Ever since I started trekking in the early nineties, it has always been my ambition to spot a tiger in the wild. Numerous treks, thousands of miles traversing dense jungles, hundreds of water holes crisscrossed, yet I have not been able to get within spotting distance of these magnificent felines.
Yet, luck turned the corner for me the third week of November during a trek to the Western Catchment. I did not spot the tiger but had a blessed rendezvouz with an adult leopard. We had just completed the trek and were starting back to base camp when we saw the graceful feline cross the road, jump on the side mound and then give us the stare treatment for a couple of minutes.
It was a wonderful moment,a feeling of heightened ecstacy as I feasted my eyes on this lovely specimen. A couple of us in fact took pictures when the spotted cat stood the ramp.
Then with a smirk that bordered on banal attitude, it bounded off in a flash. Anyways thanks to Ben, one of our team members, we have a treasured pix that will stand the test of time.
The tiger trail will continue as ever..
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