Where the Wild Things Are (or Are Not)

Two safari drives in Ranthambore National Park filled today’s dance card. This park has ~80 Royal Bengal Tigers, and sightings are not uncommon (although not guaranteed, either). The park is a little over 500 square miles in size, but only 20% of that space is open to tourists who are then assigned to one of the 10 tourist zones. Tigers roam solo or in small groups, putting the odds of seeing one around 1 in 10 to 1 in 20. Sadly, we struck out 0 for 2 today.

After a quick coffee, we headed out to meet the Safari vehicle for the morning drive. Roads are relatively quiet at that hour (I’m using the term “relatively quiet” liberally) so we made good time to zone 10.

Deer and antelopes were plentiful, suggesting that the area was light on apex predators today, and they proved to be an accurate indicator since we saw no predators. We did see lots of other critters, though, and an open safari vehicle is a great way to see the land.

The drive back to the hotel after the morning safari was nuts. NUTS! Every manner of transport shares the road: bicycles, tuktuks, rickshaws, tractors, mopeds and motorcycles, busses, cars, safari vehicles, trucks, pedestrians, cows, and camels.

After a solid breakfast and trip to the pool, we headed out for the late afternoon safari drive in zone 8. Again, no tigers, but we saw other animals.

Zone 8 has a lot of elevation, so we also enjoyed magnificent views of the region from the top.

On the way out, we learned that a tiger in zone 8 had killed a sambar deer in the morning. That would certainly explain why zone 8 was quiet in the evening – tigers with fully bellies don’t need to hunt.

While I am sad that I didn’t get to see tigers, I also recognize how exceptionally fortunate I am. Not only am I in India – a place most people will never get to – but I’ve also had enumerate wildlife encounters. I’ve been slapped (in the hand, while in a safe metal cage!) by a Great White Shark in South Africa, watched cheetahs chase a warthog across the plains of Kenya, seen polar bears harass a walrus in Svalbard, had a honey badger eat my dinner leftovers in Botswana, mushed a husky team across a volcano in Chile, and stared down a hyena 10 feet from me. I can’t complain. Not at all.