Don Curry among Tigers

Don Curry had done his research: There were currently about 2000 wild tigers in all of India, over 60 of them in the Ranthambore National Park. Surely, at least one of the animals should have time to greet him properly....

To get up close with these majestic creatures, one must set off early. Although Ranthambore's tigers are known to be active all day long, the chances are greatest shortly after sunrise and just before sunset. Don Curry's first safari started at 7:00 am. Shivering, he warmed his hands at least with a hot cup of coffee that the hotel had prepared for him, and then his Jeep arrived.

Two Indian boys around 18 years old were sitting in the front seat, and Don Curry had the back seat to himself - it seemed cozy. But a few kilometers later, 3 more boys joined, friends of the first two. One of the newcomers, who seemed nearly hyperactive, squeezed in next to Don Curry. Throughout the entire safari, he was constantly occupied with his smartphone, taking countless selfies - including with Don Curry - from all sorts of angles, recording short video reports into his device, and chattering nonstop with the other boys. Don Curry very rarely wishes ill upon his fellow human beings, but he wouldn't have objected to a sudden tiger attack on the middle of the back seat in the face of constant noise and fidgeting. Even tigers get mightily annoyed by constant noise and fidgeting.

Unfortunately, no tiger took pity. Despite the stunning landscape, which closely resembled an African dry savannah, only a few deer, antelopes, and peacocks made an appearance. The real highlight was a pair of Plum-headed Parakeets right by the dusty road, but not a single big cat. Eventually, even the selfie master began to calm down, and Don Curry became somewhat reconciled. But when the boys bid him farewell with the address "Sahib" (teacher, wise man), Don Curry was left slightly confused.

In the hotel, he skipped a late breakfast and went straight to the lunch buffet at 12:00 pm. After fortifying himself, he embarked on his second safari at 2:00 pm. This time in a different Jeep with a different crew, in another part of the national park, and with different fellow travelers.

Two young Indian couples and another boy - all from the state of Gujarat - were in the vehicle with him. It turned out to be much more pleasant and led to some good conversations. The Jeep initially drove along the huge Ranthambore fort through a more vegetation-rich area that could rightfully be called a jungle. Small lakes and streams further enhanced the scenery. The wildlife also appeared more abundant than in the morning: hundreds of peacocks, in addition to the Axis deer, the giant Sambar deer, wild boars, monkeys, and numerous bird species. Don Curry even spotted two crocodiles on the banks of a lake. However, there was still no sign of the desired target.

When the Jeep parked at a rest area in the jungle for a short break and Don Curry had just gotten out, panic suddenly broke out at the rest area. Everyone rushed back to their Jeeps: a tiger sighting nearby. Three Jeeps raced through the forest in quick succession until the destination was quickly reached. Two other Jeeps were already there. Two tiger cubs had hidden in the undergrowth just two meters away from them, occasionally revealing a bit of their fur. But even more impressive was the mother, lying in a clearing nearby and apparently having caught something. The Jeeps crowded close to the tigress, who glanced briefly but was undisturbed. Forty pairs of eyes were now fixed on her without interruption, thirty cameras clicked and whirred and chirped. The tigress rose majestically, stretched, stepped into the open sunlight, and seemingly enjoyed the concentrated attention. However, when more vehicles approached after about 20 minutes, she called her cubs briefly and withdrew deeper into the jungle. Proudly, in our Jeep, we compared our photographic haul. "We all are lucky now," one of the young Indians aptly summed up the mood.

After this successful safari, Don Curry was greeted upon his return to the hotel by a traditional Indian drum group. Additionally, all the courtyards of the complex were lavishly adorned with magnificent floral arrangements - a wedding was taking place in a side hall of the hotel this evening. When, after sunset, the entire hotel was also bathed in pink light and illuminated, Don Curry felt definitively beyond earthly realms. Unfortunately, he can no longer remember whether he dreamt of selfie-taking pink tigers afterwards...