The Kota Express rolled into Ranthambhore at just after six o’clock and in the darkness I could see Gul waiting for me by the carriage. I had not seen Gul since my last visit here in 2013, but I was very pleased to his welcoming charming face. In the rickshaw we quickly caught up on each other’s news. I had been eagerly anticipating my return to Ranthambhore and i was keen to know if anything had changed. I don't generally like to return to places I have visited on my travels before, but with National Parks, I tend to make an exception. Plus on this trip I had broken this rule many times already. Yet, I had always felt disappointed by my total of one fleeting glimpse of a tiger in 2013 (not helped by the car crash during the sighting, see previous blog). Hence a revisit was always on the cards.


Straight into the Jungle Lodge where I had stayed last time and I immediately met the owner Mr Dongu and his brother, both of whom I remembered . All three (especially Gul) had been instrumental in my quest to see a tiger in 2013, which had been successful on my tenth attempt.


Not a lot had changed at Jungle Lodge. This was Mr Dongu’s budget accommodation, actually in a row of shops just outside the main area. His premium Jungle View Resort was an altogether much more luxurious option near the entrance to the park. I settled into my room, a comfortable windowless affair with a largish bathroom and piping hot water (that would turn out to be a godsend). I then sat down to plan my trips into the reserve with Gul whilst I met the other four guests. There were two Indian brothers from Delhi, Sriskandh & Akshay Subramanianwho were both regular visitors to Ranthambhore. The two foreigners were Julio from Spain, now living in Norway and Fariman originally from Iran and now living in Germany. All were huge tiger fans and keen photographers.


As far as getting around the park, not much there had changed . It was either Cantors (large roofless trucks seating 30+ or the six-seater Gypsies. The Gypsies are by far the best option, but most of these are booked months in advance. Only a few are available just before the park opens and these get snapped up by the agents in (by all accounts) a mammoth free for all which occurs at 4.45am and 1.30pm each day. Last time I fell foul of this system until Gul stepped in to help. This time, he had already assured me he would do his best to reserve me Gypsy seats in the zones I wanted. The best zones are 1-5 & 10. The rest have tigers, but the chances of coming across one in these enormous zones are very limited. The other major issue with the cantors is, unfortunately, the type of local visitors they attract. These people are not wildlife lovers or photographers but people out usually having a party. Always loud, sometimes drunk and always unruly, the chances of see anything if you happened to be pared with these people are greatly diminished. This (I realised) would become a major problem on my last day as it was the Friday of the long weekend which celebrates Indian Independence . However, the four days before that were slap bang in the middle of the wedding season, so there was a good chance there would be fewer people wanting to spot tigers. Sure enough on that first morning Gul came up trumps. Zone 3 in a Gypsy with Sriskandh & Akshay plus two professional photographers Saim from Delhi and Shuvarthi from Kolkata.


After a good night’s sleep it was the first of my early morning alarm calls at 5.30am. We clambered aboard and sped off towards the gate. Another advantage of the Gypsy over the Cantor is the time in the Zone. Usually, when one enters in a Gypsy its three to three and a half hours inside the park. In a Cantor it can be just 60 mins. Amazingly my first spotting came that very morning on the way to the entrance in the darkness, but it was not a Tiger - it was a Leopard! It was just sitting casually on a wall next to the road “like a dog would” Sriskandh remarked. We screeched to a halt, but by the time I had my camera out - it was off. The lack of daylight would have prevented a good shot any way. This was a peach of a Leopard sighting. It was so close, for the first time in my life I got a very good view of this elegant animal.


Into the park we drove arriving early and in good time. It was a glorious day and we hurtled around zone three but did not get a sniff . Sometimes we spent a good 40 mins listening, as warning calls were seemingly everywhere, but nothing. In the afternoon, Gul managed another Gypsy in Zone 3, but this time only with the professionals Saim & Shuvarthi. In the warm afternoon sun we entered the park as it opened at 2.00pm and immediately spotted another Leopard this time in a tree some distance away. A great start. Straight into zone 3 we drove and within minutes had met the famous British wildlife photographer Andy Rouse and a famous Indian wildlife film maker. I did not have to wait long as Saim first spotted an adolescent male in the long grass some 100m away. We followed him around the ruins f the fort, but could not get any closer. Then we heard a commotion on the track next to the entrance and on our arrival saw his brother crossing the road. The day continued at speed with a total of six sightings of the three brothers, but only a glimpse of the mother’s backside. Sriskandh was pleased as he knew the family were in zone three and was very pleased to have spotted them. He was also convinced they were hungry and was ecstatic about this information. All of these sightings were a vast improvement on my 2013 experience, but I had to agree with Sriskandh as he remarked,”great tiger sights, but no great photographic opportunities.”


The following day at 3 .00am I was awoken by running water. Thinking I had left the shower on, I went into the bathroom only to discover that it was not the shower, but the noise of heavy rain. This concerned me. As it turned out I was right to be concerned. “We don't get rain like this, in our dry season,” remarked Gul at 5.30am. It was a deluge, but the other four guys were intent on leaving so I felt I would. As it happened my Gypsy to zone 4 was a disaster. We all got soaked and saw nothing. I returned to the Lodge dripping wet and cancelled the afternoon tour. Global warming!


