A Trip to Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, India #2

A Herd of Deer in Zone 5

My two safaris were incredible experiences. That said, in a jungle, only two factors can spoil your fun. One, if a predator confronts your car or two, if the people you are traveling with, misbehave by not following the etiquette of traveling in a safari. 

Vast Landscapes of Zone 6. It provides good photographic opportunities to click wildlife from a distance.

In Zone 6, the biggest charm was the flatlands which we saw. It made me feel as if I was having a safari in Africa or something. The biggest highlight of the day though was a series of tiger pugmarks we saw on the trail. A tiger had crossed that trail to head somewhere. I was able to see a Sloth Bear in this safari and some deers.

Pugmark of a Tiger, Ranthambhore National Park

The Kacheda Reservoir. We visited in late Feb.

In Zone 5, which we visited the next day, I got to visit the Kacheda Reservoir. I was disappointed to see that it was almost dry. Yet, I was able to spot a crocodile, which was basking in the sun at some distance. 

A crocodile, on the other side of the bund at Kacheda Reservoir

It was in this safari that I heard the barking of a deer (a warning signal that a predator was nearby) which was then followed by a bellow which was let out by a tiger. We were quite some distance away when we heard the roar of the tiger, but it shook everyone in the canter. But, as we were 'in' the canter we knew we were safe. Trust me, we would not have been as confident of our chances had we been on our own in the jungle!

Jungle Safari Trails taken by Canters and Gypsies

Our canter raced to look for the spot from where the roar came and very soon we reached there only to find a gypsy quietly waiting for the tiger to show itself. But, the predator had decided to sit amongst the foliage and so we could not see anything. 

Whenever wildlife is spotted is expected to be spotted, canters and gypsies accumulate at the spot.

Within 5 minutes of us reaching the spot from where the tiger had roared, all the gypsies and canters stormed in, to get a look at the tiger. Within a few minutes, the powerful roar of a tiger had turned a secluded part of the forest to resemble the parking lot of a popular mall in New Delhi. I realized that now, the tiger would not come out even if it wanted to. Tigers are shy animals.

I was, though, very satisfied with my experiences in both the safaris and will be planning to visit Ranthambore once again, the moment it is possible.

Overall, my experience of visiting Ranthambore was very good. The hills, forests, wildlife, and the natural beauty of the place make this destination a must-visit. My resort was small in scale but I was happy with the cleanliness of the room, the meals which had a homemade gue to them (something I greatly appreciated), and the evening campfires. I am more than willing to go there again!

Beautiful and Serene. A View of the Resort from the Entrance of my Cottage.

****

( This is the second in the series of articles I am writing about my visit to Ranthambhore National Park in Feb - Mar 2018. Due to a hectic schedule I was unable to complete it. Now due to the pandemic, with zero travel opportunities, I am revisiting my former trips which I had documented and photographed with the intention of blogging but never did. So, I will be naming this series of retrospective posts as 'From the Vault' posts. I hope you like them :-) )