Our first encounter with the Tiger at Tadoba came after a long wait, but it was a memorable one. Read all about it here before you read on.
Our hopes were high the next day, but the clouds continued to hover, and the tigers remained hidden. Once again, we alternately rushed through different parts of the jungle, and waited at water holes and ponds. No tiger appeared. Drivers we passed had suggestions, but none had sighted one yet. Our guide decided to make a second round of the water holes, and at one, we found a crowd. A tiger had appeared, but it had remained within the grass, and was fast asleep.
We wondered at the sense and logic of simply waiting for the tiger to awake, and probably disturbing it with all the noise that would be the inevitable result of multiple jeeploads of people waiting. But our driver and guide were hopeful. We should wait, they insisted, and we obeyed. The flies were especially irksome, and I found myself wondering if the tiger was indeed still hidden within the grass, or if it had moved away stealthily. Our guide borrowed my camera, and, zooming in, showed me what appeared to be a slight glimpse of orange amidst the yellow and green of the grass. The tiger was still here, he insisted, and we settled down to wait.
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| Camouflage.. Can you see the tiger hidden in the grass? |