This is a story about an experience I will never forget. I was on a five-day trip to Pench Tiger Reserve with my family. On the third day, during the morning safari, I saw the jeeps all crowded at one place. I could hear the calls of the monkeys in the trees above us, but our eyes were fixed on one particular spot.
We were all staring at a tigress, slowly approaching to hunt the huge big male deer next to her. She was camouflaged in the bushes. All of us were very excited. We waited and waited. Suddenly the tigress took a huge leap, but missed. The male deer started running wildly. All our cameras were in our hands. The tigress started chasing the deer, but it escaped. We had just seen a failed hunt.
The tigress started walking towards our jeep, still proud. To one side, a herd of a deer stood still. But she did nothing. The tigress crossed behind us, so close that her tail touched the back of the jeep. It was like our hearts were in our mouths. Who knew if she would leap or do anything at all! She did nothing, and just walked back to her cave with pride, and with a spirit that said she would try again next time.
That day was just amazing. I was completely speechless after what happened. The memory will stay with me forever.
Other stories in this Guest Editor package:
Guest Editor Diaries: Of Poachers And Flying Fish: 10-year-old Aarya Mehta assigns stories to the NiF team.
A Cruel Trade: Prerna Bindra tries to explain why poachers poach and how it's driving our wildlife to extinction.
It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane...It’s A Flying Fish! Marine Biologist Abhishek Jamalabad tells us if fish can fly.
Our Perilous Poaching Problem: Bijal Vachharajani lists out the books you should arm yourself with.
