[Leica] Ranthambhore

[jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj)]

I thought for this post I would just detail a typical day after locating a
tigress - this whole runaround would have taken around 4-5 hours.

Typically, the tigress, in this case T107 is flopped out, resting. She is
the daughter of one of the matriarchs of the park, Noor (T39, whom we will
meet later), and had pushed Mummy out and taken over a part of her
territory, her sister had taken over the other part.

As we approach she first gives a cursory look, and then a closer look:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190318-674.jpg.html

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190318-2172.jpg.html

When she decides to get up, an hour or two later, she first starts with a
good yawn:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190318-2234.jpg.html

Then has a good long stretch:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190318-753.jpg.html

Then she goes to a neighbouring tree and marks her territory:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-974.jpg.html

Finally, she is ready to get going!

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-982.jpg.html

At the next marking tree, she inhales the scents lefty by other animals
(pheromones) into the Jacobson's Organ on the back roof of the mouth for
decoding. After thoroughly satisfying herself, she will mark again,
refreshing her own unique calling card!

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-1120.jpg.html

The walk takes her through typical Ranthambhore terrain of Dhok or Dhonk
forests, the dry twisted leafless trees that always remind me of William
Blake's description of the tigers habitat as "Forests of the Night".

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-997.jpg.html

Finally she disappears to a roadside waterhole for a refreshing drink, and
then disappears:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-2772.jpg.html

In the meantime, a little further on, we run into Noor, her mother, who
soon disappears into a river bed. Our guide and driver, though, know
exactly where she would pop out, close to an anicut (check dam), and
position us on higher ground. Suddenly, she is there, still walking on the
river bed:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-1218.jpg.html

She then approaches the anicut, in the low rays of the setting sun:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-1212.jpg.html

Soon, she goes over the anicut, and as we cannot follow, the game is over
for the day!

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Ranthambhore_001/2019/Ranthambhore/Ranthambhore-20190319-2892.jpg.html

Noor is taking a risk coming here, because if her daughter catches sight or
smell of her, she would be chased out!

Please see LARGE

Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome

Cheers
Jayanand