India Tiger Safari Guide

It’s hard to find the words to describe that moment when you first see a tiger in the wild. To this day, it still gives me goose bumps just thinking back to it. I’ve seen lions in Africa’s bush and that’s incredible, but it’s never too hard to find them and they’re usually just sleeping out in the open savannah. But seeking out the mystical tiger from the shadows of a dense jungle… well, that’s something completely different!

My very first tiger sighting

We had just parked our dusty jeep besides a meadow of tall grass and sat assiduously, poised on the edge of our seats with the curiosity of excited children. It was swelteringly hot with the hum and buzz of birds and bugs all around. After two long hours of waiting in vain, the sun eventually began to cool and set while our doubts began to swell. The only remaining hope of seeing a tiger came from our ranger who (with somewhat more experience than us) was convinced that a big cat was lurking in the grass nearby. There was a herd of spotted deer grazing a few metres away and a member of their clan had made a distinct alarm-call only moments before we had arrived at the scene. Furthermore, it was the deer’s nerviness and constant gazing over to the tall grass beyond, which made our ranger feel certain that a tiger was laying low within the scrub. Then just at the moment when the light was fading, she took us all by surprise and finally blew her cover. A beautiful tigress, queen of the jungle and calm as ever, ambled out from the thicket in graceful silence. The place that she first revealed herself was only inches away from our jeep and for a few seconds she was so close, I could probably have reached out and touched her! It was incredible. My heart was bursting out from my chest and if I’m honest I felt a little scared to be so close to a predator with a sizeable track record for man-eating! The atmosphere was intense. What shocked me most was just how closely she came out from the grass without us even noticing her. We had sat in silence for two long hours and she was right there under our noses all the time. Evolution had blended her in so well that she was virtually invisible against the backdrop of her habitat. An apex predator and the perfect stealth hunter!

INDIA TRAVEL DREAMS TOP TIGER SPOTTING TIPS

Tip One: Prepare yourself for the fact that seeing a tiger is rare, even in the best parks

That was a magical moment and one I will never forget, but not so many tourists have such luck when going on a tiger-safari. In fact after taking my first trip I was sceptical that tigers even existed in the wild anymore, for we had roamed three cold days through every corner of the forest without so much as hearing an alarm call. Tigers are nocturnal creatures; meaning they tend to move and hunt by night, while hiding away and sleeping by day. In this way by the time you actually enter the park for a safari drive, then the tigers have usually found their snoozing spot and won’t even raise their heads until dusk.

I suppose it makes sense that the magnificent tiger is the principal attraction for the vast majority of visitors to India’s National Parks, but that’s not to say all the other animals and plants can’t be a part of the fun too. Many of the main tiger-safari parks in India are also home to bears, leopards, monkeys, jackals, snakes, eagles and so many other amazing species. It’s slightly disappointing when you see tourists visit these parks with a one-track mind towards the tiger, while they disregard all the other animals and even overlook the joy of being in such a serene and beautiful place. My first tip for any prospective tiger-spotter therefore is to visit these parks with an open mind. Enjoy the safari for all that it has to offer and be prepared that you might just go home without seeing a tiger.

Tip Two: Plan a tiger safari soon… before it’s too late!

A more worrying explanation for fewer tiger sightings these days is the dwindling numbers in the wild. Tigers unfortunately remain to be an endangered species (populations have decreased by almost 98% over the last 100 years!). Recent studies, on the other hand, indicate that numbers are ever so slightly on the rise again, thanks to some of India’s successful conservation efforts (well done guys!). That’s not to say we’re entirely out of the woods just yet (no pun intended), as deforestation, over grazing and poaching are only some of the threats facing the future of these big cats. Tigers moreover require huge territories to move through and with India’s ever-increasing human population demanding more towns and settlements to live in, the future seems quite bleak for both humans and tigers to live side by side. In fact, some experts are formidably speculating that we might even become the last generation to observe tigers living in the wild, which is why there’s never been a better time to plan a tiger-safari than now.

I suppose it makes sense that the magnificent tiger is the principal attraction for the vast majority of visitors to India’s National Parks, but that’s not to say all the other animals and plants can’t be a part of the fun too. Many of the main tiger-safari parks in India are also home to bears, leopards, monkeys, jackals, snakes, eagles and so many other amazing species. It’s slightly disappointing when you see tourists visit these parks with a one-track mind towards the tiger, while they disregard all the other animals and even overlook the joy of being in such a serene and beautiful place. My first tip for any prospective tiger-spotter therefore is to visit these parks with an open mind. Enjoy the safari for all that it has to offer and be prepared that you might just go home without seeing a tiger.

Tip Three: Play your part and support a sustainable tourism scheme when booking your tiger holiday

Tourism plays a key role in the conservation effort. Nature tourism has increased by 25% every year over the last decade with 90% of this increase coming from the domestic market. Indians can at last afford to see and learn more about their natural heritage, which hopefully will increase awareness of issues surrounding the tiger’s survival and could potentially help to protect current populations. On the other hand, the way in which safaris are currently being conducted in India is definitely an area that, in my opinion, needs drastic improvement. For example, there are currently far too many jeeps permitted into many of the protected zones and the way they all flock together in a frantic rush when a tiger has been sighted, allowing tourists to shout and scream in excitement, with cameras flashing all around, is disappointing to say the least! Sometimes the rangers even drive off the main track and get intrusively close to the animals, just so tourists can get a better camera angle. Such happenings are always a disheartening sight to behold. I hope someone in a position of influence gets to read this and makes some effort to promptly solve the situation, ensuring that the safari drives are better managed.

Travel Operators For Tigers (TofTigers) is a non-profit organisation set up in 2003 to protect tigers, wildlife and wilderness through sustainable tourism. The group has 43 lodges and resorts in protected wilderness areas, all of which have been rated under TOFTigers’ PUG (practices under guidelines) eco certification, a kitemark for rural sustainability, local job creation and wildlife support. If you’re thinking of planning a safari then please check out this link to their website and consider staying in one of their lodges to support the fantastic work they’re setting out to achieve.

Tip Four: Which parks to visit?

There are several different National Parks and tiger reserves in India, which notably provide the best chance of spotting one of these magnificent creatures in their natural environment. I say “chance” because it really is a game of luck. For example, there have been times I’ve seen nine different tigers within three days and then other times where I’ve seen nothing at all. Anyway, if you want to vastly improve your chances of spotting a tiger on safari drives then here’s the list of the best parks to visit…

Bhandavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

Arguably the best place for spotting tigers in India as they have a good concentrated population in a relatively small area. Reaching the park takes some time by road but the journey is well worth it. Some people say that within three days you have a 90% chance of spotting tigers here. I have visited the park twice and in both cases seen tigers within two days.

Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

It takes approximately 5 hours to travel by road between Bhandavgarh and Kanha, which is what many avid tiger fans will do on a classic Indian tiger tour! These two National parks in the heart of the country (Madhya Pradesh) are widely considered as the best spots for seeing wild tigers. Kanha is also known as Kipling Country and was apparently the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling’s famous novel The Jungle Book. I have visited Kanha once and saw three tigers within a three-day visit.

Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan)

Speaking from my own experience, Ranthambore has been the best place for my own tiger sightings as during 2014 I took a three-day safari and saw nine tigers in total (two different tigresses who had three cubs respectively and one roaming male). Conversely, I have visited Ranthambore another time and seen absolutely nothing over a three-day safari, so it just goes to show how changeable the experience can be. Ranthambore is really well connected to Delhi (only three and a half hours by train) and then a short hop in a rickshaw from the station (Sawai Madhopur) to the main stretch of hotels on the outskirts of the park. The park is also well connected to Jaipur (The Pink City) and could easily be included if you were following famous Golden Triangle – India’s most popular tourist trail.

Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand)

India’s first National Park and another great place for tiger spotting! I would say the chances of sighting tigers here are ever so slightly less, compared to the three parks mentioned above. On the other hand, many people do sight tigers and the park is also famous for wild elephants, stunning scenery and is only a stone’s throw away from both Delhi and Rishikesh (India’s yoga hub in the north) making it another great place to consider spending a few days if you’re travelling nearby.

Other Parks

There are also plenty of other National Parks around that are good for tiger safaris. Namely Pench National Park (Madhya Pradesh). Some friends have recently informed me that that the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) has a booming tiger population because of the large deer population and two lakes that provide fresh drinking water throughout the year. Tadoba is on the top of my travel list and I hope to visit this place very soon, so will update this article accordingly from my own expereince.

Tip five: When to visit?

The vast majority of tiger reserves close during the monsoon season (June-August) so it’s worth checking ahead before you book. Saying that, some of the best times for tiger spotting (albeit uncomfortable) are the scorching hot summer months in the lead up to the rains (April-June). The climate is typically very dry and hot meaning many of the waterholes in the forest have dried up. In this way all the wildlife within the park is concentrated around the remaining water sources. A safari during these times is more of a waiting game than about driving around and searching in vain. Safaris during the colder months (October – February) provide a more comfortable time to see the forest, although morning safaris can become very cold on board an open jeep, so make sure you wrap up warm. Some hotels and guesthouses will supply you with blankets for the morning drive.

As someone who’s been on many game drives over the years I would like to share some advice and tips about seeking out the elusive tiger when on safari. The first thing to mention is that there are typically three tell-tale signs used for tracking down a tiger in the forest. These are as follows…

1) Pugmarks

That is finding the distinct and fresh footprints of a tiger’s paw left in the dirt or dust on the track you drive along. Fresh pugmarks usually imply a tiger has crossed that section of the track recently and is somewhere close by.

2) Alarm Call

One of the most exciting moments is hearing the distinct bark, hoot or scream from another animal, as it warns the forest that a tiger has been spotted. If you hear an alarm call, then it’s always best to quickly track down the animal that made the noise and then watch attentively. Try to see the behaviour of the other animals nearby to gauge which direction the tiger was last seen. Remember tigers spend a lot of time sitting around during the day and alarm calls are only made when the other animals see the tiger moving.

3) Finding a kill

Many times (especially when the prey is of a bigger size) a tiger won’t be able to finish a meal in one sitting, but will always be very close by to protect its prize! If you’re fortunate enough to find a half-eaten carcass then you know it’s only a matter of time before the tiger returns, so keep your eyes peeled.

So these are the three signs that rangers use to track down tigers in the wild. As a novice tiger-spotter, I used to strain my eyes by looking in every direction – scouting out every inch of the jungle I could possibly see – in the hope of spotting an animal, which by it’s very own nature has evolved in such a way as to not be seen! Remember that all the other animals are the eyes and ears of the jungle and that they will let you know if and when a tiger is visible and on the move. When on safari therefore you’re much better off just sitting back and enjoying the ride. Admire the scenery around you, appreciate being in the middle of nature and if anything wants to be seen it will present itself before you.

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