III-Ranthambore Park
She was strolling down the road when we saw her, sexy swagger, confident, paws the size of frying pans padding the earth with a soft-sure gait. Her coat was glossy and healthy, her potent power was magnificent from 100 yards- I have never in my life seen such a beautiful animal in the wild. She sauntered along on Indian time, even with so many eyes on her- she took her time, picking at leaves, spraying trees, lolling her tongue out her mouth. And finally she eased off into the yellow brush, high arc of a striped tail above the tall grass, a descending jungle periscope. And the ripples vanished.
We’re in Ranthambore Park. But I guess now we’re leaving Ranthambore Park- we saw what we came to see. But we still have the day, so we’ll visit another park with the Belgian couple, Alain and Jacobin, and their daughter Yulia, who shared our jeep this morning. We got up at a quarter after four this morning to get to the booking office by 5. It was typical Indian madness- we were the only goras because most tourists pay guides and hotels commissions to get up and book jeeps and canters for them. But we met the Belgians and found ourselves a jeep, so it all worked out.
The park was misty and beautiful, straight out of the Jungle Book. The arched gateway mossy and vined, blending into the forest- man meets nature. And we saw other wildlife from our open-top jeep- sambar, spotted deer, black-faced monkeys, crocodiles, kingfishers, egrets, “tiger dentists”.. but it was tense and quiet with tiger hopes in the jeep. We got almost-lucky near the end- I could see a beast from a distance through the brush, padding his way carefully down a rock to the water- a striking sight, to see such a familiar shape, huge and feline, while peering through the tress. I’ve peered through a lot of trees in my time, but never seen a shape like that. But he disappeared, and despite the cacophony of birds in the trees above him, we didn’t see him again. We thought we were done, but in the homestretch suddenly there She was, out for a stroll.
She was strolling down the road when we saw her, sexy swagger, confident, paws the size of frying pans padding the earth with a soft-sure gait. Her coat was glossy and healthy, her potent power was magnificent from 100 yards- I have never in my life seen such a beautiful animal in the wild. She sauntered along on Indian time, even with so many eyes on her- she took her time, picking at leaves, spraying trees, lolling her tongue out her mouth. And finally she eased off into the yellow brush, high arc of a striped tail above the tall grass, a descending jungle periscope. And the ripples vanished.
We’re in Ranthambore Park. But I guess now we’re leaving Ranthambore Park- we saw what we came to see. But we still have the day, so we’ll visit another park with the Belgian couple, Alain and Jacobin, and their daughter Yulia, who shared our jeep this morning. We got up at a quarter after four this morning to get to the booking office by 5. It was typical Indian madness- we were the only goras because most tourists pay guides and hotels commissions to get up and book jeeps and canters for them. But we met the Belgians and found ourselves a jeep, so it all worked out.
The park was misty and beautiful, straight out of the Jungle Book. The arched gateway mossy and vined, blending into the forest- man meets nature. And we saw other wildlife from our open-top jeep- sambar, spotted deer, black-faced monkeys, crocodiles, kingfishers, egrets, “tiger dentists”.. but it was tense and quiet with tiger hopes in the jeep. We got almost-lucky near the end- I could see a beast from a distance through the brush, padding his way carefully down a rock to the water- a striking sight, to see such a familiar shape, huge and feline, while peering through the tress. I’ve peered through a lot of trees in my time, but never seen a shape like that. But he disappeared, and despite the cacophony of birds in the trees above him, we didn’t see him again. We thought we were done, but in the homestretch suddenly there She was, out for a stroll.
2 comments:
paws the size of pans...
those retractable claws..
pointed incisors, perfectly designed for the grasping, the piercing, the killing..
how many years of natural refinement have produced this beast of deadly wonder.. "careful now!"
padding his way down to the water, he takes a sip of 'gatorade'; most likely unaware of how he has consistently put up impressive Nash numbers, and will likely be voted MVP again.
and again.
please tell me you took a picture!
cheers bud
E double
err..correction: 'she'
;)
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