Tigers in the wild can be elusive
Going on safari to India to photograph wild tigers is an unrivaled experience. These are the world’s largest cats. They are stealthy, solitary, spectacular and scarce.
Sighting one in its natural habitat is never a sure thing. “All wildlife viewing ... needs a certain amount of luck,” said Toby Sinclair, an expedition leader with Natural Habitat Adventures in Delhi, India.
You can tilt the odds in your favor by arriving when the escalating heat of late spring drives tigers from thick jungle scrub to more visible waterholes. National parks and wildlife sanctuaries are especially rewarding for visitors during the hot months of April to midJune, Sinclair said.
“This is when the water is limited to a few pools and the animals, both prey and predator, have to come to drink water at least twice a day,” he said.
There’s a trade-off, though. In India, tourists usually travel in open vehicles. That makes it easier to spot animal life, but it also exposes you to the punishing sun, making dehydration a possibility with temperatures reaching 120 degrees.
How about other times of the year? “There are parts of India that are closed during the monsoon (late June to late September) and a few (parks) that don’t open until November,” Sinclair said.
Weather is cooler in late fall and early winter but it can be harder to see the tigers because the landscape is lush.
“You want to go there when it’s warm but it’s not too late into the summer so you don’t bake to death,” said Joseph Van Os, owner of Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris.
Other things to know: ■ Five of India’s national parks (Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Kaziranga, Periyar and Corbett) offer visitors a unique option: searching for tigers from the back of an elephant.
“Getting on elephants in these parks is critical in getting close to tigers,” Van Os said. “You can go right up to the caves where the tigers are sheltering from the heat rather than waiting for them to show up at the waterholes.
“Elephants,” he said, “are the ultimate fourwheel drive vehicle.”
But be selective about vendors. Go with an operator recommended by your travel agent or tour operator rather than chance things onsite or online.
■ Africa and India are both rich in wildlife. But they’re worlds apart in what’s available for viewing.
Africa offers “big concentrations of wildlife. It’s not like any other place in the world,” Van Os said. “But in India, it’s specialized. The parks are smaller and the diversity is not there. You go for one or two main species.”
That means tigers. “All else is peripheral,” Van Os said.