The Last Fifteen Minutes – A Safari I’ll Never Forget

This Tadoba Safari experience remains a highlight which I call "The Last Fifteen Minutes."

A jungle safari delivers a special kind of magic that combines the rush of adventure with the stillness of the environment and the untold stories in leaf movements. My visit to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra took place a few months ago. I had decided to go there because the reserve is known for its abundant wildlife and its most renowned tigers. I arrived at the safari with both optimistic expectations and wild fantasies of observing a regal tiger or seeing a leopard moving stealthily through the bushes. However nature had its own distinct arrangement that day.

The first part of our safari tour remained serene and attractive. We observed spotted deer, langurs swinging from trees, peacocks showing their feathers and bison coming and going in the distance. Personally I wanted to see tigers in person but something I wished to see even more were the sloth bears and leopards hiding in the shadows.

Every curve in the trail generated a powerful feeling of excitement. Every langur alarm call and pugmark discovery in the forest floor indicated the presence of something remarkable. The clock continued to tick. Time took its toll as the sun descended and my chances of seeing something dwindled.

Our guide suddenly raised his hand to signal us to remain quiet, and then we reached the exit trail while his eyes focused straight ahead with complete alertness.

The jungle suddenly revealed three tigers before us.

I could not believe it, three tigers. Three tigers stood confidently in the path about a hundred meters away as if they were forest guardians who stepped out of darkness.

It was like a dream. These tigers appeared peaceful yet powerful while creating a deep sense of enchantment. The fifteen minutes passed silently while we observed the scene. A tiger walked straight through our path as the sun cast golden light upon its body. The third tiger received a friendly push from its companion before the pair resumed their rest. The moment froze me completely as I became lost in awe.

Reality suddenly struck us when we realised that we had delayed our exit. The park gates were about to close so we needed to hurry and leave. The peaceful tiger sighting turned into an urgent rush to escape the park.

The forest sped past our jeep as we traveled through the rough trails like a roller coaster.

Tadoba reserved its most impressive gift for our final fifteen minutes which proved to be an absolute treasure.