Chasing tigers

The sign, as you return to the Bhandavgarh national park exit,  says " sorry if you did not see us, but we saw you!". Bhandavgarh is the best organised of the tiger parks. Only 50 jeeps in total are allowed  into sections of the park. Each tiger needs its own territory so 65 tigers occupy a lot of territory and it is somewhat like looking for a needle in a haystack. Tourists can only enter 20% of the park. Forest guards ride elephants through the forest.

Safari 1( 6am - 11 am): we saw paw tracks
Safari 2 (2:30pm to 6 pm): we saw the long grass in the distance in which a tiger was relaxing. Two forest workers cycled in (we were not allowed any nearer) on push bikes, chatted and took some photos and then went home. Alas, we had to leave the park as the fine for the guides and drivers, if late out, is to lose their jobs for a week or two.
Safari 3 (another early morning start): we saw where she had sat down on the roadside.  An elephant honked, a tiger roared and then we saw her walking in the long grass. She was so clear and huge and amazing. No photos but such memories of those stripes moving so fast.

Despite only one sighting, a safari, in itself, is interesting. Rising before sunrise, we rugged up in blankets to check in with the parks' authority and collect our guide. The gates opened at 6:40 and then it was 'all systems go'.  Guides are like well-informed trackers. They look for signs of tigers on the roads as tigers like to walk the roads- it being soft on the pads! Being solitary, we went from one territory to another with the guide knowing the occupant's life history. They have stories of all the others sightings which is not much consolation! What safaris lack in tigers are made up in bird life: twitchers heaven is India.