<p>Our monsoon vacation was in Nagarahole National Park. My American friends were chuffed about the prospect of spotting a tiger. When we asked our safari driver if they had had any sightings, the disclaimer came quickly. Since it was monsoon, the big cats barely made any appearances. Such disclaimers are like purchasing an exorbitantly priced product and looking at the warranty, which reads: ‘Works only on certain days when Jupiter is in retrograde.’ </p>.<p>We set off in our safari jeep. It was not long before we saw elephants. What a magnificent sight! But, we did not come here to meet Jumbo and family, to be honest. We came here for Bagheera, for Sher Khan! Birds appeared, posed, and disappeared. The forest was quiet. No monkeys warning deer, and that meant terrible news. No luck with the tiger. </p>.<p>The recent tiger count in the forest, we were told, was 149. But that day, all 149 tigers seemed to be on staycation in the deepest hideouts of the forest. We came as near as we could see a tiger when we saw a heap of tiger droppings. Our driver jammed on the brakes and studied it carefully. He had the expression of a philosopher deep in thought. With the face of the nation’s veteran detective ACP Pradyumna of CID fame, he said, “It is fresh. The tiger either turned left or right.” </p>.Probe possible quarry blasting link to leopard death: Karnataka minister.<p>We thought, “Oh, thank you, ACP Pradyumna; that is a rational conclusion. It makes perfect sense. The tiger could have slipped into the thickets from the right or from the left. Not from under the land or by taking to the skies.”</p>.<p>Our driver shushed us this time to say, “Shhhh…I heard a growl.” I wondered, did he though? Or was that a gimmick to pass off as a customer service innovation? What if the tiger safaris in India are the longest-running scam? How come that out of 149 tigers, not even one came to strike us a pose? We did not see stripes that day; we got a consolation prize – tiger droppings. My American friends promised to keep coming back to India until they spot a tiger in one of the safaris. </p>.<p>Tiger safaris are not so much a wildlife tour; they are a quest for hope. One of the hopes is that someday, when the tiger wishes to, the curtains of the forest will magically part for us eager tourists, and he will come strike a pose (albeit for a few seconds) and flit back into the dense foliage. This time, we came so close, yet so far. Perhaps the proverb is true: in the jungle, we may never spot a tiger, but the tiger most certainly has spotted you. </p><p><em>Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.</em></p>
<p>Our monsoon vacation was in Nagarahole National Park. My American friends were chuffed about the prospect of spotting a tiger. When we asked our safari driver if they had had any sightings, the disclaimer came quickly. Since it was monsoon, the big cats barely made any appearances. Such disclaimers are like purchasing an exorbitantly priced product and looking at the warranty, which reads: ‘Works only on certain days when Jupiter is in retrograde.’ </p>.<p>We set off in our safari jeep. It was not long before we saw elephants. What a magnificent sight! But, we did not come here to meet Jumbo and family, to be honest. We came here for Bagheera, for Sher Khan! Birds appeared, posed, and disappeared. The forest was quiet. No monkeys warning deer, and that meant terrible news. No luck with the tiger. </p>.<p>The recent tiger count in the forest, we were told, was 149. But that day, all 149 tigers seemed to be on staycation in the deepest hideouts of the forest. We came as near as we could see a tiger when we saw a heap of tiger droppings. Our driver jammed on the brakes and studied it carefully. He had the expression of a philosopher deep in thought. With the face of the nation’s veteran detective ACP Pradyumna of CID fame, he said, “It is fresh. The tiger either turned left or right.” </p>.Probe possible quarry blasting link to leopard death: Karnataka minister.<p>We thought, “Oh, thank you, ACP Pradyumna; that is a rational conclusion. It makes perfect sense. The tiger could have slipped into the thickets from the right or from the left. Not from under the land or by taking to the skies.”</p>.<p>Our driver shushed us this time to say, “Shhhh…I heard a growl.” I wondered, did he though? Or was that a gimmick to pass off as a customer service innovation? What if the tiger safaris in India are the longest-running scam? How come that out of 149 tigers, not even one came to strike us a pose? We did not see stripes that day; we got a consolation prize – tiger droppings. My American friends promised to keep coming back to India until they spot a tiger in one of the safaris. </p>.<p>Tiger safaris are not so much a wildlife tour; they are a quest for hope. One of the hopes is that someday, when the tiger wishes to, the curtains of the forest will magically part for us eager tourists, and he will come strike a pose (albeit for a few seconds) and flit back into the dense foliage. This time, we came so close, yet so far. Perhaps the proverb is true: in the jungle, we may never spot a tiger, but the tiger most certainly has spotted you. </p><p><em>Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.</em></p>
