tell our dear ones the tale of the tiger hunt. We reached Thane around lunch and had lip smacking Parsi food. Sleepy after the heavy meal we crawled into Mumbai around 4.00 pm where we bid good-bye to Uncle Ronnie and headed straight for Pune.
We reached Pune about 7.00 pm , but there wasn’t an ounce of fatigue. This is the effect of seeing a tiger eye-to-eye , a rare experience never to be forgotten , probably never to be lived again.
|
Rohinton Mehta (aka Uncle Ronnie) of Smart Photography , Sanjay Raikar (our official photographer) and yours truly teamed up to drive the robust Toyota Fortuner from Pune all the way to Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan in our continuing humble attempt to create awareness about the importance of saving the tiger. We travelled through Maharashtra , Gujarat and , finally , over the royal sands of Rajasthan where the Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary is located. The journey began from Pune at an unearthly hour of 3.45 am and , after tearing through the murk and fog , we reached Thane before the City woke up. We remained glued to NH 8 and the Fortuner with its
high ground clearance , large wheels and rugged built had to bear a lot of off-roading , which helped us overtake the never-ending queue of battered lorries and trailers at the numerous toll booths. The road was more or less okay , so we kept driving without stopping for lunch to make up for the time lost earlier. Thankfully , the Toyota did not complain and neither did Sanjay or Uncle Ronnie , who got busy munching some sandwiches.
Crossing Vadodara we opted for the Ahmedabad Expressway. It was a welcome change to drive on clear , well maintained roads without jay walkers or cows on them. The flat surface combined with the SUV’s cool air-conditioner and cushy seats made a perfect setting for a nice siesta during the Sunny afternoon. As my companions enjoyed their nap , i took the opportunity to make the Toyota’s pedal kiss the metal. Soon we reached the outskirts of Ahmedabad with me still relishing the experience. After some light refreshments we were back on NH 8 and followed the Golden Quadrilateral. It was late afternoon when we crossed Himatnagar and soon bid goodbye to Modi-
land to entered ‘Tiger-land’ (read: Rajasthan). We were bang on target and reached Udaipur by early evening , where we checked in at RTDC’s resort for the night’s stay. After a refreshing shower we were having spicy local cuisine at a cosy restaurant called Aam Sarai , overlooking the beautiful Lake Palace. A day well spent.
Since we had already covered a large part of the distance , day two was relatively less taxing. Parked in the resort’s portico , shimmering under the rising sun was the Fortuner eager to take us to our destination. We chose to go via Kota as the roads were wide , flat and free of traffic. By afternoon we entered Sawai Madhopur and checked in at the glorious Taj Vivanta. We received a warm welcome from its GM , Mr Nagendra Singh Hada , a cheerful gentleman sporting a typical handlebar moustache and breeches , apt for the royal setting.
We rushed for the afternoon Safari so that Sanjay and uncle Ronnie could shoot the tiger... with their Canon cameras , of course. The sanctuary is named after Fort Ranthambore , which is situated
in the heart of the forest , and there are about 38 tigers in and around the reserve. Spread over 1 , 394 sq km of land , the reserve has sparse undergrowth and its dry deciduous thorn forest makes sighting of the otherwise elusive lord of the jungle comparatively easier. No wonder President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh were lured by Ranthambore and returned satiated. The ancient structures surrounded by the forest make it a breathtaking spectacle. The Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary was at One time a hunting reserve , but now , having been transformed into a tiger reserve , the hunters have become the saviours of this majestic beast.
Since no private vehicles are allowed inside the park we had to leave our trusted Fortuner outside. Armed with our Canons we hopped into topless jeeps which at times even seemed suspension-less. As we entered the forest we were enthralled by the calm natural surrounding , away from the tentacles of mobile signals and technology , like a speck in the vast landscape , mesmerised by the sounds of innumerable species of birds and insects. Soon we were greeted by a bunch of langurs
who were busy with their daily business of creating a lot of ruckus. Home to the Royal Bengal tiger , Ranthambore also shelters leopards , striped hyenas , jackals and sloth bear. It also has a healthy prey base for the tiger to survive with a variety of animals like the blue bulls , chinkaras and sambar along with wild boars , porcupines and hares. Sanjay and Uncle Ronnie started to capture every wild animal and bird that we encountered. It wasn’t until we felt the nip in the air that we realised that the sun was setting fast and the closest thing we saw to a tiger was a few fresh pug-marks. Unfortunately , we had to call it a day.
By way of consolation we got a chance to meet Mr R. S. Shekhawat , District Forest Officer (DFO) , Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. He squeezed time out of his busy schedule for us. We realised that November was not the best time for tiger sightings due to the thick undergrowth and tall grass. He offered to take us personally around the park and we jumped at the offer.
Next morning we were in Mr Shekhawat’s jeep , driving over four feet tall grass in the core areas of the park , searching for the Ranthambore royals. Being an avid photographer , Mr Shekhawat
was incidentally carrying a Canon as well and hence we got ample opportunities for photography. Uncle and Sanjay weren’t complaining. In fact , Mr Shekhawat also shared some of his tiger photographs with us , which we have used in this article. We saw crocodiles basking in the sun near the lakes , wild boars trotting around but the big cat remained elusive as if it was testing our patience. After hours of driving we heard a tiger but couldn’t spot one.
We thanked Mr Shekhawat and were already preparing for the afternoon safari , probably our last during this trip. Back on the rented jeep we sifted the forest , heard several deer raise the tiger alarm , saw more pugs but no tigers. To be honest , my heart began to sink. It was as if tigers wanted to send a message to us – ‘If you humans don’t act now , there will be no tiger sightings at all , not even in a dedicated sanctuary.’ We were ready to give up and head back to Pune. Suddenly , a guide from another jeep informed us about some ‘movement’ in the other part of the sanctuary. Without wasting time we reached the spot. What followed was an experience all three of us will remember for a very long time to come.
Content , but still a bit jolted by the experience we headed back to our cottage at the Taj Vivanta for some good food and well deserved rest.
It’s 5.40 am , the alarm rings and in no time we are back on the road in the comfort of the Fortuner. The good people of Vivanta had packed some sandwiches , which came in useful both as our breakfast and lunch as we stopped for neither. By late afternoon we were out of Rajasthan and in the evening entered Gujarat. We had dinner at a noisy restaurant on the outskirts of Ahmedabad , which served unbelievably spicy food , and spent the night at a quieter hotel nearby. Next morning we again started early so that we could reach our homes and tell our dear ones the tale of the tiger hunt. We reached Thane around lunch and had lip smacking Parsi food. Sleepy after the heavy meal we crawled into Mumbai around 4.00 pm where we bid good-bye to Uncle Ronnie and headed straight for Pune.
We reached Pune about 7.00 pm , but there wasn’t an ounce of fatigue. This is the effect of seeing a tiger eye-to-eye , a rare experience never to be forgotten , probably never to be lived again.
Content courtesy: