Aridan, Aridan, the hidden jewel of Ranthambhore. All week Nafees has focused our attention on Aridan and today it has paid off in spectacular fashion. After countless checks of the the same waterholes day after day, after so many tortuous journeys down the steep rock strewn roads we finally got our reward in the shape of T5 in the morning and the giant T29 in the afternoon. Both encounters enhanced by the wild west feel of this utterly perfect tiger habitat.
We first checked Mandook for any sign of the Star Male or T19 after yesterday's sighting, however the area was very quiet and we proceeded to bounce around some very uncomfortable track before heading towards zone 4 and Aridan. Almost immediately we found T5 lying in water about 30 metres from the edge of the road in glorious morning light, her coat shimmered as she lay in a luminescent green stream, the colours a perfect contrast to her deep orange coat. So often in summertime the light is flat, but not this time. I took several portraits from various points on the road, some with the rocks in the foreground and some showing the green pool and jamun branches overhead. After about ten minutes she got up out of the pool, the water on her coat glistening as it dripped off her. She then walked into the undergrowth, turning at the last moment to fix us, in typical tiger fashion, with a disdainful stare. About five minutes later she came up out of the nala and snarled before running across the road right behind our jeep, we then left the forest soon after and at breakfast I processed the images and was delighted to find that a routine sighting had produced what I considered to be a really nice image.
It was a scorching afternoon today, this has apparently been the hottest April in the last 50 years in India. When you are driving into the park in an open gypsy it feels like you are driving head on into an oven. Lots of water is essential and so it is for tigers, in the summer they are that much easier to find as they will not stay far from the rapidly shrinking pools of water scattered throughout the forest. With that in mind we headed back into Aridan and at first it appeared empty with no sign of tiger. We stopped the jeep and our driver got out to get some water, I chatted briefly with Nafees as he drank and then turning to my right saw T29 staring right at us!! I let out a short, sharp yelp in complete surprise, lifting my camera I immediately fired off a few instinctive frames at the wrong exposure, frantically changing shutter speeds as the tiger turned and walked away from us to the top of the cliff face. Chance missed I thought! I cursed my lack of preparation before we were presented with a second chance. After disappearing from view for a few minutes, he suddenly emerged on the top of the cliff face about 100meters from our vehicle. One thing I noticed after seeing T29 on Day 1 is he doesn't stop very often when he's walking, with him constantly moving, it is very difficult to get him to look towards the camera. My guide Nafees has worked with me for the last 12 years in Ranthambhore and knows exactly what I am looking for in an image, he almost has a sixth sense for delivering perfect opportunities and today this ability was readily apparent again, as without my prompting, and just as T29 had walked into the most open area on the clifftop, he roared just like a tiger, his deep growl carrying further on the strong wind. Immediately, and for the first time this trip, T29 stopped and looked directly at the camera!! I fired off as many frames as possible, placing the tiger in the middle, to the right and to the left of the frame. A perfect Ranthambhore image, with the tiger prominent in this unique arid landscape.
He then disappeared from sight and we drove up out of Aridan and took a right towards Lambi Nala. High up on the cliff we had a perfect view of the open area below. Strong winds howled across the rock face and then we heard a deep dense roar, and T29 came back into view along with another tiger, it was T5 from earlier in the day. She was mock charged by T29 before he moved off, scent marked a few trees and then rested up about 100 meters away from her. We stayed on the cliff face until about 6:00pm but there was no further action and we headed out after yet another incredible adventure inside this fabulous forest. To anyone reading about wild tigers for the first time I can tell you I have been truly spoiled in this first week of my tour. Images are not normally this easy to come by, but long may it continue!!!
T5 Aridan
T5 Aridan
T5 Aridan
T29 Aridan
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