After an afternoon of sitting around the fire on the roof and talking about tigers, I was delighted when Dongu offered me a complementary dinner at his resort, which was fabulous. In the meantime Gul was again working hard, getting me back into Zone three with Sriskandh and A. The next morning I met A at 6.00am who said excitedly that the mother in zone three had made a kill, “and today could be spectacular” .


We collected an Israeli painter en route and two ladies from Mumbai at Dongu’s Resort. The morning was noticeably colder and very gloomy, but we headed straight for the kill area and sure enough were greeted by the spectacle of Andy Rouse snapping two of the brothers. The kill had happened inside the long grass by the side of the lake. Two brothers were resting after a nights eating, the other adolescent and mum were inside with the carcass - invisible. The gypsy parked some 30m away. For the next hour the two brothers lounged around at the water’s edge, taking little notice of each other.  


At about 8.30 am the Cantor’s started arriving and the area turned into a circus. Flashlights, chatter, laughter etc etc. It was no surprise when the two moved off back into the grass, ending their awesome show. Luckily the cantors soon left, where as Sriskandh & Akshay kept the Gypsy at this location. We waited for another 40 minutes or so and then suddenly the brothers re-emerged and this time (fleetingly) with mum.


This was even better than before, just shorter. A truly magical sighting and to be so close. This was something I could not have dreamt. Again the return of the Cantors did for this sighting and then we had to leave as the park closed at 10.30am In the afternoon I was given the choice by Gul of a Cantor to zone 4 or a gypsy to zone 6. I took the gypsy and nothing was spotted in both zones.


With this incredible run of luck I did think about cancelling my trips on the last day the Friday (and heading away early), but thought better of it in the evening. This time the extra volume of tourists impacted on my chances of securing a gypsy and I was given a Cantor with Sriskandh & Akshay who had been joined by their friend Trayambak from Singapore. Nevertheless we just commandeered the front of the vehicle and it turned out that Shiri knew the driver, so I thought, “maybe all is not lost”.


We managed an early entrance into the park and drove straight to the edge of the lake where the previous day’s sighting was. Despite Andy Rouse, several more professional photographers and a host of Gypsy’s there was nothing. But Andy Rouse said they were inside. After 15 minutes we got our first glimpse of one of the cubs in the fading glow of a spectacular golden sunrise.


Over the next two hours I witnessed one of the greatest wildlife spectacles unfold before my eyes. The whole family came out to the short grassy area next to the lake. Brother played with brother, first play flighting and then just snarling at each other. The youngest played with mother. They sat in the sun and for the first time paid attention to us in our vehicles so 25 meters away. They came closer. But what I will really remember was the fighting between the brothers. Just incredible.


Then just as suddenly as they arrived - they left, passing by the Cantors at a jog and making their way into the long grass by the water’s edge. The large number of vehicles all turned and gave chase in a chaotic and frantic way. I had not witnessed a melee like this since Yala in Sri Lanka. They tigers though seemed oblivious and nonchalantly stopped to drink at the waters edge, and then continued. The moving tall Elephant grass betraying their exact positions when we could not spot them. Then without warning the grass started to move erratically and out in front of one Cantor popped a large Porcupine pursued by one of the brothers at speed. The two others immediately spilled out of the thick grass and they sprinted over the road and up the tree dominated hill until they were out of view. Then the mother appeared and slowly followed them with an apparent “boys will be boys” look on her face. That was it. There was a huge amount of clapping and hi fives from everyone (especially the Indian photographers) which illustrated the unique nature of that sighting. I was stunned. The only disappointment was being unable to capture the porcupine chase due to the crowded nature of the Cantors blocking the track. Nevertheless this was experience that would remain in my memory for ever.


That afternoon, I was still on a high when Gul told me I was going to Zone One in the afternoon, the place the tiger family were heading when we saw them baring down on that porcupine. Unfortunately it was on another Cantor, but after the morning’s experience I hardly felt I could complain. Actually we ended up seeing all four again, this time for sixty minutes at 200m. That was great but the Cantor is really not suited to seeing wildlife close up and then being able to photograph it.


That evening I said thank you to everyone and bid my farewells. the next morning I was on the early morning train to Delhi. I also said a special thank you to Gul and everyone at Jungle Lodge, as this was a most memorable visit.  


When I think back at how lucky I have been with wildlife encounters during this trip, this event must surely rank amongst the best. Washing a baby elephant in Sri Lanka; the Damesoille Cranes at Kitchen in Rajasthan; Kaziranga National Park, in Assam; the Geladas in Ethiopia; the Camel trains in the Afar Desert, Ethiopia: the encounter with Indri and Golden Sifakas in Madagascar; the Silky Sifaka trek in Madagascar; the lions hunting in Savuti; the hippo and elephant charges in Okavango; the African Fish Eagle fishing and Pels Fishing Owl in the Okavango; Etosha - the full experience; the Great White Sharks hunting seals in False Bay; a Jaguar, a Puma & Giant Otters in Manu NP Peru; Swimming with Sharks, Penguins & Seals in Galapagos; the Darwin Fiches in the Galapagos; the Hummingbirds in Chachapoyas, Peru; Bharatpur Jackals, Eagles and Sirus Cranes hunting plus now the Tigers and Leopards of Ranthambhore. WOW….