How to stalk a tiger
I don’t know what the tiger will do next. Its paw is as wide and round as a coconut, with claws of terrifying proportions. This is the closest I have ever come to a wild tiger and it follows a three-hour pursuit through the Indian jungle.
It began at 5am on the first day of winter in the country’s south. A dense mist shrouds the land and chills the cheek. Dragonflies emerge from the air and tree bark looks like crocodile skin. The air is a vapour of lime, pepper and honey. Flowers that have stewed during monsoon are opening.
And then the air turns bitter. “Can you smell that?” safari guide Venki asks. “It’s the smell of tiger urine.”
As we venture further into the jungle, the condensation thickens and catches on spiderwebs. Like an illusion, the more you stare at the ground and horizon, the more webs appear.
I’m entranced enough to be startled when Venki abruptly shuts off the Jeep’s engine and whispers an instruction to stare at a spotted deer.
Its white-streaked tail is erect, providing a target for the herd to follow. They have sensed danger and their hard hooves seem to tiptoe through the forest grass as precisely as stilt-walkers.
I scan the undergrowth for orange, anticipating an ambush. All is silent aside from the air’s moisture; it drips off umbrella leaves with the weight of ice. After a few minutes the deer’s tail slackens back to normal, in a mirror to my breathing pattern.
It’s time to move on, but Venki is ever-optimistic. “Every sighting has a story,” he tells me.
Nagarhole National Park has the highest prey density in India, so it’s no surprise that spotted deer are the most frequently sighted animals. Where there’s prey, there are predators. There are up to 90 leopards and some 70 tigers, with one tiger inhabiting every ten square kilometres on average.
This is, after all, the second best place to see tigers in the world. And while they will never run from humans and vehicles, they are shy and pad off slowly.
“We have a video of a tiger who emerges from the undergrowth, sees us on safari and then slowly reverses back,” Venki says.
They weren’t always so shy. Nagarhole was home to the Maharajah’s hunting lodge and in the 1800s he shot a tiger at close range from his own balcony. It is human encroachment and hunting that has caused tigers to be as shy as they are today.
I can’t help but think that we may well have passed a tiger that stealthily crept back under cover.
In the meantime, other animals are more forthcoming. I see animals endemic to South India such as the giant squirrel – not quite giant but a lot bigger than your average London park version.
Still, it’s no tiger. Venki keeps us motivated by regaling us with character traits and tiger anecdotes. Apparently the big cats favour walking on the road tracks forged by vehicles like ours to protect their paws and stay clean. Not dissimilar from my own cat at home then, who cleans every patch anyone pats.
The mist is starting to distil now as the sun takes precedence. As the heat rises the chances of a tiger sighting decrease exponentially.
Sensing the urgency, the driver takes an impromptu turn down an overgrown road.
“I haven’t driven down here since monsoon, but I have a good feeling, so let’s go,” Venki says.
Five minutes into the bladder-busting route, we halt. I can see nothing – albeit the ubiquitous spotted deer. I realise my error – I am looking from the horizon up, when all the action is at tyre level.
Red-brown mud has solidified like a mask around a chunky paw print. There’s no mistaking it – a tiger has made its mark and true to form, stuck to the cleaner vehicle path. It’s a female, as males have wider gaps between their paw pads.
I never found out what she did next. Once again true to form, she eluded us. But a tiger’s paw used to be a trophy for hunters, and while my shot was through a lens, I’m claiming it as my own scalp.
Latest News
Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash
It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]
SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024
AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]
Journey Beyond launches first brand-led campaign during Paris Olympics
Journey Beyond is pushing the boundaries. On The Ghan, you can't even see them!
Ascott Australia partners with Hotels for Trees
Hoteliers can take a 'Lyf' out of this book and improve their green credentials.
Victoria’s TAC Top Tourism Town Award winners for 2024
Keep looking in our own backyard. There are plenty of places to go.
Uniworld partners with Camilla Franks with Egyptian-inspired collection
We are in de-Nile about making puns combining Crocs and leopard prints, given this luxe partnership.
Aussies at Paris Olympics anxious about travel risks, with incidents already recorded
Fortunately one of our biggest gold medal hopes still held onto his pedals.
