Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, is a wonderland teeming with wildlife and whispers of history. This former Maharaja hunting ground is now a haven for majestic Bengal tigers, elusive leopards, and a dazzling array of creatures. It took David and Karen 4 bone jarring but exhilarating safaris to finally see a tiger basking in the sun. But that is another story. This is “the rest of the story” . . . .
The tigers and leopards need to eat, and we saw creatures the likes of which we have never seen before: The Nilgai or Blue Bull is India’s largest antelope, to me it looks like a horse and is about that size. When a tiger is able to take down one of these bad boys, it will satisfy their appetite for about 10 days. The Sambar Deer is about the size of an American deer. The guides said these are very salty and so a delicacy for the tiger, they provide a rich source of salt in their diet. And finally, the Chital Deer, aka the Spotted Deer. With reddish-brown coats and white spots they are just captivating, they are genteel and graceful. From the tigers perspective, not much meat, so they are left for the leopards to enjoy.
Near the end we suddenly saw a sloth bear. Known for a shaggy coat and long snout, it forages for termites or fruits. I’ll made sure I included a picture of his claw, so you can see what we are talking about.
We saw egrets, vultures, eagles, owls, woodpeckers and amazing kingfisher! Ranthambore was an opportunity to not only observe wildlife in its raw and untamed beauty, but also to enjoy a sunrise from a ridge or take a moment by a stream to savor the serene moments and gratefully, take it all in.
