Hello, Kitty!

This IS one of our pics... no zoom!

We are promised a visit to Ranthambhore National Park. This is a tiger sanctuary but we must get there before dawn. The park covers thousands of acres and over 300 tigers thrive here. But each tiger generally prowls a territory of 25 acres or more so our odds of a sighting are slim. The valley is picturesque in every detail. Ruins of hunting palaces and ancient civilizations abound - each adorned with bougainvillea and monkeys. We spot deer, wild boar, crocodiles and peacocks all awaiting the rising sun. The guide hears a monkey in the distance alerting of danger and we head that direction. A peacock sits atop a ruined wall watching attentively in one direction. We stop the jeep and sit in silence waiting for a snapping twig. Nothing but bird calls and wild sounds echo through the ruins and undergrowth. Our guide whispers the odds of actually sighting a tiger but we read disappointment on his face. On our way home, we stop to watch Summer Deer standing in chest-deep water across the lake and to see the sunrise reflected on the water. Suddenly our guide raises an arm, silently pointing to the far edge of the water a half kilometer away. There's a tiger deep in the water, lily pads up to her shoulders! The chase is on. Our guide recognizes this tiger and knows where her morning routine will take her on the far side of the lake. We circle the lake rapidly and the driver places the jeep in the expected path of the oncoming beast. We sit and wait. Suddenly, out of the tall grass we spot her stripes coming directly toward us. She eyes us but does not treat us as adversary. "Keep hands inside the jeep!" hisses our guide. Cameras shudder to life. She passes within four feet of our jeep and walks softly past us leaving giant tracks in the dust. We drive home with trophy photos and bragging rights. The guide is grinning now.