Banyan Tree Seaview Villas elevates Laguna Lang Co
If you've ever played golf in the tropics, start early. LIke way early. It's hot! Damn hot.
Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales
Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]
Wendy Wu unveils new Japan travel brochure and itineraries
Get outta town! Off-beat Japan will be a lot less congested we figure than the usual tourist hotspots.
UK and Europe event organisers look to venues with sustainability integrity, ICC Sydney survey finds
Here in Sydney, you can even eat the table centrepieces. Although we advise they be cooked first.
Renos Rologas new general manager ANZ for FCM Travel
Two decades in the travel game! Let's hope Renos is in for the long haul at FCM.
Untamed Escapes to offer Cultural Day Tour from Port Lincoln in partnership with Maba Idi
International visitors travel thousands of kilometres for this experience. Time to share.
Luxe Finish Line Penthouses offer the best vantage point for the finish of the Sydney-Hobart
Long have we been following the yachts leavings Sydney Harbour and one day, we will see the finish, from this place!
In a busy world, proximity to nature is the new luxury
Forget Raffles, treat your nearest and dearest to a stay at the local campsite. They'll be super close to nature.
Circular Quay welcomes new Korean dining experience to Sydney Place
We once took Korean-American chef David Chang around Koreatown, Eastwood. Not happy about driving rain, loved the food.
MSC Cruises unveils a new outdoor kid-friendly attraction on World America
Drop your kid down the jaws of a shark and they come out 11 decks below. Sounds good to me.
Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy
Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]
Australian travellers abandon peer-to-peer stays and gravitate back to big hotels, survey finds
Doom scrolling Airbnb for the best-possible stay options two days out from departure was wearing us down, apparently.
Quark Expeditions launches the Ultimate Summer in the Arctic sweepstakes for travel advisors
Summer in the Arctic still means it's freezing. But hopefully a winning sweepstakes tickets will warm your cockles.
‘I bet it smells weird’ – Internet divided over floating restaurant in China
I you are still feeling peckish at the end of your meal, their fish tank is full. But can you eat koi?
‘Turn up in the Northern Territory this Spring’ campaign deals
Agents and airlines get all hot and sweaty over these enticing deals. Or did someone just turn the air-conditioning up?
‘Like nothing on earth’: Saudi Arabia’s new Treyam resort set in a Star Wars-style landscape
As long as Jar Jar Binks is not there, we would like a seat at the Mos Eisley Cantina please.
Raffles Hotels and Resorts is set to open in Tokyo in 2028
Time to get your vision boards at the ready! Raffles is landing in Tokyo!
‘A true honour’ – Andrew Stark wins Flight Centre Director’s Award for the second time
Congratulations Andrew! If you're a fan of British reality TV you might notice a familiar face.
Club Med debuts travel agent portal 2.0 with bonus prize for tops sales
See those people by the pool. That could be you. Start selling through the portal people!
Envoyage announces 2024 Australian Icons and rewards event in the Maldives
We were going to edit our name into the list but we chickened out.
HIF Global signs collaboration agreement with Airbus on eFuels
We know it's a good thing but can a jet fuel geek out there send in a diagram explaining this please.
Crystal announces release dates for 2026 itineraries
If you have started collecting 2026 itineraries then here is another one for you.
Cairns Airport unveils display of support for FNQ youth
If you were craving some winter sun now you have a cultural reason for booking a flight to Cairns.
Viking announces six new cruise itineraries
Now's the time to start learning Putonghua, Nihongo and Lhasa. Or maybe even know where these are spoken.
Join Qatar Airways, Celebrity Cruises & Klook – Showcase Your Brand at Click Frenzy Travel August 2024!
Clicking calmly will also be welcome when it comes to this particular deal. Click calmly here to find out more.
InsideAsia Tours launches new incentive that doubles agent commission
Double commission! We like the sound of that. Hope their system doesn't crash as a result.
Push to revive Parramatta’s iconic Roxy Theatre into entertainment destination
Long have we wished for this iconic heritage cinema to be revived as a tourist destination. Still waiting.
Qatar Airways signs an expansion to Boeing 777-9 aircraft order
Known as a quiet rural town in England, the entire global aviation industry now has its eyes on Farnborough.
Flight Centre shares down following revised profit guidance
The stock market moves fast. What will the rest of the week hold for Flight Centre?