The Tale of the Tiger

Ranthambore is the quintessential Rajasthan wildlife park. Dominated by a 1,000 year-old fort, the landscape is dotted with cupolas, temples and memorial stones all bearing witness to a varied and fascinating history. The mighty Mughal Emperor Akbar fought a battle here for control of the fort but today the tiger rules the thick forest gorges that surround it. This magnificent feline, the national symbol of India, is represented in art, literature and folklore.

Tales abound of the tiger’s prowess, elegance and glowing amber eyes. To hunt the tiger was against tribal beliefs but as hunting for sport became big business, to bag a tiger was considered the greatest challenge. With the invention of firearms, the odds were stacked in favour of man and the tiger population was reduced at a time when this was considered normal practice (even Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were photographed here with a dead tiger). Almost too late, India realised the very existence of the tiger was in jeopardy and with numbers becoming perilously low, government intervention was needed to curtail hunters and poachers alike.

The tiger is still an endangered species but here the visitor has a good chance to glimpse this elusive beast in the wild. Indeed the picture on this page was taken by one of our staff in 2011 at Ranthambore, the smallest of the nature reserves and an area of outstanding natural beauty. There are moves to restrict further and raise prices for the National Parks, in order to protect the tigers further, so a visit sooner rather than later is recommended.

Due to topography and vegetation, game drives differ from those in Africa. However, they provide a rewarding and uniquely Indian experience.

The ban on tourism in India’s tiger reserves has now been lifted. The Supreme Court had ordered a ban on tiger tourism in early 2012 while the Indian government formulated new guidelines. It has now lifted the ban after the government announced new rules allowing tourism to co-exist with conservation.