“Tiger Tiger. burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye.
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?..”
By :William Blake
TAG TIGER: The big cats with big bright round yellow irises, the claws sharp ready for hunting, their unique stripes on their strong body, which no two tigers have identical stripes and the roar could be heard more than a mile away.
I had my life’s first ever direct interface with the wild-life. Recently I visited “Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka” and “Bannergatta national park, Bangalore”.
A journey started with the stay at “The Kings Sanctuary” just 200 kilometer from Bangalore, situated close to the “Nagarhole National Park”. A wildlife resort which have a perfect blend of traditional India with its stylish décor. It also provides a jeep safaris to the National Park. Nagarhole National park derives its name from the combination of two Kannada words. 'Nagar,' meaning snake, and 'hole,' meaning streams. Nagarhole Park was set up in 1955. It have a large variety of wild species like eleplants, tigers, leopard, gaur (Indian bison), dears etc. Long back it was the prime hunting location for the Maharajas of Mysoor. But recently it is renamed as “Rajiv Gandhi National Park after the late Prime Minister of India”.
Nagarhole National Park is counted among India’s best wildlife parks.Early morning we started to the Jungle safari in the bus. The sanctuary is quite a few kilometers away from the resort. There was a thick green forest and the strange sound of the morning jungle created a buzz of unlimited questions..like “Will it be safe to go?”, “Will I be able to see any animal?”, “What shall be the feeling when I will spot any exclusive species…?” As when I was there in my deep thoughts, the bus was stopped with a sudden strong brakes and somebody echoed…Tiger! Tiger!! Within the micro second everybody was alert and came close to the cab’s seat. A robust bodied TIGER crossing the road. The tiger walked really like a king without bothering about the bus which was just five meters away.
There was enough time for all of us to see the “NATIONAL ANIMAL OF INDIA”, the Tiger. I have seen tigers in the zoo of some circus but to see the tiger roaming around freely has been the most outstanding and memorable experience. Indeed, there is so much of thrill, fear, excitement to spot the tiger. Though many other animals were spotted then, but nothing matched the wonder of watching the tiger.
I reading more to know about the Nagarhole National Park (NNP), came across a story would shatter away all the great experience we had there. The true story of the livelihood of the tribal living in the village close to the NNP. Check the Link.
Tigers are an endangered species due to shrinking habitat and large scale poaching resulting from human-tiger conflict. Their skin is secretly sold as the decorative items in the global market. And many Wildlife Conservation programs and organizations are made and followed to save and conserve them. India poses the largest the population of tigers around 2500. Inspite of the fact that the current estimates put the world population of wild tigers at about 5,000-7,000 only.
One of the interesting fact, I came across my knowledge is that the Tiger is the National Animal of almost six countries including India as follows:
1. Bangladesh
2. India
3. Malaysia
4. Nepal
5. North Korea
6. South Korea
A journey started with the stay at “The Kings Sanctuary” just 200 kilometer from Bangalore, situated close to the “Nagarhole National Park”. A wildlife resort which have a perfect blend of traditional India with its stylish décor. It also provides a jeep safaris to the National Park. Nagarhole National park derives its name from the combination of two Kannada words. 'Nagar,' meaning snake, and 'hole,' meaning streams. Nagarhole Park was set up in 1955. It have a large variety of wild species like eleplants, tigers, leopard, gaur (Indian bison), dears etc. Long back it was the prime hunting location for the Maharajas of Mysoor. But recently it is renamed as “Rajiv Gandhi National Park after the late Prime Minister of India”.
Nagarhole National Park is counted among India’s best wildlife parks.Early morning we started to the Jungle safari in the bus. The sanctuary is quite a few kilometers away from the resort. There was a thick green forest and the strange sound of the morning jungle created a buzz of unlimited questions..like “Will it be safe to go?”, “Will I be able to see any animal?”, “What shall be the feeling when I will spot any exclusive species…?” As when I was there in my deep thoughts, the bus was stopped with a sudden strong brakes and somebody echoed…Tiger! Tiger!! Within the micro second everybody was alert and came close to the cab’s seat. A robust bodied TIGER crossing the road. The tiger walked really like a king without bothering about the bus which was just five meters away.
There was enough time for all of us to see the “NATIONAL ANIMAL OF INDIA”, the Tiger. I have seen tigers in the zoo of some circus but to see the tiger roaming around freely has been the most outstanding and memorable experience. Indeed, there is so much of thrill, fear, excitement to spot the tiger. Though many other animals were spotted then, but nothing matched the wonder of watching the tiger.
I reading more to know about the Nagarhole National Park (NNP), came across a story would shatter away all the great experience we had there. The true story of the livelihood of the tribal living in the village close to the NNP. Check the Link. Tigers are an endangered species due to shrinking habitat and large scale poaching resulting from human-tiger conflict. Their skin is secretly sold as the decorative items in the global market. And many Wildlife Conservation programs and organizations are made and followed to save and conserve them. India poses the largest the population of tigers around 2500. Inspite of the fact that the current estimates put the world population of wild tigers at about 5,000-7,000 only.
One of the interesting fact, I came across my knowledge is that the Tiger is the National Animal of almost six countries including India as follows:
1. Bangladesh
2. India
3. Malaysia
4. Nepal
5. North Korea
6. South Korea
India, have a religious connection with the tiger, as Hindu Goddess Durga, rides on the Tigress. We often call her “Mata Sheravali” in the need or just remembering God.Similarly even children remember “Shere Khan”, a character fearfully menacing with Mowgli in, The Jungle Book, the Animated story enjoyed in childhood watching on the televisions.
The big cat, Tiger is a strong swimmer and a great runner with the night vision six times better than that of humans, reflects a very special philosophy of life leading with swiftness, strength and acute accuracy.
I was already mesmerizing in the moment of spotting tiger at the Nagarhole National Park. And this continued urge, to see ones again the Tiger, at Bannerghatta National Park is situated 10 km south of IIM-Bangalore. The journey to the park takes nearly half an hour from Bangalore. This hilly surrounding is the home for one of the richest flora and fauna. The 25,000 acre zoological park makes this a major domestic and foreign tourist attraction of Bangalore.
Imagine, the tiger around you, very close as it could even sniff and force you to faint. Yes! this is indeed the real experience of coming across to tiger at this very small yet miraculous Bannergatta National park. The pictures flicks speaks more than what I shall describe or express about the wonderful and enchanting encounter with the Tiger, at Bannergatta National Park.
Royal Bengal King’s roar is still a nightmare for me but haven’t said that I do love “Sher khan”. We all need to protect and conserve animals and even this royal cat which is so much endangered species, for the proper food-cycle and life-cycle on earth for better living..
Live life a king size and let the King of the jungle also live!!
Enjoy Traveling!
I am so much moved with the story of tiger, you have depicted. Excellent research done.
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